Samsung had already made it clear that they intend to add the iPhone 5 to their patent infringement case against Apple as soon as the product launches. Sticking to that claim, Samsung has done exactly as promised, and the new iPhone 5 now joins the previous iPhones, iPad and iPod touch in Samsung's case.
The patents are mostly 3G standards essential, along with some specific features. After the launch of the iPhone 5, Samsung investigated the device and found it infringing upon its patented technologies.
Of course, Apple has a list of their own with over 20 Samsung devices that they think infringes upon their patents, including devices such as the Galaxy Nexus and the Galaxy S III.
The iPhone 5 will be added to the case when it gets a hearing on November 6. As before, the hearing will take place in a California court and will be presided by Judge Paul Grewal.
Samsung can once again sell its Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet in the US after a judge lifted a sales ban imposed at the end of June. The ban was put in place after Apple persuaded a court that the design of the Korean company's tablet infringed one of its patents.
A US-based sales ban on Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet handed down just over three months ago was lifted by a US court on Monday, as the ding-dong battle between the Korean tech giant and rival Apple continues.
Responding to the decision, Samsung said in a statement, “We are pleased with the court’s action today, which vindicates our position that there was no infringement of Apple’s design patent and that an injunction was not called for.”
The ban had been imposed before August’s high-profile trial that saw Apple score a decisive victory over Samsung, with many of its patent-violation accusations relating to a number of Samsung smartphones and tablets accepted by the jury.
However, the patent which Apple accused Samsung of violating with the Galaxy Tab 10.1 (patent 889 relating to the iPad’s design, specifically, “clean front, edge-to-edge glass, thin bezel, thin outer border, and rounded corners”), which prompted the decision to impose the temporary sales ban three months ago, was not violated by Samsung, according to the jury in the August trial. As a result, Samsung asked for the ban to be lifted.
Despite US district court judge Lucy Koh allowing the Galaxy Tab 10.1 to go back on sale in the US, things could still get sticky for Samsung and its tablet. Although the jury in the August trial ruled that the design patent had not been violated, it did rule that a number of other patents belonging to Apple had been violated by the Galaxy Tab. A US court hearing on December 6 is set to rule on which of Samsung’s mobile gadgets should be banned from sale based on the jury’s findings back in August – so yes, the tablet could be among them.
August’s multi-billion-dollar patent battle saw Apple accusing Samsung of ripping off the design of its iPhone and iPad devices in the making of a number of its own smartphones and tablets. Apple won big, with Samsung ordered to pay just over $1 billion in damages for patent infringement.
But the dust has far from settled. Last week it was reported that Apple had filed a motion asking for an additional $707 million on top of its already massive award. Meanwhile, Samsung is asking for a new trial, alleging juror misconduct during August’s proceedings.
As for the Galaxy Tab, with all the fuss in recent months over new, more portable, cheaper tablets from the likes of Amazon, Google, and Barnes & Noble – not forgetting a possible new contender hitting the market next month – is anyone even interested in the Galaxy Tab anymore? Are you thinking of buying one?
Definitely good news for Virgin Mobile subscribers that love Apple products, several models of iPhone 5 are in the works for customers.
Detailed on MacRumors earlier today, Apple has prepped six CDMA iPhone 5 models for Virgin Mobile USA. However, neither company has confirmed a date when Virgin Mobile will roll out the new iPhone 5 models in both black and white as well as the standard 16 GB, 32 GB and 64 GB sizes. Virgin Mobile only recently started offering the iPhone 4S to customers at the end of June 2012. When Virgin Mobile launched the iPhone 4S, the company advertised the $35-a-month plan with 300 voice minutes which could be reduced to $30-a-month be signing up for automatic payments. That mobile plan also offers unlimited data, but speed is throttled after a subscriber reaches a data cap each month.
Virgin Mobile currently offers the iPhone 4S for a price of $649.99 and the iPhone 4 for a price of $549.99. It’s unclear if Virgin Mobile will alter the pricing structure of the iPhone 4S and iPhone 4 when the iPhone 5 is added to the lineup.
According to MacRumors, Alaska Communications and Virgin Mobile are the last two major wireless carriers in the United States that don’t offer the iPhone 5. As of the end of last week, regional carriers such as Appalachian Wireless, Bluegrass Cellular, Cellcom, Cricket Communications, C Spire Wireless, GCI, Golden State Cellular, Nex-Tech Wireless, nTelos, Pioneer Wireless made the iPhone 5 available to customers.
While Virgin Mobile customers will have to pay significantly more for the iPhone 5 than customers at AT&T or Verizon, they aren’t locked into a contract and will pay significantly less over the same two year period as AT&T or Verizon customers that purchased the new iPhone for $199.99 under contract. Virgin Mobile customers also have the option of limiting the amount of voice minutes on the plan in order to keep the monthly bill inexpensive, but there’s also an unlimited voice option priced at $55 per month. In addition, Virgin Mobile allows users to turn their smartphone into a mobile hotspot for an additional $15 per month.
