Samsung Galaxy Fame review

The Samsung Galaxy Fame is a phone that comes with a celebrity name, but certainly no celebrity price tag. Available SIM-free and unlocked from around £180/US$200 and free on UK contracts starting as low as £10 per month, the Samsung Galaxy Fame will certainly not drain your bank balance.

It is unsurprising that Samsung has the most prolific smartphone sales figures. With Galaxy devices as numerous as stars in the night sky spanning every corner of the market, from the highest end SamsungGalaxy S4 and announced Samsung Galaxy S4 Active, the super-sized Samsung Galaxy Note 2 right through to the ageing Samsung Galaxy S3 before hitting the lowest ends with the Samsung Galaxy Fame and the Samsung Galaxy Young.

This puts it square in contention with the Samsung Galaxy Young, the ageing Samsung Galaxy Ace and Samsung Galaxy Y, as well as the newer LG Optimus L3 2 and Nokia Lumia 520.

Samsung has clearly got a design ethos in mind, one that has been apparent since the Galaxy S3. The Samsung Galaxy S3 was far curvier than its predecessor, with its successor following very much in its footsteps.

Buying guide

20 best mobile phones in the world today

With the Samsung Galaxy brand all very much in line, the Samsung Galaxy Fame is positioned at the very bottom, alongside the Samsung Galaxy Young. With vital statistics sitting at 113.2 x 61.6 x 11.6mm (4.46 x 2.43 x 0.46) in size and 120.6g (4.25oz) in weight, Samsung has created a handset that sits very comfortably in the hand, if a little heavier than expected.

Clues to the smaller price tag are certainly evident from the off, the smaller 3.5-inch screen with a 320 x 480 HVGA resolution and plastic body being the biggest clues. That said, Samsung has been a fan of using plastics on its devices since the off, with its appearance on its flagship smartphones always being a talking point. On the Samsung Galaxy Fame, the plastic feel fits the phone.

Best phone deals

Save up to 40% on your mobile phone contract

Sticking with the design of the Samsung Galaxy S3, the Samsung Galaxy Fame comes in two colours, our review model coming in white, with blue also being available. A faux metallic band surrounds the bezel, which is noticeably thicker than on premium handsets. The curved back wraps tightly round the back of the Fame, offering a reassuringly snug fit.

As with every modern smartphone, the screen dominates proceedings. The aforementioned HVGA resolution was always going to be a bit of a worry, but its diminutive size goes some way to helping. Thankfully, the resolution doesn't greatly hinder the phone, since Samsung's screen tech keeping things vivid and a lot brighter than expected.

Elsewhere on the front of the Samsung Galaxy Fame is the traditional Home button, sandwiched between the Menu and Return soft keys. At the opposite end is a metallic speaker, the VGA front-facing camera and a couple of sensors.

Underneath this, Samsung has powered the Galaxy Fame with a single core 1GHz processor, as well as 512MB of RAM. These sit alongside a VGA front-facing camera, 5MP rear snapper (with flash) and 4GB of internal storage, of which a mere 1.95GB is free.

Externally, the Samsung Galaxy Fame comes with the standard micro USB port at the bottom, sat alongside the microphone, with the 3.5mm headphone jack at the top.

Unsurprisingly, the volume rocker is on the left and the Power/Lock button is directly opposite, on the right-hand side. Being such a small phone, every inch of the screen - as well as every button - was easy to hit one-handed, which is ideal for the younger generation that Samsung seems to be aiming the Galaxy Fame at.

Buying Guide

Best Android phone

Behind the wrap-around back cover, which sits reassuringly tightly to the back of the Fame, the 1300mAh battery sits over the SIM slot. Thankfully, as with all Samsung Galaxy devices, the Samsung Galaxy Fame also comes equipped with a microSD slot, which even more thankfully is hot-swappable.

The Samsung Galaxy Fame shapes up to be an interesting prospect. The budget market has become increasingly packed with Android phones, with last year's flagship devices slipping down the price scales to sit alongside newly launched tech. The question is, will the Samsung Galaxy Fame live forever? Or will it crash into the ground while learning to fly?

