Canonical has unveiled the mobile version of their Linux-based Ubuntu operating system. Ubuntu for phones uses the same basic kernel and drivers as Android but has a brand new UI and navigation.
For starters, Ubuntu makes heavy use of gestures for navigating around. Each of the four corners of the screen can be used to perform a gesture. A short swipe from the left shows your favorite apps, a long swipe takes you to all your apps. A swipe from the right takes you to your last used app. Swipe from the bottom shows you the menu controls for the app you're in and a swipe down from the top shows you your notifications and messages.
Ubuntu places heavy emphasis on HTML5 web apps and gives them high priority, wherein they can show you notifications just like native apps. If you want an even better experience, you can also use the native apps written specifically for Ubuntu. Although it is based on the Android kernel, Ubuntu does not use the Dalvik Virtual Machine that Android does so apps are incompatible between the two. On the plus side, the lack of virtual machine and ability to run apps natively means the performance is likely going to be even better compared to Android.
As with the desktop version of Ubuntu, search has been given high priority. You can search by swiping down from the top of the screen and as you type the relevant content appears on the screen, which could be content stored on the device or even available online from various sources, such as Wikipedia, for example.
Canonical has also reinvented the lockscreen on Ubuntu for phones. They like to call it the welcome screen instead because all your side gestures are available from here, so there is no intermediate unlock gesture that you have to perform. The welcome screen also shows a beautiful circular pattern that shows important information from your installed apps.
Lastly, Ubuntu on phones will allow you to dock your phone and then connect it to a keyboard and mouse for a desktop-PC like experience, not dissimilar from what Motorola promised with the Webtop docks.
Canonical will soon be providing downloadable images of the operating system, which at present, only work on the Galaxy Nexus. As for devices shipping with Ubuntu pre-installed, that is expected to begin early next year. You can check out the OS in action in the (rather long) video below.
HTC's rumored new flagship smartphone, the HTC M7, could have an official unveiling at the Consumer Electronics Show 2013.
Twitter tipster Football4PDA cited some "indirect information" that HTC is planning a CES reveal for the smartphone.
"Moreover it might have screen buttons instead of hardware touch buttons..." the tip added.
Shifting the home buttons to be part of the screen would be an interesting move, as it would certainly have aesthetic appeal but could also dig into the battery life if the screen needs to remain active even in sleep mode.
Normally, such a tenuous connection would be treated with more suspicion. However, this particular tipster has a remarkably reliable track record, such as leaking the HTC 8X name and specs last year.
CES or bust
The HTC M7 is rumored to be the successor to the popular One X handset.
Purported specs for the device leaked last month, indicating a 4.7-inch SoLux display, 1.7GHz quad-core Snapdragon CPU, 2GB of RAM, a 2300mAh battery, 32GB of internal storage and Android Jelly Bean.
It's also said to support a next-gen Wi-Fi 802.11ac connection, which is rumored to be up to three times faster than current 802.11n Wi-Fi chips.
Initial rumors for the HTC M7 pegged it for an early 2013 launch, so an announcement at CES or the Mobile World Congress is looking like a strong possibility.
An image of the Nexus 4 without its signature sparkly back plate has surfaced online.
Google and LG’s Nexus 4 made quite a splash when it debuted in the Google Play Store on Nov. 13. The device was so well received that it sold out within minutes in the US and the UK. Although the holiday season has passed, it still seems to fluctuate in and out of Google’s inventory.
Now, it seems that LG may be releasing a slightly altered version of the widely received addition to the Nexus family. An image of the Nexus 4 without its sparkled glittery back has surfaced on mobile news blog Auto-oMobile. Although the rear body appears to be missing its speckled design, it seems to uphold the same glass build.
It’s important to keep in mind that since this information has not come directly from Google or LG, it must be considered rumor. The photo could easily be a mockup created by any Internet user, and the website does not specify where the image came from. It does, however, say that readers have sent in tips saying that their recently received Nexus 4 is different than the shinier model that previously shipped.
“No matter what angle you hold it at or lighting conditions, it seems to have lost the glitter effect,” the post reads.
This reportedly altered design has also sparked concern in the XDA developers’ forum, where users have shared varied opinions on the alleged change. Some have said that the new back plate could make it less susceptible to cracking, while others appreciate LG’s creative hardware design.
This plain glass back cover has only appeared in the most recent batch of Nexus 4 handsets, according to the report. If these rumors hold up to be true, it’s possible that this could be an isolated incident only affecting certain Nexus 4 smartphones. Only time will tell if Nexus fans will have to adjust to this new aesthetic style, but we’re sure to hear word from Google or LG if this persists. With a smartphone in such high demand, it’s unlikely that officials would fail to acknowledge a significant change in design. Let’s not forget that both Google and LG were overwhelmed by demand for the Nexus 4 following its launch, so perhaps this purported design change could be attributed to a shortage of materials.
HTC's rumored new flagship smartphone, the HTC M7, could have an official unveiling at the Consumer Electronics Show 2013.
Twitter tipster Football4PDA cited some "indirect information" that HTC is planning a CES reveal for the smartphone.
"Moreover it might have screen buttons instead of hardware touch buttons..." the tip added.
Shifting the home buttons to be part of the screen would be an interesting move, as it would certainly have aesthetic appeal but could also dig into the battery life if the screen needs to remain active even in sleep mode.