At issue: the way AppleCare advertises its program
It looks like AppleCare, the extend protection program from Apple that fixes your Mac and iOS devices beyond the standard warranty, needs some fixing of its own, according to European Union officials.
Specifically, European Union Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding takes issue with the way in which Apple prominently advertises its paid AppleCare program, but fails to equally inform users of the EU Statutory Warranty.
"Apple prominently advertised that its products come with a one-year manufacturer warranty but failed to clearly indicate the consumers' automatic and free-of-cost entitlement to a minimum two-year guarantee under EU law," Reding said to ministers in the letter obtained by Bloomberg News. "These are unacceptable marketing practices."
The EU law states that consumers are protected for up to two years from defects that are present when they take delivery of their Apple device. It's up to the seller to provide this coverage at no additional cost.
The standard warranty covers defects that arise after consumers take the delivery for up to one year and the paid AppleCare Protection Program does the same for two to three years depending on the product.
AppleCare fine print lost in translation
Apple gets its message across very clearly in each of the 27 EU member states when it comes to the complementary and optional AppleCare warranties.
In Reding's home country of Luxembourg, for example, the Apple Protection Program website uses easy-to-read bar graphics to indicate both the standard warranty and extended warranty support.
It's not until consumers scroll down to the fine print and click a link to a new page that they are told about the EU Statutory Warranty.
Because there's no graphic for the EU law, understanding the country's language is essential to knowing about the free program.
Reding isn't the first to point out Apple's support message inconsistency. The same matter was at the heart of a € 900,000 ($1.16 million US; $1,117,365 AUD; £718,906 UK;) fine that Apple had to pay Italy last December.
The Windows Phone started to gain some traction in European markets during the last 12 weeks. WP is now challenging RIM, maker of the BlackBerry, for third place in Europe, according to a new report from Kantar Worldpanel ComTech.
The WPP-owned market research company released sales data from Europe and the U.S. for the past 12 weeks, ending Sept 2.
The research group credited lower-end mobile devices such as the Nokia 610 for bolstering sales in Italy and France as Europeans look for better deals in their smartphones.
The data showed Windows' sales grew 6.6 percent in Italy, 3.5 percent in France and 2.3 percent in Great Britain over the three month period.
Windows Phone big in Italy
Windows' biggest stronghold is in Italy where the mobile OS commands 10.4 percent of the market share.
WP shot past RIM as its market share declined 14.7 percent in Italy during the last year to settle at 5.5 percent.
"Windows is making steady progress in the big European economies and is now challenging BlackBerry for third spot in the European OS league," Dominic Sunnebo, an analyst for Kantar Worldpanel, said in a press release.
"With the momentum Windows 8 will bring towards the end of 2012, it seems highly likely that it will achieve this before the end of the year."
Windows' Italian Job
If these trends continue in Italy, WP could end up taking Apple's top spot in smartphone sales. Apple's market share slipped almost 4 percent in the last year, retaining the top spot with a 14.7 percent market share in the boot-shaped country.
But, the recent release of the iPhone 5 is sure to give Apple some fodder to fuel sales, making this a very steep uphill battle for Windows.
However, an Italian victory may be a moral win more than anything else. Windows only has a 5 percent share across the entire European market. Android and iOS still dominate European sales with an 82.4 percent market share.
Italian sales don't seem to be indicative of any other markets. Windows has a market share of 4.4 percent in Great Britain, 4 percent in Germany, 5.7 percent in France and 2.7 percent in the U.S.
But Windows seems to be making progress, seeing mostly positive growth over the past year as companies like RIM, Symbian, and Apple lost market shares.
Yet, Kantar Worldpanel's data shows Android gaining the most ground in the past year, seeing double digit growth in most markets across the world.
But things may change, Windows 8 mobile OS is rumored to release fairly soon, which might help Windows close the distance on its competitors.
Sony Mobile is releasing the Android Ice Cream Sandwich upgrade for a trio of Xperia handsets.
The mid-range Sony Xperia U, which has been awaiting the update since April, the tough Xperia Go and the compact Xperia Sola, will all receive the Android 4.0 software this week.
Sony has already released ICS for the Xperia S and Xperia P, while the recently announced Xperia T will launch with that version of Google's mobile operating system straight out of the box.
The update will be rolled out during the middle of this week for those with unlocked handsets, while those on network contracts may have to wait a little bit longer.
Where's Jelly Bean?
Alongside ICS, the devices will also bring improvements to the Walkman app and the albums and movies media suites.