Source : http://www.techradar.com/reviews/phones/mobile-phones/samsung-galaxy-fame-1133534/review

Read More

Korean consumers upset over the faster LTE-A Galaxy S4

A few days ago Samsung's co-CEO J.K. Shin confirmed an LTE-Advanced version of the Samsung Galaxy S4 is in the works. As it turns out this version will run on the Qualcomm's most powerful chipset to date - the Snapdragon 800.

The new hardware will make the LTE-A model of the Samsung Galaxy S4 the new benchmark champ dethroning the current generation of Galaxy S4 smartphones (I9500, I9505, Active).

Just as expected the news about the new faster model of the Galaxy S4 has already upset lots of Galaxy S4 owners in Korea, where this faster and LTE-Advanced capable version is expected to launch.

So, while Samsung might be doing a favor to those that haven't already bought the Galaxy S4, it is sure to upset those who already own the device. It's been just two months since the Galaxy S4 is on the market and it is soon to be replaced by a faster one - many would certainly be willing to wait for those two months if they knew the new version is coming.

Source

Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/korean_consumers_get_upset_over_the_faster_ltea_model_of_galaxy_s4-news-6258.php

Read More

Sony Xperia ZU

Is the Xperia Z about to be super-sized?

Sony is apparently working on a super-sized smartphone - a phablet if you will - over in Japan as it eyes up the market currently dominated by the Samsung Galaxy Note 2.

The handset originally leaked as the Sony Togari, but since January it's blossomed into the Sony Xperia ZU, and even more recently the Xperia Z Ultra - a naming regime which highlights that this will be a top of the range device.

Like it or not, the phablet market is continuing to grow as more and more manufacturers join Samsung in the oversized phone arena, so it's no great surprise that Sony is looking to jump on the bandwagon with LG, Huawei, Acer and ZTE.

There have been a number of leaks and rumours floating around the web for the past few months, so we've gathered them together to bring you an overview of what Sony might be planning.

Sony Xperia ZU release date and price

While there's no clear indication of a Sony Xperia ZU release date, we reckon we have an idea when the Japanese firm will unveil its super-sized smartphone.

Over in Germany Sony has sent out invites to an event on June 25, while in France invites to a July 4 event show a slender handset propped up to one side while claiming Sony Mobile has a "big surprise" in store - how exciting!

If the Xperia Z Ultra does indeed make an appearance at one or both of these shows then you can probably expect the handset to hit stores towards the end of July/beginning of August.

And you might want to start saving now, as you can bet your bottom dollar that it won't be arriving on the cheap.

Sony Xperia ZU display

There seems to be some confusion of the size of the screen on the Xperia ZU, but one common theme from all the leaks we've seen so far is that it's going to be over 6 inches.

The first round of rumours suggested the Sony Togari (as it was known then) would sport a mega 6.44-inch, full HD display which would trump the 6.1-inch Huawei Ascend Mate and Samsung's recently announced 6.3-inch Galaxy Mega.

This report was backed up a few months later by a couple of different sources - the latter of which also quoted a 342ppi pixel density on an IPS LCD screen with a 1,920 x 1,080 resolution.

However there's a twist in this 6.44-inch tale, as the most recent spec leak for the Xperia ZU points towards the Sony handset having a slightly smaller, 6.21-inch display with a 1,824 x 1,080 resolution.

Sony Xperia ZU OS

There's not been a great deal of talk surrounding the operating system the Xperia ZU could be running. Perhaps that's because everyone assumes Android is at it's heart, but only recently has Google's platform actually been name checked.

According to a series of leaked screenshots claiming to show various details of the Xperia Z Ultra, you can expect the latest version of Google's software to adorn this phablet - Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean.

To be honest we struggle to see how it will be anything else. There's the tiniest of outside chances Android 4.3 Jelly Bean may make an appearance, but considering the Xperia ZU launch is potentially days away we reckon Google may have already piped up with a release of Android 4.3 too.

Sony Xperia ZU processor

What goes hand in hand with a big screen? Big power, of course. And the Xperia ZU looks set to follow that trend with reports pointing towards a meaty 2.3GHz quad-core processor will be found inside.