Normally, such a tenuous connection would be treated with more suspicion. However, this particular tipster has a remarkably reliable track record, such as leaking the HTC 8X name and specs last year.
CES or bust
The HTC M7 is rumored to be the successor to the popular One X handset.
Purported specs for the device leaked last month, indicating a 4.7-inch SoLux display, 1.7GHz quad-core Snapdragon CPU, 2GB of RAM, a 2300mAh battery, 32GB of internal storage and Android Jelly Bean.
It's also said to support a next-gen Wi-Fi 802.11ac connection, which is rumored to be up to three times faster than current 802.11n Wi-Fi chips.
Initial rumors for the HTC M7 pegged it for an early 2013 launch, so an announcement at CES or the Mobile World Congress is looking like a strong possibility.
A mobile version of the desktop software Ubuntu for smartphones has officially been revealed.
The gap between mobile devices and PCs is becoming smaller and more blurred as handsets and tablets evolve. Now, a major player in the PC universe is making a presence in the smartphone industry, as Canonical has just unveiled the first Ubuntu themed operating system for mobile devices.
Just yesterday Canonical began to tease that an Ubuntu-based software for phones would be revealed, but until Wednesday many of the details remained a mystery. The company wasted no time, as Canonical posted a countdown teaser on Ubuntu’s homepage on the first day of 2013. The phrase “So close, you can almost touch it” was posted alongside the countdown, alluding that a significant announcement would come soon.
Touted as a “superphone that’s also a full PC,” the Ubuntu mobile operating system will be built around existing Android kernel and drivers. However, it will not use Java Virtual Machine but does promise to use “the full power of the phone.” This Ubuntu-based smartphone OS will support both ARM and x86 processors, which means that Android hardware manufacturers and developers should be able to adopt the operating system with little trouble.
Although Ubuntu’s mobile software is still in its early stages, an Android version of the Linux-based operating system was announced about one year ago in February 2012. This marked the first step toward a mobile presence for Ubuntu and Canonical chief Mark Shuttleworth says that the software’s Android variant is set to launch this year. No carrier or manufacturer support has been announced yet, but the mobile Ubuntu handset should be provided by a “high end” Android manufacturer, according to The Verge.
Full-fledged Ubuntu handsets are expected to come in early 2014, and this would line up with the company’s production schedule seeing as Ubuntu for Android was announced in early 2012. While we may not be seeing an Ubuntu device anytime too soon, a number of demo phones have been shown off in the UK. Over the next couple of weeks, downloadable images of the development platform will be available for the Galaxy Nexus. This device is the only known handset that will support Ubuntu for now, but Canonical is likely to roll it out to more devices as developers perfect Ubuntu’s mobile ecosystem.
Twitter tipster Football4PDA cites some "indirect information" that HTC is planning a CES 2013 reveal for the smartphone.
"Moreover it might have screen buttons instead of hardware touch buttons..." the tip added.
Shifting the home buttons to be part of the screen would be an interesting move, as it would certainly have aesthetic appeal but could also dig into the battery life if the screen needs to remain active even in sleep mode.
Normally, such a tenuous connection would be treated with more suspicion. However, this particular tipster has a remarkably reliable track record, such as leaking the HTC 8X name and specs last year.
CES or bust
The HTC M7 is rumored to be the successor to the popular One X handset.
Purported specs for the device leaked last month, indicating a 4.7-inch SoLux display, 1.7GHz quad-core Snapdragon CPU, 2GB of RAM, a 2300mAh battery, 32GB of internal storage and Android Jelly Bean.
It's also said to support a next-gen Wi-Fi 802.11ac connection, which is rumored to be up to three times faster than current 802.11n Wi-Fi chips.
Initial rumors for the HTC M7 pegged it for an early 2013 launch, so an announcement at CES or the Mobile World Congress is looking like a strong possibility.
HTC's rumored new flagship smartphone, the HTC M7, is looking like it will see an official unveiling at CES 2013.
Twitter tipster Football4PDA cites some "indirect information" that HTC is planning a CES reveal for the smartphone.
"Moreover it might have screen buttons instead of hardware touch buttons..." the tip added.
Shifting the home buttons to be part of the screen would be an interesting move, as it would certainly have aesthetic appeal but could also dig into the battery life if the screen needs to remain active even in sleep mode.
Normally such a tenuous connection would be treated with more suspicion, however this particular tipster has a remarkably reliable track record, such as leaking the HTC 8X name and specs last year.
CES or bust
The HTC M7 is rumored to be the successor to the popular One X handset.
Purported specs for the device leaked last month, indicating a 4.7-inch SoLux display, 1.7GHz quad-core Snapdragon CPU, 2GB of RAM, a 2300mAh battery, 32GB of internal storage, and Android Jelly Bean.
It is also said to support a next-gen Wi-Fi 802.11ac connection, which is rumored to be up to three times faster than current 802.11n Wi-Fi chips.
Initial rumors for the HTC M7 pegged it for an early 2013 launch, so an announcement at CES or the Mobile World Congress is looking like a strong possibility.
A Nearly New HTC One X will be free on pay monthly
Vodafone has devised another innovative way to put the top smartphones into the hands of users, with the launch of its Nearly New plan.
The scheme, which is available for pay monthly and pay-as-you-go, will offer a significant discounts for customers who're happy to forego a brand new phone in order to save a few quid.