The Sola device also gets a "Glove Mode," which makes it easier to use the device while using gloves. Perfect for the forthcoming winter months, or for goalkeepers.
While the update will be a boon for users that have been laden with the Android 2.3: Gingerbread OS for too long, many may wonder why Ice Cream Sandwich is on the menu and not Jelly Bean?
Sharp bringing full-HD resolution to smartphones with new screens
Though Sharp is currently busy facilitating the growing need for more and more iPhone 5 screens, the manufacturer has also found time to fit some other projects into their busy schedule.
Chief among the latest hardware being created are five-inch LCD screens, which Sharp says will be able to support full-HD resolution (1920x1080).
The screens will use new CG-Silicon technology to "achieve the same number of pixels in a smartphone-size screen as there are in a full-HD LCD TV."
Production on the new screens began in September, with the intent to move into full-scale production in October.
Higher pixel density, higher quality images
Coming in at 1.3 times a standard LCD screen, Sharp proclaims these new screens will have one of the highest pixel density ratios on the market.
For comparison, Sharp's new screens will come in at a healthy 443 PPI, while the iPhone 5 and Samsung Galaxy S3 register 326 PPI and 306 PPI respectively.
Sharp stated in their release, "By providing ultra-detailed LCD panels to support the growing worldwide demand for smartphones, Sharp will contribute to smartphones with increasingly higher quality images."
HTC is rumored to be collaborating with Google on a five-inch phablet with a 1080p screen, but Sharp's work could find the tech available in more than just a few phones over the course of the next year.
Sharp will offer the first look at the new screens in action at CEATEC Japan 2012, starting on Oct. 2.
The Office of Fair Trading has given Vodafone and O2 the green light to press on with plans to share mobile infrastructure.
The accord, which the two companies announced back in June, will allow them access to a combined total of 18,500 base station locations around the UK, which is a 40 per cent increase for both networks.
Consumers will see the 2G and 3G coverage improve on networks and it'll also enable the rivals to deploy their 4G networks more quickly and efficiently. That's good news for everyone concerned.
Both networks will remain as totally separate entities, continue to operate on different radio frequencies and position themselves as big competitors in the UK.
O2 and Vodafone already share air conditioning and power suppliers at some sites in the UK as part of the ongoing Cornerstone project, and this agreement is simply an extension of that.
However, their desire to share 4G infrastructure following the spectrum auction next year will position both companies to take on the EE super-network, which already has 4G LTE connectivity in place.
zeebox is bringing Americans closer to the shows they watch
Billed as "your TV sidekick," zeebox is landing on American soil this week, offering a free second screen experience for both web browsers and mobile apps for iOS and Android.
The launch is a partnership with a trio of U.S. providers, with HBO kicking in premium content while Comcast Cable and NBCUniversal infuse zeebox with investments as well as promotional support.
"As the Olympics demonstrated, the second screen experience has become an increasingly important platform to engage audiences," explains NBCUniversal Chief Executive Steve Burke.
"We think the zeebox technology presents tremendous opportunities for our viewers and our advertisers."
Coming to America
Like the more music-centric Shazam, Zeebox hails from the U.K. but both are squarely aimed at competing with American social discovery platforms such as GetGlue, Miso and IntoNow.
Prior to jumping across the pond, zeebox touched down in Australia as part of a joint venture with the Ten Network.
However, having the support of Comcast, NBC and HBO for the American launch is considered a major coup for the company.
"We are proud to launch with this game-changing roster of partners who recognize the importance of fully meeting web-empowered consumer expectations," remarked zeebox Chief Executive Officer Ernesto Schmitt, who founded the company with Anthony Rose, a veteran of the BBC iPlayer relaunch.
For its U.S. partners, zeebox makes for an attractive television advertising platform, currently a $70 billion industry.
"As consumers continue to flock to social media and the web to experience a program beyond what is on the screen, zeebox gives content owners and programmers a direct line of communication, feedback and engagement that has never before been possible," Schmitt elaborated.
Zeebox launches this week with a seven-day program guide for all major TV channels, offering customized channel lineups, show reminders and deeper social discovery via Twitter and Facebook.
The latest Facebook Messenger update makes it compatible with iPhone 5 and iOS 6, with an interface that closely resembles Apple's iMessage.
With iOS 6 updates rolling out in most major apps, it was only a matter of time before Facebook got in on the action and unveiled its latest Messenger app to match the newest version of Apple’s mobile operating system.
Facebook Messenger 2.0 features a few new shortcuts, such as swiping left to see who’s got the green light to chat and the ability to add friends you message the most to the top so you don’t have to search through your friends list. It’s also got a list of emoticons that are compatible with Facebook Messenger for those who like reliving the good ol’ AOL Instant Messenger days. This experience is heightened by the use of chat bubbles to distinguish between you and the recipient, which follows along the line of the interface found in Apple’s iMessage or even the precambrian iChat.