This has also been quoted by another source, with Qualcomm's Snapdragon 800 looking like the chip of choice for the ZU.

Another source has suggested it will pack four cores clocked at 2.2GHz - but perhaps that's a little typo - backed up with a decent 2GB of RAM.

Sony Xperia ZU additional specs

In terms of built-in storage the Xperia ZU looks set to come with 16GB, although a microSD slot looks like a nailed on certainty as it follows in the footsteps of the flagship Sony Xperia Z.

Early leaks suggested we may see a beefy 20MP Cyber-shot camera complete with Carl Zeiss lens slapped on the back of the Xperia ZU, but more recent rumours seem to play down this powerful camera.

The Xperia ZU looks more likely to actually sport a more reserved 8MP snapper instead, while on the front we could be looking at a 1.3MP option.

With such a large screen and powerful processor the Xperia Z Ultra will need a battery big enough to keep it alive, and we're hearing it could arrive at around the 3000mAh mark.

This would be a touch smaller than the 3100mAh battery found in the Galaxy Note 2 and considering the Xperia ZU is supposed to be sporting a larger, higher resolution display battery life could be an issue.

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/sony-xperia-zu-1160807

Read More

iOS 7 will run steamroller over older apps

Don't like it? Tough, flat is the new 3D

Turns out that iOS 7 appears to be pretty intent on keeping everything on screen as flat as possible, as Apple looks to clean out any dimensional attributes.

The folks over at 9to5mac have noticed some of their iOS 6 app icons lacking a distinctive level of depth on the beta version of the new software.

According to the site iOS 7 appears to automatically remove the gloss which Apple used to apply to app icons in previous versions in an attempt to make them fit in better with the redesign.

Icon change

Some apps are also appearing with different icons on iOS 7, although their version is the same as iOS 6 - meaning that the data itself is the same.

It turns out that iOS 7 now looks in multiple locations for the app icon, and it's able to pull through the image used within the app store to use as the icon onscreen, as well as assigned app icon image which the developer will have set.

Two apps which 9to5Mac found to be influenced by this new feature were Sleep Cycle and Dunkin' Donuts, but do let us know if you spot any others.

We're pretty sure most developers will look to redesign their app icons to fit in with the new iOS 7 colour scheme and flat style, but until then Apple is doing its best to create a unified look on its shiny new platform.

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/ios-7-will-run-steamroller-over-older-apps-1160730

Read More

HTC CEO: 'There's no need to freak out'

Calm down dear, it's just another resignation

The recent spate of resignations coupled with supply issues to its flagship HTC One smartphone has rocked the boat over at the Taiwanese firm, but its chief doesn't think it's at panic stations just yet.

Speaking to the Wall Street Journal, HTC CEO Peter Chou explained that the company is doing just fine and the departure of some key executives is just part of normal business practice.

"Some people have left, but many others have stayed, so I don't think it's a problem. There's no need to freak out just because a few people have left," he said.

Hands on, hands off

Chou admitted that he should have been a little more hands on in terms of marketing before recruiting a new department head, while the firm needs to plan better in the future to avoid the delays experienced this year.

He says that it's a trial and error system and it gets better every time a new handset is launched.

"Over time, when we do this many times, we will be more capable on how to manage and balance working on the new things and the execution," said Chou.

Marketing push

When it comes to marketing Chou is under no illusion that HTC is some way off the level which Samsung and Apple operate at - and while those dizzying heights of branding anything which stays still long enough are not quite within its budget, the Taiwanese firm is looking to ramp up its exposure.

Chou revealed: "We've been working a long time to really understand what it takes for us to build a brand," and HTC is doubling its marketing spend for 2013 to help strengthen its name.

The HTC One is selling well and so it should as it's currently TechRadar's best phone in the world today, but HTC needs to continue to churn out top handsets across the board if its to change the minds of its doubters.

Or perhaps Iron Man himself is all the Taiwanese firm needs.