The equivalent tariff, for the Galaxy S3 would be £37, plus a £99 premium on the handset, if customers buy a brand new phone.
£155 off an iPhone 4
The Nearly New scheme also stretches to the pre-pay market, with customers able to grab an 8GB iPhone 4 for just £250 compared to the £405 users would be expected to pay for a brand new blower.
The handsets are "phones that have been returned in very good condition by Vodafone customers," the company said in a press release.
"All phones go through a strict series of checks and processes (including a full security wipe) before being placed on the scheme and are re-boxed with all the right accessories."
The launch of the Nearly New plan, comes following the arrival of the Red Hot scheme, which allows users to rent their handsets from the network and upgrade it each and every 12 months.
Amazon and Apple have been battling it out in court over Amazon's Appstore for Android for almost 19 months.
Apple accused Amazon not just of trademark infringement for using the words "app" and "store" together, but also pointed the finger at the retailer for false advertising.
On Wednesday, the case took a turn in Amazon's favor when the United States District Court dismissed Apple's claims of false advertising.
In the ruling, Apple's claims are put to pasture as the court found "the mere use of 'Appstore'... cannot be construed as a representation that the nature, characteristics, or quality of the Amazon Appstore is the same as that of the Apple App Store."
This move came just three months after Amazon filed a request to have the false advertising claim thrown out, with the online retailer going so far as to cite Apple executives Steve Jobs and Tim Cook as part of its defense.
Apple holding strong
Despite this minor setback in Apple's case against Amazon, this ruling will reportedly have no effect on the outcome of the ongoing trademark infringement suit.
Apple has had a registered trademark for the App Store with the United States Patent and Trademark Office since 2008, and had requested Amazon cease using the Appstore name while it was still in development.
Prior to Apple's litigation with Amazon, the Cupertino-based company engaged in similar legal maneuvering with Microsoft over the same terms.
Microsoft's court proceedings with Apple were put on suspension pending the outcome of Amazon's case, which shows no sign of ending any time soon.
Though Amazon was dealt a small victory here, the war is far from over, as there are still five more claims the court must deal with in regards to the alleged trademark issues.
Apple is no stranger to lengthy legal battles, and it will be interesting to see just how this latest case progresses not just for Amazon, but for Microsoft's interests as well.
Neither Apple nor Samsung has been able to keep many secrets so far in this case
The world has entered a new year, but old battles rage on nonetheless.
Even as the rest of us turn over fresh leaves, new developments have occurred in the ever-raging war between Samsung and Apple.
This time, Samsung has been denied a request to keep certain sales figures hidden in the case.
San Jose, Calif. Judge Lucy Koh, who has got to be tired of this case by now, on Monday reaffirmed her Dec. 10 ruling that Samsung must reveal data relating to units sold of certain undisclosed products during specific months.
The tides of patent war
This is not the first time Samsung has been forced to show its hand; last summer the South Korean company was forced to reveal sales data relating to the period between June 2010 and June 2012.
At the time, Apple was forced to divulge similar data as well.
Then, in October, Judge Koh refused Apple's requests to use financial documents containing "trade secrets" in its case against Samsung without revealing them to the public.
By then, Apple had already won over $1 billion of Samsung's money, but it was and still is seeking yet more damages.
Samsung, meanwhile, is still trying to appeal that decision.
Of Samsung's latest appeal to keep these sales numbers secret, Judge Koh wrote, "Samsung's appeal involves pricing information and profit margins," whereas the exhibit she's ordering the company to file "only lists the number of units sold in each of several recent months."
Therefore, too bad for them.
Samsung did win one small victory on Monday, though, when Judge Koh granted a separate request to have the publication of per-unit profits for two specific phones delayed. The court now awaits an appeal on that subject.
More riveting developments are sure to follow through 2013 and the rest of eternity.
Sick of just being a name associated with old, out-of-date means of photography, Polaroid may have found a way back into the fray. A plan to open retail stores where consumers can edit and print out photos from their smartphones and online services will begin next month, with the first store opening in Florida.
Polaroid has managed to exist long after the instant film camera went out of style. Now the company finally has the opportunity to return to its forte. Polaroid is preparing to launch retail stores, called Polaroid Fotobar, that will allow people to edit and print photos from their smartphones.
The company plans to open ten of the Fotobars over the course of 2013 with the first set to open its doors to the public next month in Delray Beach, Florida. The concept is to essentially allow passers-by to walk in, wirelessly send photos from their phone or access them from their social network accounts, and make edits like red-eye removal or adding a filter on the desktop workstations, and print off the finished product.
One of the biggest selling points of the Fotobar is the amount of options available on each step of the process. Sources for images can range from the camera on a mobile device to the photos stored in apps like Instagram and Picasa or shared on Facebook. Editing options will allow for customization in contrast and brightness, along with other means of image manipulation. The picture can be printed on various material like metal or bamboo and then can be framed in any variety of ways. Finished products are shipped out from the Fotobar within 72 hours of completion. Not quite as instant as the original Polaroid cameras, but we’re betting it looks a little nicer.
Plans for the Fotobar don’t seem to stop just at printing pictures. Polaroid appears to want the stores to function as a sort of an analog-style art resurgence, with fine art hanging on the wall as inspiration, an extra studio room for classes, and experts in store to offer tips to customers during their photo development.