Just like the Web interface, you can see who in your thread has viewed your message — down to the time the person opened it. You will also be able to see from where the person sent the message so friends can stay in the loop of their social circle’s whereabouts. Of course, the biggest improvement is the screen sizing to fit iPhone 5′s enlarged display so no more awkward black bars at the top and bottom of your screen where the iPhone 4 display cuts off. The revamped Facebook Messenger app is clearly made for those who’ve replaced texting with Facebook chats — especially for those who may have forgotten their friends’ phone numbers or check their Facebook more than they check their cell.
Call me silly, but if I see a notification for Facebook and text on my phone, I do find myself checking Facebook first to see what’s new — but that may be because I personally use an Android phone. While the new Facebook Messenger for iOS may come just several weeks after Android first got the update, one feature sorely missing in iOS is the ability to send a Facebook message as a text. Knowing Apple’s API restrictions and tough workarounds, it is unlikely that iPhone users will be able to look forward to such functionality. For the time being, Facebook has done a fine job recreating the SMS experience — and then some — with its Messenger app. The app and update is free and is available for download today.
Hewlett Packard has announced the ElitePad 900, a business grade Windows 8 tablet that will be joined by a wide range of accessories.
Hewlett Packard has announced another Windows 8 tablet, this time aimed at business and government use, along with a wide range of specially designed accessories to make it a more tempting proposition.
The ElitePad 900 has a 10.1-inch touchscreen with a 1280 x 800 pixel resolution, and is covered with Corning’s Gorilla Glass 2 to help protect it. Inside the 9.2mm thick machined-aluminum chassis is an Intel Atom processor, the new Z2760 Clover Trail to be exact, however its clock speed is currently unknown, plus 2GB of RAM and either 32GB or 64GB of internal storage.
The new processor means the ElitePad’s battery boasts eight hours of continuous use, plus there is an 8-megapixel camera on the rear, a video call lens which shoots in 1080p around the front, plus a SIM-card slot for mobile data connectivity too.
So far, so ordinary, but the ElitePad is obviously supposed to be purchased with one or more of the official accessories, and HP’s range is pleasingly extensive. The cringingly named Productivity Jacket turns the ElitePad into a laptop with a keyboard, improved speakers, an array of ports including an SD card reader, USBs and an HDMI, plus a second battery.
It’s not the only option either, as the ElitePad Docking Station provides an “enterprise class desktop experience,” with a keyboard, monitor and a charging system. The ElitePad can even be used as a second screen.
These are joined by a stylus, a case that boasts what HP calls “military grade” protection against bumps and drops, and a second case that contains an extended battery. Finally, provided companies purchase a special tool, the ElitePad 900′s battery and motherboard are accessible for ease of service.
All this sounds exciting, particularly due to the varied docking systems, and HP will release them and the ElitePad 900 in the USA from January 2013. Don’t bother asking about the price though, as like every other Windows 8 product, we’ve no idea how much the tablet or any of its accessories will cost.
You can watch some business people — including the Common Suited Middle Manager and the rare White Lab Coated Scientist — demonstrate the ElitePad 900 in HP’s all-business launch video below.
If you're a UK resident and want to get a flashier Galaxy S III but can't be bothered with tedious long-lasting contracts you could get the Garnet Red version in UK now for £429.99.
The Samsung Galaxy S III Garnet Red international availability was announced in August alongside the Amber Brown, Sapphire Black and Titanium Grey variants. Originally an AT&T exclusive it's now available on UK shores as well.
You can order the device from Expansys's website and expect the device to arrive between 3 and 5 business days or opt for the express delivery for an additional 7 pounds.
Carphone Warehouse is also offering the red Galaxy S III and we expect more sellers to follow suit in the next few days.
Sony Xperia TL has gone official for AT&T Wireless as James Bond's official smartphone. The previously leaked LTE handset will hit AT&T's shelves in the near future with a yet to be known price tag.
A quick look at the Sony Xperia TL is enough to reveal its close relationship to the internationally available Sony Xperia T, which we reviewed recently. The US bound device adds LTE to the specs, with the rest of its talents in line with its Xperia T sibling. They include a dual-core Snapdragon S4 chipset, 4,6" HD display, 13MP camera, and NFC.
The Sony Xperia T will boot Android 4.0.4 ICS out of the box. The OS will be updated to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean after the handset's launch in the US. As the official James Bond smartphone, the device will come with preloaded exclusive content from the upcoming agent 007 movie "Skyfall."
