The first day of 2013 surely brought us a plethora of leaked images of upcoming phones. After we saw Sony's Xperia Z and ZL, now it's Huawei's turn.
We encountered the Ascend Mate phablet numerous times before - on leaked info, photos, even a Huawei Chairman showed the thing at a Huawei retail store in China.
Today, just a few days before the official announcement at CES, a new press shot made its way on the internet.
But the leaked images doesn’t stop with the Ascend Mate. The quietly announced Ascend D2 also got a higher resolution photo, where we can spot Huawei's Emotion UI in greater detail than before. Just like Mate, D2 will also get its official debut at CES.
Huawei Ascend D2
Finally, Huawei's Windows Phone 8 gadget, the W1, got to show its four different colors. The W1 will be the third smartphone that Huawei will unveil at CES.
The Sony Xperia Odin is the second high-end phone expected from the Japanese company and it has remained more elusive than its Xperia Z sibling. An official image from the SonyMobile.com leaked giving us the first proper look of the upcoming handset. The image refers to the phone as Xperia ZL, so this will be probably its retail name and not Xperia X as some earlier rumors suggested.
Some specs surfaced online, too. According to Vietnamese site SeCafe.vn the Xperia ZL, will be thicker and heavier than the Xperia Z.
By the sound of it, it will have a unibody design with a small cover on the back allowing access to the SIM card and microSD card slots. Speaking of the back, the Sony Xperia ZL will have a patterned plastic back similar to that of the Xperia E Dual rather than the glossy, glass-like plastic of the Xperia Z.
The front-facing camera on the Xperia Odin is placed in the lower-right corner (you can see it in the image). That’s an odd placement, but we’ve seen it before on the Nokia N9.
The Xperia ZL is slated to get an IP57 certification, just like the Z. By the way, the earlier images of the Odin/ZL (a render and live photo) are either of a different phone or of an early prototype that didn't have the final design.
2012 is gone and Sony is gearing up to announce its flagship Android phones for the new year. Two official images managed to slip through the cracks before the January 7 press conference, those of the Sony Xperia Z and the Xperia Odin.
Both images are hosted on SonyMobile.com and in the case of the Xperia Z, the image filename confirms the name (the phone used to be known by its ‘Yuga’ codename).
The Sony Xperia Z will enter the arena with other phones with 5” 1080p screens this year but it also puts Sony into the quad-core race with its Qualcomm APQ8064 Snapdragon S4 Pro chipset. The Z will come out with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean at launch.
The Xperia Z packs a 12MP camera, which reportedly performs better than the 13MP shooter on the Xperia T. There's a dedicated shutter key.
We found out a lot more details about it from the early preview of a pre-production unit.
The Galaxy Note 2 is popular just about everywhere it's sold, it seems. On its home soil, more than a million units have now been snapped up by consumers, making up about 20 percent of its worldwide sales.
Sales of Samsung’s Galaxy Note 2 have reportedly crossed the million threshold in its home country of South Korea. The so-called phablet has been received well by consumers everywhere, with Samsung announcing late November that it had sold five million units worldwide.
At the current rate, it shouldn’t be too long before the tech giant reaches the ten million milestone. The device first went on sale in September 2012, following the success of its predecessor which launched in the second half of 2011.
The Android-powered Galaxy Note 2 has a 5.5-inch display, 1.6GHz quad core processor, 16/32/64GB of internal storage, 8-megapixel rear camera, 1.9-megapixel front camera and comes equipped with the S-pen stylus.
Samsung told South Korea’s MK Business News that the device’s continued popularity among consumers was thanks to the wide variety of available apps as well as improved S-pen functionality.
There was talk in the middle of last month that Samsung was prepping the third iteration of the device, featuring a whopping great (“whopping great” for a phone, at least) 6.3-inch-display.
Even more recently it was suggested that a 7-inch Galaxy Note might even be in the works, though no official word has come from Samsung on the matter.