While Polaroid is still a notable name in photography, it’s been awhile since the company has really been relevant. Perhaps the Fotobar, along with its new digital cameras, will be its first step back into the mainstream, as we’re sure the company isn’t surviving on hipsters buying vintage cameras from thrift stores.
The firm behind the Ubuntu operating system, Canonical has announced a version of its software for smartphones.
Ubuntu for smartphones looks to bring the full desktop operating system to a touchscreen device, giving users a seamless transition between their computer and smartphone.
The operating system uses the drivers and kernels from Android, which means it can be easily installed on any smartphone currently running Google's OS, and also means manufacturers won't need to change any of their hardware to support the new OS.
All bases covered
Ubuntu mobile OS is targeting the full spectrum of smartphones, from low to high-end devices, with a lean option for new users providing them with a functional device which is easy to use, while power users are also catered for with support for quad-core super phones.
Slightly disappointingly you won't be able to get hold of pure Ubuntu phone until the end of this year, or even early 2014, but an image for the Samsung Galaxy Nexus will be released in the coming weeks if you can't wait that long.
2012 was a busy year for the smartphone industry, which worked pretty hard to produce some pretty good products we’ve ever seen. As expert reviewers we also had our hands full, trying to cover as many of the phones as we could get our hands on to make picking your next smartphone as easy as possible.
Naturally, you enjoyed some articles more than others, giving us a hint what type of articles we should focus more on doing in 2013. Now, let’s dig right in and take a walk down memory lane and see the top 10 most read news and reviews of last year.
Top 10 reviews
Two of the rockstars of the Android scene were undoubtedly the Samsung Galaxy S III and the HTC One X. We did review them separately, but the article to generate the most interest was their direct battle.
The Samsung Galaxy S III was selling like hot cake last year and so did our review of the Korean flagship. With more than 3,6 million views, we sure got most of your questions answered and helped you get more familiar with the smartphone.
Not surprisingly, our Apple iPhone 5 vs. Samsung Galaxy S III was the third most read article for last year. It would probably have been on top if the new Apple flagship had come out earlier. In fact, the Galaxy S III is so popular that it's involved in 5 of the 10 most popular review articles this year.
Here’s the full list of the most read articles on GSMArena for 2012.
It was a busy year for both Apple and Samsung and naturally, they occupied our top 10 news list.
The most important piece of news for 2012, according to your, our readers, was the official announcement of the iPhone 5. Rather unexpectedly, amidst all the flagship smartphone craze, the launch of the Galaxy S Duos and Galaxy Y Duos Lite sneaks up as second most read piece of news for last year.
The third place is taken by the Samsung's announcement of the Galaxy S III flagship, which isn't surprising considering its success in our review and versus-kind of articles.
Notable additions to the list are the announcements of the Nokia's 41 MP camera-rocking PureView 808 and the first ever smartphone with a full HD, the HTC J Butterfly, taking 6th and 9th place, respectively.
Interested about the rest of the rankings? Check out the table below.
Here at GSMArena we not only try to cover all the latest news and bring you detailed reviews with all sorts of tests, but we also maintain a large database of phones specifications.
We pride ourselves on having a huge audience - large enough to accurately reflect the trends in the smartphone world. That's why we believe being among the most popular handsets in our database is a strong indication that a device has become successful. So here are the top 10 most popular phones in our database that have been released in 2012.
First place goes to the Samsung Galaxy S III - the most popular phone among you, the GSMArena readers, this year. Sure it had more time than most, being launched in May, but its 20.1 million hits still make the margin of its victory quite impressive. These were also enough to make it the fourth most popular smartphone of all times in our database - it will likely be on top by the time its successor comes.
Samsung I9300 Galaxy S III
Second place is reserved for the Sony Xperia S - Sony's first international dual-core smartphone scored some 10.1 million hits.
Sony Xperia S
The HTC One X wasn't the best-selling phone of the year and it didn't manage to pull the Taiwanese-based manufacturer out of financial trouble but it was undoubtedly among the most high-quality and powerful smartphones to come out of 2012. It snatches third spot with 8.3 million views.
HTC One X
Nokia was highly acclaimed for producing the best cameraphone around. The 41 MP 808 PureView's only weakness is the fact that it served its amazing photo prowess alongside a bitter-tasting dish of Symbian OS, which clearly didn't do the smartphone justice. The 808 PureView scored 7.8 million views.
Nokia 808 PureView
Apple's iPhone has always been popular with our readers and here the iPhone 5 sits in, wait for it, fifth place - how bout' them apples. Apple's pride and joy got 7.4 million views in our database, despite only being announced in September.
Apple iPhone 5
The Galaxy Note II has made the list despite making it slightly late to the party (much like the iPhone). Its 7 million views secure it the sixth spot.
Samsung Galaxy Note II N7100
The heavyweights aren't the sole residents of the mountain, though, Samsung's dual-SIM Galaxy Y Duos comes in at number seven with 6.5 million hits. Maybe it was the mix of dual-SIM functionality, smartphone capabilities and attractive price tag.
Samsung Galaxy Y Duos S6102
The Sony Xperia U is still among the cheapest(and coolest) dual-core smartphones out there. And it's obviously enjoying great popularity among the GSMArena readers with 6.4 million hits and eight spot.
Sony Xperia U
The only feature phone in the top 10 list is the Nokia Asha 311. A 3" capacitive touchscreen at the front, 1 GHz processor, 3.15 MP snapper and a very wallet-friendly price earn it the 9th spot - 5.1 million views.