A spec list supposedly relating to an upcoming BlackBerry 10 handset known as the BlackBerry Laguna handset has been posted on a 'berry fan site and reveals a rather tasty sounding display.
It's a 4.2-inch handset toting 1280x768 resolution with 355 DPI which, on paper at least, gives Apple's iPhone 5 a run for its 1136x604 326 DPI money.
As well as the resolutionary screen, the Laguna supposedly features a dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor, 4G/LTE connectivity, an 8MP autofocusing camera with flash and 1GB of RAM.
Out of date
There's also talk of NFC capability, DLNA, Wi-Fi direct and Bluetooth 2.1 connectivity.
When it comes to software, the handset is said to come running BlackBerry 10 OS, although it's referred to as Superphone/QNX OS here, which is a really old way to refer to it. That sets alarm bells ringing in our minds.
The spec-showing slide apparently comes from US network Verizon, although we're not sure exactly where it came from or how much we really and truly believe what it says.
Still, we've heard before that the Laguna will be coming to Verizon, so you never do know.
Also in BlackBerry's upcoming 'L Series' is the BlackBerry London, which promises a dual-core processor and 1GB of RAM; it's not much to go on but it could potentially be the international variant of this mysterious Laguna.
Unfortunately, it'll be a while before we know for sure; BlackBerry 10 handsets aren't due to hit the shelves until the first quarter of 2013.
Apple recently announced it would be dropping the free storage offered through iCloud from 5GB to 20GB. How does it compare to the rest?
Apple hasn’t exactly been the media’s darling in the weeks following the release of the iPhone 5 and iOS 6. As you may have heard, it has been embarrassing itself with the half-baked maps it decided to lump into iOS 6.
Now Apple has sent out emails to users of its iCloud service informing them the 20GB of storage they’re used to having will be dropping down to a paltry 5GB. New users will also be offered 5GB. This drop was originally scheduled for June 30, but Apple chose to postpone it for a later date; perhaps to soften the final blow. As for the reasoning behind the change, Apple says most users aren’t using the full 20GB of space anyway. But if most people aren’t saving 20GB of files then why take it all away?
It seems like a strange move considering Apple is taking storage away from loyal supporters of the company and its cloud service. After all, Microsoft awarded loyal Hotmail and Live accounts with 25GB of storage in SkyDrive — an offer I am still enjoying.
The email states that users with more than 5GB uploaded to iCloud will be able to keep their files but no longer upload new ones. Backups also stop and won’t continue until additional space is purchased for a yearly fee or files are removed to bring down the total to 5GB or less.
If you’re interested in dropping some cash each year, you’ll get 10GB for $20, 20GB for $40, and 50GB for $100. These offerings aren’t straightforward, however, and there are a few additional details around the service. The extra storage doesn’t include the free 5GB in the total so you’d actually be getting 15GB, 25GB, and 55GB. The yearly fee also has free, unlimited backups for apps, books, purchased music (not available in all countries), TV shows (US-only), and movies. Actual storage space is used for photos, videos, settings (wallpaper, mail, contacts, etc), app data and organization, messages, and ringtones. But is this drop in storage understandable or is Apple pulling a fast one on its customers?
What’s the competition offering?
When you look at Microsoft, Apple’s biggest competitor in terms of product ecosystem, the two cloud storage services offered by each company are definitely not equal, especially concerning price. For starters, SkyDrive gives users 7GB of storage for documents, photos, videos, and whatever else. SkyDrive also offers much better prices per year for additional space: 20GB for $10, 50GB for $25, and 100GB for $50. Compare that to $100 for Apple’s 50GB of storage, SkyDrive’s online backups, and its compatibility with iPad, iPhone, and Macs, suddenly it’s not much of a conversation. Of course, if you’re Apple all the way then iCloud may win on convenience alone. But if you have some Windows or Android products in your collection, SkyDrive’s flexibility is a definite asset as iCloud is only compatible with Apple devices.
But SkyDrive and iCloud aren’t the only players in this game. Google Drive is another popular cloud storage option and users of the free service are treated to 5GB as the standard. If that’s not enough you can sign up for 25GB for $2.49 per month (approx. $30 yearly) or 100GB for $4.99 (approx. $60 yearly). Google Drive may not be more affordable than SkyDrive or as good at back ups as iCloud, but it does have the advantage of supporting up to 16 terabytes of storage for users who need unwieldly amounts of data.
Another strong contender is Dropbox. The platform agnostic service offers 2GB of free space, assuming you don’t earn more space through referrals, the platform offers a “Pro” option. Users can obtain 100GB for $100 per year ($10 monthly), 200GB for $200 ($20 monthly), and 500GB for $500 ($50 monthly). The advantage with Dropbox is you can access a lot more space, but if you’re only after 100GB, then SkyDrive is still your best option.