Heading into 2013, the electronics company said it’s aiming to sell a colossal 510 million handsets worldwide this year – 390 million smartphones and 120 million feature and budget phones. To achieve this, it hopes to make a bigger impact in developing nations with a wider range of attractively priced devices.
The Samsung Galaxy Camera is a hybrid to the Nth degree - but can it really do all things?
The Samsung Galaxy Camera is, without a doubt, one of the most inventive, innovative, next-gen pieces of hardware on the market. It hits all the right trends: It’s all about mobile. It’s all about photo-sharing. It’s all about social networking. And it’s really, really good looking.
But with great capabilities come great expectations – and large price tags. The $500 device is an attempt at all things, one of the true hybrids of the current electronics landscape. That’s a tall order to live up to … so, can it? There’s only one way to find out, and so I’ve forsaken as many connected devices as possible in favor of the I-can-do-it-all Samsung Galaxy Camera. My mission: to find out if it really can do it all.
For taking pictures
Let’s start off with the obvious: The Galaxy Cam can take pictures. In lieu of my Canon Rebel XTI or iPhone 4S, I used the Samsung camera for most of my picture-taking needs. Since I recently reviewed the camera, there weren’t many surprises here. It’s a very decent point-and-shoot with a very engaging and interesting user interface (UI). I actually found it easier to use than most point-and-shoots because the camera’s in-screen, virtual setup made it a breeze to get find what I needed, alter settings, and start shooting.
That said, the convenience factor is missing. I can’t whip out the Galaxy Cam like I would my iPhone, nor do I instinctually take it everywhere with me. The idea is that I should be able to, but that fact that you can’t make actual phone calls with it (although, there are workarounds – we’ll get to that) means that I still need to bring my phone everywhere. So that’s two devices I have to bring with me.
As far as using the Galaxy Cam as my primary camera, it remained as entertaining as I originally found it. Picture quality falls squarely between the two devices I most often use (the previously mentioned Canon Rebel XTI and iPhone 4S), and while I could get higher quality photos or more convenient use out of my other two go-to cameras, the fact that I still thoroughly enjoyed using the Galaxy Cam despite these factors speaks to how great and user friendly it is.
For “phone calls” and texting
As I mentioned, there’s no real way to make phone calls with the Galaxy Camera. You can make Skype calls (or other chat apps), but it’s a poor substitute and there’s one big, glaring, horrible reason for that: The person using the Galaxy Camera can’t see the video. Unlike most smartphones, there isn’t a second camera on the Galaxy Cam. You have to hold and point the camera at yourself for the duration of the call. You could set it on some surface and play the “am I still in the frame?” game with the person on the other end, of course. Basically, your options are limited and the experience isn’t great.
It’s simply impossible to use this device as a phone. You can use workarounds all day long but the fact remains that people use phones, not chat apps, to talk.
However, if you’re anything like me, you defer to texting more than talking most of the time. There are really only a handful of people I need or want to talk to on the phone, and everyone I can deal with over SMS.
While you can’t port your phone number to the Galaxy Cam and start messaging away, there are obviously a great many texting apps that can help. Imo.im, Whatsapp, WeChat, and Facebook Messenger are just a few examples. Of course, this means you have to defer here to text your contacts … meaning they also have to install and use these apps in order to respond or initiate conversation with you. Which means I did a lot less texting and a lot more prodding of my social circle. Dear friends, please let Facebook Messenger send you push notifications so you actually respond to my damn text messages.
Which, of course, all really just means that I couldn’t depend on the Galaxy Cam for my communication needs.
The device’s touchscreen also isn’t as responsive as I’m used to on my iPhone. It’s fine, and arguably better than most touch-enabled cameras out there, but it’s not inherently built for you to text; it’s built for you to push and prod your settings and for hitting the ever-present “Share” button. Going through to enter your passwords or lengthy messages is not fun and it takes too long. Not too long for a camera, but way too long for texting. You’re not going to like it. You’re going to get your phone back out, and you’re never going to let it go.