Nokia Asha 311
And finally the third Galaxy family member to make the list - the Galaxy Ace Plus. It snatched 4.9 million views and landed in 10th place.
Samsung Galaxy Ace Plus S7500
So there goes the top 10. The most sought after compilation of smartphone tech this past year. Some of these phones will stick for a while in our all-time rankings.
Whatever made the Hackulous team shut down Installous yesterday is surely giving a push to other even easier alternatives for side-loading (and, as is often the case pirating) iOS apps.
Two of them are getting quite a lot of attention since Installous shut down - Zeusmos and Kuaiyong. In fact the Zeusmos website is currently down and huge spike in interest could be one of the explanations.
Both services don’t require jailbreak and, of course, you can’t get them from the App Store. The installation process is reportedly quite easy, needing you to just visit a website and hit an Install button, though we cannot confirm that ourselves. Then your Installous replacement will appear on your home screen.
If anything happen to those two, surely another four will pop up in their place. It seems that even Apple will be unable to stop piracy, no matter how hard it tries and how tight a grip over the iOS ecosystem it holds.
The LG Optimus L5 is the second of three LG Optimus smartphones that increase in specs, flanked either side by the LG Optimus L3 and LG Optimus L7.
With this middle phone weighing in at around £10 (around AU$15/US$16) per month, or £140/US$190 (around AU$213) SIM-free, does it give enough bang for your buck (or punch for your pound)?
You'll note straight away that the LG Optimus L5, or E610, is light, at just 125g (4.4oz) and seemingly slim, with a smooth metal edging. It's well balanced in the palm, but the plastic patterned back does lend it an air of cheapness, as well as not contributing much in the way of grip.
The straight-sided design of the Optimus handsets is welcome though; a small detail that helps distinguish it slightly from the usual mid-range offerings.
Inside, the LG Optimus L5 packs only a 800MHz processor, which is relatively poor compared to the 1GHz of the similarly priced HTC One V, but similar to the cheaper Nokia Lumia 610.
Outside there are very few additions to the clean design. The NFC antenna, 5MP camera (plus LED flash) and speakers reside on the back of the phone.
The front carries its 4-inch display, home key and soft return and menu buttons. At only 144ppi, the capacitive touchscreen with low-contrast display is a minus for this handset, meaning visibility in sunlight (or even just direct indoor light) is poor... and it all goes completely wrong if you hold it at even a slightly wrong angle. There are no deep blacks and saturated colours here, sadly.
As for the rest, the volume rocker (also used as the physical camera key) sits snugly on the left side, the micro USB port on the bottom and the power key and 3.5mm headphone jack on the top.
LG has squeezed 2GB of internal storage into the slim frame, with the option of adding up to 32GB more with a microSD, the port for which sits just above the standard 1500 mAh battery.
We found the plastic battery casing for the battery access somewhat difficult to get off at times, with the prising indent located at the top of the frame. Still, that's a minor grumble, and at least you can actually remove the battery, should you need to.
Overall it seems a shame to team Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich with such slow processing power - it's a bit like clamping stabilisers onto Bradley Wiggins' bike.
Consequently there's the occasional sense of lag when, say, swiping between home screens or dipping in and out of apps. Even games of Angry Birds are somewhat jerky.
For such a small price point, perhaps that won't be an issue, but for a just little more cash there are handsets with dual-core processors, such as the HTC One S, which create smoother navigational experiences.
A magazine ad has suggested that Samsung may launch its Galaxy Note 2 in new colors.
Any tech geek who has been following Samsung’s Galaxy Note 2 launch has probably picked up on how similar it is to the company’s Galaxy S3 release. Like Samsung’s flagship smartphone, the Note 2 comes with the same curved design as the S3 and was also released on all five major U.S. carriers following its launch, unlike the original Galaxy Note.
Samsung is pulling yet another similar move by introducing new color variants for the Galaxy Note 2. According to Japanese site Blog of Mobile, brown and red variants of the Note 2 have been outed in a magazine ad and could be making their way to South Korea in the near future.
The official names for these two colors are believed to be Amber Brown and Ruby Wine. The brown version of Samsung’s second-generation “phablet” is already available in Japan, so it’s only a matter of time before the Korea-based company launches this variant in other countries as well. Although the magazine ad clearly depicted these two new color choices, the advertisement doesn’t reveal any information about when these versions would launch.
While a commercial ad for new editions of the Note 2 certainly seems promising, we can’t be sure that these colors will roll out in South Korea until Samsung makes an official announcement. In addition, it remains unclear as to whether or not these colors will make their way to other nations, like the United States.
Amber Brown and Ruby Wine aren’t the only new shades that Galaxy Note 2 fans may be seeing soon. An allegedly leaked press photo of a black version of the Note 2 surfaced online last week, furthering suspicion that Samsung will roll out more color options very soon. This darker version of Samsung’s 5.5-inch device has not been confirmed, but the image was reported by multiple websites. No source has been specified, but the picture depicted Samsung’s logo sprawled across the back of the black handset.
This speculation about new color variants comes just as the Galaxy Note 2 hit a major milestone in its South Korean market. Sales of the Galaxy Note 2 have officially topped one million sales in the country as of Monday.