Of course, we can’t be the only ones with opinions on iCloud and its competition. What do you think of Apple’s drop in default storage space? Will it affect your use of iDevices? And if you don’t use iCloud, which online storage option do you use? Do you pay for extra space? We’re really curious.
The Sony Xperia GX, Japan's version of the Xperia TX, hit the shelves before the world-wide version of the phone was even official. Now, the positions are somewhat reversed - Sony just announced the Xperia AX, the Japanese version of the Xperia V (which isn't on sale yet, so it's not quite the same).
Anyway, Sony Xperia AX is pretty much an exact replica of the V - IP57 certification, 4.3" HD Reality display, 13MP camera, LTE connectivity and dual-core Krait processor. It will come with Sony' Walkman app, ClearAudio+ and media apps.
The rest is the same - really, Sony's blog even used a picture of the Xperia V (including the note below it), instead of an actual Xperia AX image.
The phone will launch running Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich by the end of the year (so it will probably launch around the same time as the Xperia V does).
Google's showing no signs of slowing its pace of Android development, with Android 4.0 appearing on the Galaxy Nexus late in 2011, followed in July of 2012 by the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean release that arrived powering the super Nexus 7.
But, forward-looking, update-obsessed people that we are, we can't help but imagine how Google's going to maintain the pace of innovation in its next version of its mobile OS, which, if it follows the patterns of previous years, ought to arrive on a new Nexus-brand mobile at the end of 2012.
All we know thus far is that Google's working away on the K release of Android, which it's developing under the dessert-related codename of Key Lime Pie.
UPDATE: Rumours of a new Nexus handset are tricking in now, as we reported on 1 October 2012. There's been speculation that this phone will be sporting Key Lime Pie, but sources who spoke to Talk Android claim it'll be running Android Jelly Bean.
So what should those Google engineers be putting into Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie? Hopefully some of these things.
1. Performance Profiles
It's bit of a fuss managing your mobile before bed time. Switching off the sound, turning off data, activating airplane mode and so on, so what Android 5.0 really needs is a simple way of managing performance, and therefore power use, automatically.
Something like a Gaming mode for max power delivery, an Overnight low-power state for slumbering on minimal power and maybe a Reading mode for no bothersome data connections and a super-low backlight.
Some hardware makers put their own little automated tools in, such as the excellent Smart Actions found within Motorola's RAZR interface, but it'd be great to see Google give us a simple way to manage states.
Another little power strip style widget for phone performance profiles would be an easy way to do it.
Set telephone to BEDTIME SLEEPY MODE
2. Better multiple device support
Google already does quite a good job of supporting serious Android nerds who own several phones and tablets, but there are some holes in its coverage that are rather frustrating.
Take the Videos app which manages your film downloads through the Play Store. Start watching a film on one Android device and you're limited to resuming your film session on that same unit, making it impossible to switch from phone to tablet mid-film.
You can switch between phone and web site players to resume watching, but surely Google ought to understand its fans often have a couple of phones and tabs on the go and fix this for Android Key Lime Pie?
3. Enhanced social network support
Android doesn't really do much for social network users out of the box, with most of the fancy social widgets and features coming from the hardware makers through their own custom skins.
Sony integrates Facebook brilliantly in its phones, and even LG makes a great social network aggregator widget that incorporates Facebook and Twitter - so why are there no cool aggregator apps as part of the standard Android setup?
Yes, Google does a great job of pushing Google+, but, no offence, there are many other more widely used networks that ought to be a little better "baked in" to Android.
4. Line-drawing keyboard options
Another area where the manufacturers have taken a big leap ahead of Google is in integrating clever alternate text entry options in their keyboards. HTC and Sony both offer their own takes on the Swype style of line-drawing text input, which is a nice option to have for getting your words onto a telephone. Get it into Android 5.0 and give us the choice.
P-U-T T-H-I-S I-N A-N-D-R-O-I-D 5-.-0
5. A video chat app
How odd is it that Google's put a front-facing camera on the Nexus 7 and most hardware manufacturers do the same on their phones and tablets, yet most ship without any form of common video chat app?
You have to download Skype and hope it works, or find some other downloadable app solution. Why isn't there a Google Live See My Face Chat app of some sort as part of Android? Is it because we're too ugly? Is that what you're saying, Google?
6. Multi-select in the contacts
The Android contacts section is pretty useful, but it could be managed a little better. What if you have the idea of emailing or texting a handful of your friends? The way that's currently done is by emailing one, then adding the rest individually. Some sort of checkbox system that let users scroll through names and create a mailing list on the fly through the contacts listing in Android Key Lime Pie would make this much easier.