For productivity
The Galaxy Cam did and didn’t work when it came to the most practical purposes. Setting up my Google Calendar was as easy as installing an app, and the same goes for email access and apps like Evernote and Mint. Maybe most of the friction came from the fact that I’ve barely used Android devices before, and the way notifications and alerts work were unfamiliar. However, once I got more used to these functions, I found the system perfectly adequate.
At least, adequate for looking at. Reading emails, checking my calendar, looking through my notes … that was all fine. The Galaxy Cam’s 4.77 inch HD display means your view is super clear and easy to see in a variety of lighting settings. Beyond reviewing, things get complicated in the same way they do with texting. The camera simply isn’t built to be a PDA. Composing emails is a drag, as is instant messaging, as is trying to take notes, as is updating your calendar. Don’t plan to make this thing your personal assistant. You shan’t be pleased – or organized.
For entertainment
The Galaxy Cam’s 4.77 inch screen with its 1260 x 720 pixel display is clear, crisp, and great for entertainment. Games, social sites, everything: It’s responsive and incredibly fun and easy to use. The large screen actually makes it better for this purpose than my iPhone, and the bulkier body is easier to hold in two hands – it feels a lot like a PSP, actually. Entertainment and photography are where the Galaxy Camera shines.
Verdict
No, the Samsung Galaxy Camera cannot replace your smartphone. It doesn’t make calls and getting all your friends to get on board with a separate messaging app is a losing game. It needs regular texting. If those gaps in what the Galaxy Cam has to offer were filled, however, I absolutely see myself picking this thing up and using it in place of my iPhone. The all-in-one device is the dream, and this gadget is one step closer to getting us there. But… just not yet. Galaxy Camera, you’re ahead of your time.
Will we finally get new PlayStation and Xbox consoles?
Happy New Year! Though 2012 is likely to be remembered as the tipping point for tablets in the UK (we even know of a six-year old with one), it's 2013 that looks set to birth big new ideas beyond the simple touchscreen.
New gaming hardware and ecosystems are expected from both Sony and Microsoft that will likely be designed to last into the 2020s, while Google's Project Glass will give a new definition to mobile web browsing. Apple, Samsung, Amazon and the rest will continue blurring the distinction between smartphone, tablet and ebook readers, while 'camera 2.0' developments will reach proper photography.
Let's get that rumour mill in overdrive …
Tablets & smartphones
If 2012 was the year that Apple's iPad finally got some meaningful competition – and from all corners – 2013 will see the market splinter further. Microsoft's just-released Surface will attract attention in the first few months, but it's PC and Ultrabook sellers that have most to lose from its rise.
That's not to say that the 10-inch tablet sector – which will receive a lighter, thinner iPad 5 along with refreshed versions of Samsung's Tab 2 10.1 and Note 10.1 – will carry on as it is. Already chipped away at by seven-inch tablets like the Google Nexus 7, Kindle Fire HD and iPad mini (expect a Retina version of the latter in Summer), tablets will shrink further as we see the rise of 'phablets'.
Hybrid five-inch+ devices already exist, but second-gen versions including the Samsung Galaxy S4, a new HTC One X+ and LG Optimus 4X HD are likely to boast not only bigger screens, but 1080p detail, too, while rumours about Samsung's bendable phones just won't go away. Nor will the rumoured Sony Yuga C6603, a five-inch Android device with 12-megapixel camera that could challenge the current king of the phablets, Samsung's Galaxy Note 2.
There'll be an iPhone 5S, of course, but whether it will continue its trajectory and size-up slightly is anyone's guess. More likely it will catch-up with the others by adding a better camera and support for NFC, something that could help start a contactless payment revolution across the UK.
Hardware aside, expect tweaks to tablet and smartphone operating systems in 2013 that build on Samsung's S Voice and Smart Stay tech to enable all kinds of gesture-based functionality that lessen the importance of touchscreens.
Augmented Reality
Get ready for layers; Google's X Labs will issue the first fruits of its Project Glass research and make browsing the web literally as easy as walking down the street.