The Galaxy Note 2 has already proven itself to be one of Samsung’s most successful devices, and we’re interested to see if the company confirms any of these rumors during January’s Consumer Electronics Showcase in Las Vegas or February’s Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.
Apple will reportedly launch its electronic bookstore in Japan this month.
As 2013 begins, Apple seems to be wasting no time with its New Year’s plans. The company will reportedly roll out its iBookstore to Japanese Apple users this month, Japanese stock market index The Nikkei reports.
The computer design company has allegedly signed a number of Japanese publishers to be part of its electronic bookstore, according to The Digital Reader. These include names such as Kadokawa, Kodansha and Shogakukan among others. In addition, Apple reportedly has 80 titles from local publishers lined up for its iBookstore launch in Japan.
Apple already dominates the tablet market in Japan, with the iPad responsible for a whopping 60 percent of the total market share. The launch of Apple’s self-branded e-bookstore could push the iPad to gain traction in the e-reader market as well, snatching attention from competitors. This means that Apple will now join the likes of companies such as Google, Amazon, and Kobo, which have all seen success in the Japanese e-reader market thus far.
Amazon launched its Kindle Paperwhite e-reader in Japan in late October, and just two weeks later the online retail giant slashed the price of its newest Kindle. The Kindle Paperwhite debuted at 8,480 yen and was lowered to 7,890 yen in early November: a price drop of about six percent. This cost cut put Amazon’s Kindle Paperwhite in the same price range as Rakuten’s Kobo Glo, which was reduced to 7,980 yen just one week earlier. The same company also offered significant discounts on its other e-readers as well, such as the Kobo Mini and Kobo Touch, in an effort to keep its user base from switching to the Kindle.
We saw how competitors reacted to Amazon’s latest release in the Japanese e-reader market, and it will be interesting to see what happens when Apple introduces its own e-book offering to the country. This increased competition is expected to boost Japan’s entire electronic book market, which is currently valued at about 70 billion yen, according to estimations. This number is projected to jump to 200 billion yen in the next few years.
Since the iPad is already such a prominent device in Japan, it wouldn’t be surprising to see a dip in e-reader sales. Users can easily download any book offered in Apple’s store to their tablet without being require to purchase a dedicated reading device.
The CTIA Wireless Association has announced that in 2014, a new trade show will take place in September and that it will bring together the best of both its currently separate CTIA Wireless and MobileCON shows.
The CTIA Wireless industry show will be given a new lease of life in 2014, after several years of falling behind the Consumer Electronics Show held in January, Mobile World Congress in late February and the German IFA show in late summer, at least in terms of manufacturers using the event for new hardware announcements.
Next year, it’ll become a “super mobile show” and incorporate the best parts of both CTIA Wireless and MobileCON, two separate events currently organized and run by the CTIA trade association. When it says “best” parts, what it really means is it’ll bring together both consumer and business crowds, as the CTIA show has always been more focused on consumer technology, while MobileCON is all about business and mobile enterprise.
The makeover can’t come soon enough either, as the only new device of note to come out of the 2012 CTIA show was the Droid Incredible 4G LTE, while Samsung showed off its already announced Galaxy S3 and Sony didn’t bother turning up at all. Compare this to Mobile World Congress, held a few months prior, and the Barcelona event was host to the Sony Xperia U and Xperia P, the HTC One series, the LG Optimus 4X HD and the Nokia 808 PureView.
IFA 2014 and an Apple event could clash with CTIA 2014
CTIA 2014 will be held at the Sands Expo Convention Center in Las Vegas – the setting for the 2013 show too – and has been scheduled for September 9, 10 and 11. This won’t interfere with CES or MWC, as they’re at the beginning of the year, but it could clash with the IFA show in Europe, which started on August 31 last year and will begin on September 6 until September 11 this year. It’s often home to some big announcements too, as for example Samsung launched the Galaxy Note 2 there last year.
CTIA has traditionally been about the U.S. market and hasn’t had the international appeal of its rivals, so its early September date makes it ideal for companies hawking products expected to be good sellers during the run up to Thanksgiving and Christmas. However, Apple could be a thorn in its side, as if it keeps to a vague 12-month schedule for the foreseeable future, the world could be frantically discussing a new iPhone in early September, and a launch event could easily overshadow CTIA and cause other manufacturers to think twice about announcing new smartphones at the show.
It’s all a long way off yet though, and the CTIA Wireless show and MobileCON will still be taking place this year as usual, with the events scheduled for May 21 to May 23 and October 9 to October 11 respectively.
The excitement of the rumour mill, the titillation of every leaked photo led to higher than ever levels of expectation over the iPhone 5 features, and while the announcement was greeted with some derision at the lack of perceived headline improvements, the record sales tell an entirely different story.
Given the underwhelming changes to the iPhone 4S, the iPhone 5 launch really needs to re-energise customers to prove Apple can repeat the game-changing trick it managed with the iPhone 4.
The iPhone 5 price is predictably high, so consumers will need to bear that in mind too when looking for their next smartphone.
So is the Apple iPhone 5 the greatest smartphone ever, and did it finally see Apple ascend to the top spot in our 20 best mobile phones chart? Or was it a case of too little, too late... and what about those darned Maps, eh?
Design
We'll begin in the traditional manner: how the thing actually feels in the hand. With the iPhone 5 there will be many types of prospective buyer: the upgrader from the 4 (or more-money-than-sense iPhone 4S upgraders), those tired of their Android handset and those taking their first steps in the smartphone market and want to get one of them iThingies their friend/child has.