Make this a destination, rather than a never-used list
7. Cross-device SMS sync
If you're a constant SIM swapper with more than one phone on the go, chances are you've lost track of your text messages at some point. Google stores these on the phone rather than the SIM card, so it'd be nice if our texts could be either backed up to the SIM, the SD card, or beamed up to the magical invisible cloud of data, for easy and consistent access across multiple devices.
8. A "Never Update" option
This would annoy developers so is unlikely to happen, but it'd be nice if we could refuse app updates permanently in Android 5.0, just in case we'd rather stick with a current version of a tool than be forced to upgrade.
Sure, you can set apps to manual update and then just ignore the update prompt forever, but it'd be nice to know we can keep a favoured version of an app without accidentally updating it. Some of us are still using the beta Times app, for example, which has given free access for a year.
Let us keep older versions. Many people fear change
9. App preview/freebie codes
Something Apple's been doing for ages and ages is using a promo code system to distribute free or review versions of apps. It even makes doing little competitions to drum up publicity for apps much easier, so why's there no similar scheme for Android?
It might encourage developers to stop going down the ad-covered/freemium route if they could charge for an app but still give it away to friends and fans through a promo code system.
10. Final whinges and requests...
It's be nice to be able to sort the Settings screen by alphabetical order, too, or by most commonly used or personal preference, as Android's so packed with a huge list of options these days it's a big old list to scroll through and pick out what you need.
Plus could we have a percentage count for the battery in the Notifications bar for Android 5.0? Just so we know a bit more info than the vague emptying battery icon.
Rumour has it that Google will release a new flagship Nexus phone at some point in October.
We've been hearing inklings of our own, bolstered by AndroidAndMe's "three different industry sources" who say that the new device has "already leaked" online.
Before you get too excited assuming that a new flagship Nexus means we're in for a slice of Key Lime Pie, the same sources say that the device will launch with a new version of Jelly Bean rather than a major software upgrade.
Speculate
But the hardware might just be exciting enough to keep us going into the new year; given that it may have already leaked, we're looking at a Samsung-made Galaxy Nexus 2, a cheapo Nexus 7 or perhaps a larger HTC Nexus 5.
Can the iPhone 5 give us clues about the new iPad?
Apple's new iPhone 5 isn't just a smartphone: it offers spooky glimpses into the future of the iPad from beneath an unconvincing wig.
Okay, not really, but given the very close relationship between iPhone and iPad, we can use Apple's latest invention to predict some of the key features of the iPad 4. What does the iPhone 5 reveal about the next version of the iconic iPad?
You're going to need a different dock
The iPhone 5 said goodbye to the dock connector in favour of the smaller, double-sided, expensive-cable Lightning connector, and while that means easier connections and more internal room for components it also means that existing Dock-connecting accessories will need pricey Lightning-to-Dock adaptors, pricey Lightning-to-USB cables or pricey replacements. If you're buying accessories that you intend to use with future iPads, iPhones or iPod touches, think wireless and buy accordingly.
Coming to an iPad near you: the new, thinner, pricey-adapter Lightning connector
The iPad 4 will have a better battery
The iPhone 5's battery runs at a slightly higher voltage than the iPhone 4S's: it's a 1,440mAh, 3.8-volt battery compared to the 1,432mAh, 3.7-volt battery in the 4S, delivering 5.5 watts per hour compared to the 5.25 watts per hour of its predecessor. That doesn't sound particularly interesting, but it does mean that in conjunction with improved power management, the battery delivers more power without sacrificing battery life or taking up significantly more room. For the iPad, Apple may decide that thin is very much in.
The iPad 4 will have a better, thinner screen, but probably not a bigger one
The new iPad's screen is a great thing, but the iPhone 5's is better: over at Anandtech, Chris Heinonen explains what he describes as a "quantum leap" over the iPhone 4 display. It's not the number of pixels that matters, but the contrast, light output and "astonishing" colour performance, and while the gap between iPhone 5 and new iPad isn't as big as the one between iPhones 5 and 4, the phone's display is still marginally better.
Such a display wouldn't just make the iPad 4 even nicer to look at. It would help reduce thickness and weight too, because the iPhone 5's display uses in-cell touch technology that uses embedded touch sensors rather than a separate digitiser. That means thinner displays, but it also means a headache for manufacturers: reports indicate that they're currently having problems making four-inch ones, let alone 9.7-inch ones. Adding such panels to the iPad 4, then, could be a big challenge - and by big challenge we mean enormous pain in the arse.
Could a longer iPad be in the works? Despite the rumours, we're not convinced: the current iPad and rumoured iPad mini are 4:3 devices, an aspect ratio that works really well for all kinds of content from ebooks to apps. Apple might change it, but other than watching movies - something Apple would like you to do on an Apple TV - we're struggling to think of any good reasons why they should.