The logical solution to the current problem in our cities of dawdling smartphone addicts unable to walk in a straight line, these specs will play video in one eye while overlaying maps, web pages and local information while also enabling instant email, texts or voice calls.
"Project Glass is a wearable solution that uses pieces of smart glass with a heads-up display (HUD) to seamlessly blend the virtual world of smartphones and computers with the real world of people and places," says Kevin Curran, senior member of the IEEE and head of the School of Computing and Intelligence Systems at the University of Ulster.
"Google Glasses leverages communication technology like social networking, calling and texting, and it interacts in real-time with people, places and things. When it all comes together, Project Glass creates a type of meta-reality, or smart reality."
2012 has seen rudimentary gaming on smartphones and tablets bite into the territory of games consoles, and cable companies could bring cloud gaming in 2013. Sony and Microsoft need to act. While Sony's 4k-capablePlayStation 4 is unlikely to make it before 2014, the next Xbox 720 surely will. Due in Summer, we're expecting tablet-style touchscreen controllers and a built-in Blu-ray drive, while a souped-up Kinect could increase the scope of gesture controls and possibly introduce some kind of projection tech to expand the realm of games beyond the TV. Either way, both the PS4 and Xbox 720 will continue the trend to cloud-based gaming.
Camera 2.0
This will be a big year for cameras, with the D-SLR set for an overhaul in 2013. The past 12 months have witnessed the first 'smart' Android-based compact cameras, such as the Samsung Galaxy Camera and Nikon Coolpix S800c, but as the optics in smartphones advance beyond 14-megapixels in 2013, it's the semi-pro market that will get connected. Expect the next D-SLR cameras to have WiFi, touchscreens, automatic cloud-powered photo backup, voice control and in-camera editing. Camera 2.0 is a computer – and it will probably deal in 4k resolution video and 3D, too.
Television
TV is set to reach new heights in 2013 – literally. The average screen size has been creeping up for years, but advances in slimness mean that a 46-inch LED TV is now the same size as a 42-inch version from two years ago.
While the bigger sizes will dominate, developments in glass-cutting will see new screen sizes become common, such as 35-inch and 39-inch, while many bargain-priced 60-inch and 65-inch TVs will become affordable. Sharp is putting its eggs in this basket; the Japanese brand will make an attempt to become a big name in TV by selling relatively affordable, standard-spec giant-sized TVs.
What certainly won't be affordable to the majority will be 2013's biggest TV technological advance – the 4k or Ultra HD screen. Equipped with resolutions of 3840x2160 pixels (four times that of Full HD), on sale this month are two 84-inch examples, the LG 84LM960V (£22,500) and Sony KD-84X9005. Sharp will sell its slightly more sensibly-sized Ultra HD LC-60HQ10 dubbed 'ICC Purios' from February, with Ultra HD tellies to follow from Samsung (in January), Panasonic and Toshiba, too.
If prices for the first Ultra TVs are expected to be insane, the same goes for a TV using an 'organic' LED panel. These OLED TVs – due in the first half of 2013 (over a year 'late') as the 55-inch Samsung 55ES9500 and LG 55EM960V – will cost around £9,000. They've graced trade fairs for over a year, but OLED's blur-free, life-like picture could be one to watch. Lastly in TV, the goggle-free 3DTV will get a step closer in 2013, with many brands prepping a more watchable version of the Toshiba 55ZL2, though by next Christmas we'll have seen more convincing prototypes, at best.
After offering remote recording at best, smartphone and tablet apps that put 'TV anywhere' have arrived in 2012, but 2013 should see both Virgin and Sky place the final piece in the jigsaw by issuing apps for TiVo and Sky+HD (Sky Go) that let users stream all live channels and previously made recordings to tablets and smartphones.
Expect something from Apple in 2013 for the living room, too. Despite the rumours a so-called Apple iTV HDTV looks unlikely, but how about a new version of Apple TV with PVR-style recording, Siri and FaceTime?