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/htc-ceo-there-s-no-need-to-freak-out--1160706

Read More

Yet another Samsung Galaxy Note III photo leaks

The Samsung Galaxy Note III seems to pose for every camera it sees – yet another photo of the upcoming flagship phablet hit the web and it shows off the Galaxy S4-like design. Unfortunately, the Note III was wearing a cover, we have yet to see the back of the device (there should be a 13MP camera on there).

Samsung Galaxy Note III leaked photo

At least the new photo shows the side of the device, which unsurprisingly sports a silver strip with the Power/Lock key.

By all accounts, the screen of the Galaxy Note III should be a 6" Super AMOLED with 1080p resolution. The phablet is expected to use the same Snapdragon 800 chipset that the Samsung Galaxy S4 SHV-E330S will use.

Source

Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/yet_another_samsung_galaxy_note_iii_photo_leaks-news-6257.php

Read More

Iron Man may become HTC's powerful new alloy

Buy our phones or Iron Man will hunt you down

Iron Man might be about to downgrade to aluminium as Robert Downey JR is reportedly set to become the new face of HTC phones.

Downey Jr will have "final say over creative elements", according to Bloomberg, and he'll be pocketing a cool $12 million (about £7.75m, AU$13m) to be seen holding HTC phones in the advertising campaign.

We expect plenty of jibes from the rest of the Avengers team in the forthcoming sequels which Downey Jr has just confirmed he'll be returning for.

More blips!

Fancy some more bite sized news? Check out more of our blips.

• The dog ate my TV licence - fee dodgers' best excuses revealed
• Google making it easier to find a Chromebook
• Jay-Z goes after the Galaxy with Samsung hook-up

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/iron-man-may-become-htc-s-powerful-new-alloy-1160702

Read More

iPhone 5S snapped with dual-LED flash?

Apart from the new flash, there's not a lot to see here (credit: MacRumours)

This could be the closest we've got to the iPhone 5S yet. Some new pictures of the device have apparently been handed over showing the device flaunting a particularly notable new feature.

The exterior picture shows a handset almost identical to the iPhone 5, except with a vertical shaped window at the top that looks very much like a dual-LED flash.

The only other difference to spot is the bigger 5.92 Whr battery, compared to the 5.45 Whr in the iPhone 5.

Flashdance

MacRumours points out that the "1243" code on the bottom of the main chip signifies that this was manufactured in October 2012, which is quite early. It's therefore unclear as to whether this is a prototype or the final product.

The internal layout isn't anything to get excited about beyond that and we can't tell if this will be running the iPhone 5's A6 chip. However, we're not too surprised to see Apple following its usual routine of keeping to small tweaks for its S version phones.

We're expecting the iPhone 5S to touch down later this year alongside the cheaper iPhone that we're now hearing might not be so cheap after all.

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/iphone-5s-snapped-with-dual-led-flash--1160693

Read More

Sony Xperia Z Ultra screenshots reveal an updated launcher

While the other day's screenshots of the Xperia Z Ultra (Togari) confirmed the device's specifications, today's batch of snaps reveal the changes made to the Sony launcher in its Android 4.2.2 version.

Sony Xperia Z Ultra screenshots

The screenshots were acquired by an acquaintance of a member of the XDA-Developers forum, who confirms they are the real deal. As you can see, Sony has done well to utilize the extra screen estate by expanding the rows and columns of the app drawer to a 6x5 grid.

The icons on the homescreen itself look a lot smaller, too, hinting that the grid there has been expanded as well. Other small cosmetic touches include an updated app drawer icon (3x3 circles, not 4x4 squares) as well as the dock, which can now take up to 6 icons, not just four.

Sony is holding a press event next week on Tuesday and the Xperia Z Ultra is dubbed to be one of the stars of the show. Naturally we'll be covering it live for you, so stick around.

Source | Via

Source : http://www.gsmarena.com/new_sony_xperia_z_ultra_screenshots_reveal_an_updated_launcher-news-6256.php

Read More

Hands on: Samsung Galaxy S4 Active review

Samsung might have shot itself in the foot here – the new Active version is a champion in its own right.

We've understood, for the most part, the idea behind the new members of the Samsung Galaxy S4 family. The S4 Mini for the budget, the S4 Zoom for the camera lovers. Makes sense, and they're suitably dulled down in certain spec areas to make up for it.