The iPhone 5 screen is a
The iPad 4 will have 4G. Proper 4G, not you-can't-get-it 4G
The new iPad also offered a WiFi + 4G version, but Apple was forced to change that to "WiFi + cellular" on the grounds that (a) the UK doesn't have 4G and (b) the frequencies the new iPad expects aren't the ones the UK will end up using. The iPhone 5, however, supports the same 4G LTE that Everything Everywhere is starting to roll out, and we'd expect future models to support the UK's other LTE bands when services launch next year. A UK iPad that's 4G-friendly is inevitable.
The iPad 4 will have a different form factor
Getting shot of the Dock enabled Apple to make a much thinner iPhone, and while we don't expect the iPad mini or imminent Tweaked New iPad to change the form factor when they swap Dock for Lightning, the iPad 4 could bring in a redesign: the current one is rather reminiscent of the iPhone 3GS, and its big-bevelled back is partly to disguise its size. A thinner display, thinner Dock replacement and thinner battery could mean - you've guessed it - a thinner iPad.
It's nice, but it's more iPhone 3GS than iPhone 5. Could a new form factor be in the works?
The iPad 4's processor will be an A6, ish
The iPhone 5 comes with Apple's own A6 processor, and analysts predict a new one every two years - but the iPad's on a yearly update cycle, so it's not going to be rocking an A7. History's likely to repeat here: where the iPhone 4S and iPad 2 got an A5 processor, the new iPad got the A5X, a faster iteration of the A5 with a quad-core GPU; if an A7 isn't doable in time, expect Apple to beef up the A6's graphics performance and stick an X on the end.
The iPad 4 will be a disaster and Apple is doomed
Cocking up Maps hasn't helped, of course, but with the iPhone 5 Apple's experienced a blizzard of bad publicity: in some cases you'd think Apple had released a phone that was just a piece of cardboard with a screen drawn on it in biro. Apple has gone from underdog to top dog, and that means a lot of people are waiting for it to fail. The original iPad created a whole new market; if the iPad 4 merely turns out to be a better version of what we've already got, expect a chorus of disappointment and disapproval.
The Sony Xperia T is continuing its roll-out to retailers across rest of Europe and the U.S., after becoming available in the UK a few days ago. Reports are coming in of the device being available in Slovenia, where it's offered by carrier Telekomu on a contract with prices starting from €229.
Germany also got access to the Sony latest flagship. The local branch of Amazon is offering the smartphone for €500, with an estimated delivery time of 3-4 days. Some other German online retailers already have the device in stock and are willing to send one your way for €499.90.
In the United States, the Sony Xperia T is currently retailing for $599.99 SIM-free. Moreover, it's only a matter of time until major US carriers pick it up and start offering it subsidized.
The Sony Xperia T packs a 4.6" screen of 720p resolution and shatter-proof, scratch-resistant glass. The chipset is a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 with a dual-core Krait CPU at 1.5GHz, 1GB of RAM and Adreno 225 GPU.
Sharp has announced it has started production of a 5-inch, 1080p display, which will be coming to a mobile device near you soon.
Many of the current top-of-the-range smartphones — iPhone 5 apart — have screens with a 1280 x 768 pixel resolution or similar, which is good enough to be labelled as HD. However, just as it did with flat screen TVs, 720p is about to be replaced by 1080p — as Sharp has announced that it has started production of its own 5-inch, full-HD smartphone displays.
The new panel boasts a resolution of 1920 x 1080 and a pixel density of 443ppi. As a comparison, the Samsung Galaxy S3’s 4.8-inch display has a resolution of 1280 x 720 and a pixel density of 306ppi, while the 4-inch iPhone 5 has 1136 x 640 pixels and 326ppi.
Sharp may say its 5-inch screen is headed for smartphones, but any device with a display that large usually gets put in the smartphone/tablet hybrid category, joining the likes of the Galaxy Note, Note 2 and the LG Optimus Vu.
The benefits of such a high resolution screen almost go without saying, but Sharp states that it’ll bring “crisp text, super clear maps and amazingly real HD images.” Sharp doesn’t mention on which devices its new super-screen will appear, but along with making its own smartphones, Sharp also supplies screens to other manufacturers too.
The mobile industry loves big numbers, as they help convince prospective buyers that one device is “better” than another, and a 1080p screen with 443ppi is about as impressive as screens can get. Questions will no doubt be raised concerning just how much difference a 1080p resolution and a 443ppi density will make on a screen this small, but answers will have to wait until the first device with such a screen goes on sale — and judging by the increase in activity from these companies, we shouldn’t have that long to wait.
Sharp’s press release notes that the screen will be displayed at the CEATEC show — a CES-style technology exhibition — in Japan, which starts on October 2 and will run to October 6.