Well, all of those picking up the iPhone 5 will have the same reaction: this thing is amazingly light. You've probably heard the numbers by now (20 per cent lighter than the predecessor, as well as beating most of the opposition too at 112g.)
It's an odd sensation, but it actually detracts from the experience when you first pick it up. We've praised the weighty feel of the iPhone in the past, lending it a premium feel in the face of toy-like phones, and it's almost disappointing that Apple decided to join that clan.
However, through extended use this problem quickly disappears, as the overall effect of the phone is still a chassis designed for strength, it just sits more anonymously in the pocket.
You'll obviously see the change in height too – the iPhone 5 stands 123.8mm tall to allow for the larger 4-inch screen. In truth, those not familiar with the iPhone 4S probably wouldn't notice the difference, which is why it's a good move from Apple to include the larger screen if it's not going put people off that hate larger phones.
The decision to stick at 4-inches is Apple's admission that while it recognises people are all over the idea of having more screen real estate to play with it doesn't want to move away from the thumb-friendly nature of the device.
Through a mixture of moving the centre of gravity slightly as well as repositioning the screen within the bezel, it's still possible to scroll your thumb mostly around the whole display one-handed, which Apple is clearly keen to keep hold of.
However, we're not convinced of that argument any more, and the power button was still a little out of reach when using the phone normally, as was anything in the top left-hand corner of the screen.
This was no issue in reality, as scooting the phone down a touch in the palm is a natural action. But if that's the case, then why not offer a 4.3-inch screen at least?
There's more to a phone than a screen these days (although increasingly less and less) and the general construction of the iPhone 5 is excellent to say the least.
We've tested both the ceramic white version and the anodised black, and the two tone effect on the back of the phone is stunning, both visually and under the finger.
It doesn't beat the sheer beauty of the HTC One S, with its micro-arc oxidised back and rounded lines, but it's well-set in second place.
The two sections of pigmented glass at the top and the bottom of the phone add a pleasant effect, and the sapphire glass is meant to be thoroughly durable, to complement the Gorilla Glass on the front.
Apple knows consumers get furious when they drop and iPhone, and is clearly seeking to stop the smashes before they happen with a tougher exterior - although it seems the anodised black version is pretty prone to scratching, with a number of users mentioning chipping on the darker hue.
Phil Schiller, Apple's Senior Vice President of Marketing, reportedly replied to an email from a user pointing out that aluminium will scratch and chip in natural use - and we're also hearing that white iPhone 5 models are being returned through flaking as well.
We kept our black iPhone 5 in a soft pocket in a bag for much of its life, yet saw the following chip with minimal key / coin contact in under a fortnight:
For a device of this premium quality, users will expect it to survive the pocket test, and especially do so for the first two weeks of life. It's a big fail for Apple to expect users to accept that a product can be damaged so easily.
The same industrial band around the outside is in effect again as on the iPhone 4 and 4S, with small sections removed where the antenna joins.
Apple has gone for a more advanced form of antenna here, meaning the days of lost signal are gone, and generally increasing the power of your call connection and GPS lock on too.
There are other big design changes here too: the headphone jack has moved to the bottom of the phone, and the iconic 30-pin connector has been retired in favour of the new Lightning port, giving a headache to all those that have invested in chargers, docks and other accessories over their iPhone lives.
You can buy an adaptor, but it's pricey at £25. And unless you want to keep it permanently attached to the bottom of the iPhone 5 you'll need to buy a few, which is far from ideal.
However, let's not harangue Apple too much for this: a smaller connector is not only easier to use (you can plug the smaller cable in either way round, and the connection feels more solid), but you're rewarded with a thinner and more compact phone to boot.
There's also a small chink of light on the top right hand side of the iPhone 5 - when the screen is illuminated, you can see it under the band if you really, really look for it. It's been seen by a number of users, but is hard to actually replicate unless you mask the screen and hold it at the right angle.
It's again a sign of slightly under-par machining from Apple, but in day to day use it's almost completely invisible.
The decision to move the 3.5mm headphone jack to the bottom is an odd one, as while it allows you to slip the phone into the pocket head-first when listening to music, which is a more natural action, it's a real pain in the posterior for some apps that will only work in landscape a certain way up.
Using it this way means your headphones experience will be one of having to jiggle the jack around two fingers.
It's not the most comfortable way to hold a phone, and even when using the phone in portrait mode, the jack gets in the way somewhat. Plus it's miles away from the volume keys, which makes it hard to change the audio level in the pocket if you don't use the dedicated headphones.
There are other smaller design changes to the iPhone 5 too, such as the iSight front-facing camera moving to the middle and the home button being noticeably more robust to help reduce instances of a broken portal to your home screen.
But enough about what the phone looks like - the killer question is how the thing feels in hand. And we'll sum it up by saying: smooth. It's a little slippery, and we were always worried we would drop the darned thing.
But that's the only negative thing about the design (apart from the low weight initially and scratching aluminium) as it sits in the palm nicely and allows you to do it all with one hand, including hitting the top-mounted power/lock button with ease.
That lock button is actually still loose, as it was on the iPhone 4S, meaning when you shake the phone around you can hear it clicking away, which undoes a lot of the premium feel Apple is going for.