But with the Galaxy S4 Active, it's like the normal phone has been given a supercharged health kick to make it into a handset you can enjoy from a spec sheet perspective, but also feel secure about carrying it around.

Think the Galaxy S4 in case, but without a case needed. That's roughly what you're getting here, but with less heft.

OK, so the differences are there. For instance, the screen isn't Super AMOLED, just your run-of-the-mill TFT. The camera has been downgraded to 8MP. But beyond that, there's very little to choose between them.

It's a bit thicker, obviously, but the same quad-core 1.9GHz Qualcomm processor is chugging away at the heart of it, and the 2GB of RAM remains as well.

On top of that you've got waterproof ports, IP67 dust and water resistance rating, and a more solid-feeling back that makes you feel like you could lob this phone down the stairs, into the toilet, in a drink or bury it and it would keep on trucking.

Then you've got the same glove sensitivity, S Health apps and impressive Aqua Mode on the camera for underwater snaps, and you can see that there's going to be some tough choices down your local phone shop if you don't care so much about the huge camera sensor.

But what's it like to actually use in real life? Well, like we said: every bit as good as the Galaxy S4, and thanks to that already being bedded-in, the pre-production model we tried was superbly fast. Blazingly slow, whipping through the internet that nearly gave us motion sickness.

It will be interesting to see what Samsung does with the internal memory on this one, as early reports have suggested that the Active will actually use less storage for the OS than its original sibling – leading to many questions over whether some of the features on the S4 are really that necessary, and more of the space that's nabbed for the phone could be leveraged for actual user choice.

There's so much that actually impressed us design-wise on the Active – from the easy to hit menu, home and back buttons to the mottled nature of the rear battery cover, there was something that felt so much more premium than we encountered on the Samsung Galaxy S4.

The screws that adorn the rear of the phone seem more to be for decoration than anything else, inciting a more rugged feel to a device that needs to show the world that it can take the hard knocks thrown at it.

We couldn't test it in that way, as it was tethered to the stand, but we were impressed with the way there was very little flex involved in twisting and stretching the S4 Active in different ways.

And something that will irk Sony: there were no flappy covers that had to be closed at all times to preserve the waterproof nature of the device. The headphone jack is clearly marked as something that can get wet without an issue, and the back cover clips off in the same way as the Galaxy S4.

Hey, what's under there? That's right: a microSD card slot and removable battery, of course! We can debate the merits of both until the cows come home, but there are plenty of people that are desperate for this feature on a handset, and it's right here for them.

Aqua mode, which we mentioned earlier for the Samsung Galaxy Active, is the new part of the camera app that allows the phone to offset the blur that comes from taking photos underwater. As the phone's touchscreen won't work beneath the waves you have to set what the volume button will do underwater… it's just a shame there's no dedicated camera key here when it feels like there's such a space for just that.

Early verdict

So what do we make of the Samsung Galaxy Active? We have to say we're fully impressed by the phone that takes the best of the S4 and makes it something that's more life-proof in a variety of ways.

We can see this phone being the handset of choice for exercise fiends up and down the country, as the combination of S Health (or more probably another app that's a little better at tracking your exertions) and the more robust design will help stop the fear it's going to fall out of an armband and smash on the floor below.

We like the fact it has a full HD screen as well as keeping it at a 5-inch size, on top of the superbly powerful innards. The addition of Aqua mode won't be anything more than a gimmick to most, but shows that Samsung has got the skew of this phone a lot more right than a number of other handsets it's spewed out in recent years.

Would we rate it as better than the original? That's a tough question, as not only are you losing some of the key specs that make the S4 one of the world's top phones, you are having to put up with a bit more heft in order to live with the Active – and the difference is noticeable.

We're looking forward to getting this one in for review soon – so stay tuned and we'll let you know whether it's worthy of a place in the top ten on its own merits, or if it's just a more rugged version of the phone we've already talked about for months.

Check out Samsung's Your Mobile Life to discover loads more about the infinite possibilities of the GALAXY S4, Note 8.0 and Note II

Source : http://www.techradar.com/reviews/phones/mobile-phones/samsung-galaxy-s4-active-1160411/review

Read More

Smartphones are a source of information risk

Steve Durbin sees malware threat to mobiles

Steve Durbin says that smartphones are posing one of the biggest risks to business's information security, and it's the smaller firms that are finding it hardest to cope with the threat.

The Global Vice President of the Information Security Forum (ISF), the international body on cyber security and information risk management, says the threats are increasing, and that companies need to adopt some appropriate management policies to keep themselves from becoming victims of the trend.

"We're seeing an increase in malicious software targeting the mobile environment," he says in an interview with TRPro. "There are millions of new variants of malware coming out every month. A lot of malware loaded into machines stays unfound for an average of eight or nine months.

"You have to be mindful of the fact that from a mobile environment, particularly Android, you could be susceptible."

Apple assurance

Durbin says that apps developed for Google's mobile operating system is more likely to pose a threat as it comes through an unregulated market. He has more confidence in iPhone apps as Apple works collaboratively with its developers and provides more quality assurance. Windows Phone is more of an unknown quantity, because the ISF has so far had little feedback on its use.

The problems are exacerbated by the lack of any simple security software for smartphones; and even if it was widely available he has doubts about how widely it would be used.

"There are two challenges with software, particularly on smartphones," he says. "One is that it slows down the device. They were designed as consumer devices and we're now using them as work products. It can also produce a battery drain.

"We are starting to see some developments from manufacturers; for example, BlackBerry now allows you to run two profiles on the phone, work and private. But there's always a reluctance on a consumer device to keep logging in; people expect them to be easy to use and that's part of the problem.

"The other is usability. Unless it's completely intuitive – and it's not going to be because you're creating something that sits on top of the device – people will find ways around it."

Small firm threat

The increasing use of mobile devices for work is making this an issue for an increasing number of companies, and Durbin points out that the small firms are unlikely to have security specialists, or even full-time IT staff, to help them deal with it.

"This will leave you exposed if you don't follow some relatively simple steps," he says.

His starting point is to think about how much information held by the company could be damaging if it fell into the wrong hands. In most cases this will not exceed 15-20%, but this is what needs the policies and procedures to ensure it is protected. Then look at the mobile devices.

"You need to think about the ownership of these things," he says. "Will you allow them to bring their own devices to connect to your systems, or will you bring them the tools to do that?

"If they bring their own devices you need some form of policy in place so people understand what they can and cannot do in terms of mixing private and work information. You will need an agreement on if they are storing information on the device you will be able to remotely wipe it if things go badly wrong; and you will need to decide the level of protection you will put on the devices. "

This comes with the need to define and communicate the policies, make them realistic, try to relate them to what people do outside of work, and if possible tie them to additional benefits.

But he fears that it's beyond the capabilities of many small companies, especially if it involves any significant spending. They may acknowledge the risk of losing information, but they will see more immediate benefits in spending money on equipment or services that support their day-to-day operations.

"That's the sort of decision small businesses have to make on a daily basis," he says. "Unless they are dealing with information that really has to be securely held they are going to go for the option that enables them to focus on their core business."

Durbin is more sanguine about cloud, despite an acknowledgement that it doesn't always come with a high level of security. He says that companies generally know that they get what they pay for, whether it's an inexpensive option with minimal safeguards or a full service in which the provider manages all aspects of the data security.

Wi-Fi usage

He is also quite relaxed about the use of public Wi-Fi, arguing that there are some people who have no choice but to make frequent use of the wireless available in cafés, hotels and airports.

"It comes back to thinking about the information you're transmitting, so what you can say is 'Don't access these particular corporate applications from Wi-Fi'," he says.

In all these cases the risk cannot be completely eliminated, and Durbin says the best approach is to set out guidelines for acceptable risk and ensure that everybody complies. And he winds up by reiterating his warnings about mobile technology.

"The most important point is think about the information you want to protect and use that as the starting point, rather than getting excited about everyone having a new iPhone or iPad."

Source : http://www.techradar.com/news/internet/policies-protocols/smartphones-are-a-source-of-information-risk-1159876

Read More