Make no mistake, the iPhone 5 is one of the most beautifully crafted phones out there - but when you're paying £529 up front for the thing, we'd hope this would be the very minimum Apple would be doing.
And while it looks nice, from the front it doesn't really add much to the design of the iPhone - it's certainly not the same as the jaw-dropping design of the iPhone 4 compared to the 3GS... it's another evolution in the iLine. It's not bad, but for those that hoped the iPhone 5 would be another step change there's a good chance they'll be disappointed about the look... until they feel the lovely back on offer.
There was a real chance here for Apple: remove the bezel and give the front of the screen a look that's similar to the OLED TVs from the likes of Samsung or LG… but instead we're treated to the same lines as before.
You always get the feeling that Apple saves what it can for the next iteration of the iPhone, and while there's nothing wrong with the current construction we can see the edge-to-edge screen becoming something amazing on the iPhone 6 or iPhone 5S.
Boosted by what has undoubtedly been a spectacular sales year, Samsung is predicting an even stronger 2013. The Korean giant expects to ship a total of 510 million handsets this year.
Of that total, some 390 million are expected to be smartphones, while the remainder will be of the feature phone variety. The smartphones will mostly belong to the Android-powered Galaxy series, but should also include a larger number of Windows Phone 8 devices.
The lion's share of devices will be produced in Samsung's Vietnamese factory, where some 240 million devices are expected to be manufactured. An additional 170 million units are expected to come out of China, followed by 40 million and 20 million in Korea and India, respectively.
One of the devices that can potentially help achieve the bold 2013 predictions is the upcoming GT-i9600, which recently leaked on the Nenamark 2 site. If the results are to be believed, the upcoming device will feature a 1.4 GHz processor of an unspecified number of cores, HD display, and Mali-400 MP graphics, all on Android Jelly Bean 4.1.2.
The score of 58.5 fps is close to the 60fps screen limit so it doesn't really say much in regards to the performance of the device. Almost all recent top and even some mid-range devices tend to max out the NenaMark 2 benchmark, which is capped at 60 fps.
We'll let you know when we get more information on the I9600 - if the leak turns out to be legitimate, of course.
Developers have started seeing some new versions of both Apple hardware and software pop up in app usage logs, including the iPhone 6 and the iOS 7.
Making an appearance as the iPhone 6,1 and originating from an IP address within Apple's Cupertino HQ, the logs suggest that the next iPhone may not be known as the iPhone 5S after all.
The current iPhone 5 shows up similarly as iPhone 5,1 (and iPhone 5,2 depending on what LTE/4G abilities each model has), so it stands to reason that the next iPhone will follow suit.
Name game
The new version number for iOS is a little less surprising - the identifier iOS 7 doesn't shock us although hopefully its vastly improved battery management will.
Unfortunately, although it seems Apple is testing the new soft- and hardware already, there are no clues as to what upgrades we can expect to come out of Cupertino.
If past experience is anything to go by, we may get a bit of a look at iOS 7 at WWDC in June 2013.
The iPhone 6, meanwhile, is more likely to see a September release date as its older be-fived sibling showed up in Autumn of 2012 although it's possible that Apple will whip the new handset out in June instead - it does like to keep us all on our toes.
We got new reports of Apple working towards breaking the ties with Samsung. The company is reportedly moving the production of quad-core A6X chips out of Samsung's factories. It's no secret the Korean company has been doing lots of manufacturing work for Apple, but the fierce patent war the two companies are having over the past two years is obviously having its consequences.
The company to take over the production of the quad-core A6X chips is TSMC - Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. It's the world's largest independent semiconductor manufacturer.
TSMC will begin trial production during Q1 of this year, probably to try and convince Apple that it can deliver the required amount of chips. A few months ago there were rumors Apple will be switching to TSMC's 20nm manufacturing process, so we can expect the new chips or the ones to follow to be manufactured using the 20nm process.
Huawei is set to announce a wave of new smartphones at CES 2013 next week and we're seeing more leaks surrounding its probable new handsets.
This time round we've got another glimpse of the Huawei W1, Ascend D2 and Ascend Mate, all of which see the Chinese firm go a bit more up market than its current array of mid- and low-end phones.
First up is the long awaited Windows Phone 8 device from Huawei, which is currently being referred to as the Ascend W1. The handset is expected to feature a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, 4-inch display and 2,000mAh battery which will see it rival the HTC 8S and Nokia Lumia 820.
Huawei Ascend W1
In keeping with the colourful tradition of Windows Phone the latest image leak shows the Ascend W1 in four hues; white, black, blue and pink.
What's that coming over the hill?
Next up is the hotly rumoured monster handset known as the Huawei Ascend Mate which will, according to reports, sport a ginormous 6-inch 720p display giving the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 a run for its super-sized money. The same phone was also seen being displayed in a shop in China by a Huawei bigwig, so it seems nailed on this is happening.
Other rumours suggest the Android-toting Ascend Mate will pack in a beefy 1.8GHz dual-core processor, 2GB of RAM and a huge 3,800mAh battery into a body 9.9mm thin.
Lastly is the Huawei Ascend D2 which itself packs a big 5-inch full HD display, putting it in direct competition with the much rumoured Sony Xperia Z, and from the latest press shot leak it sports a design which reminds us of the popular Samsung Galaxy S2.
Hopefully all will be revealed next week at CES 2013 and TechRadar will be in attendance at the Huawei press conference to bring you all the latest news as it happens.
