The customisation options for the "designed by you" Moto X phone could include the chance to choose from a variety of build materials for the device's backplate.
According to Android and Me owner Taylor Wimberley, who's been firing off tips left and right recently, options for the casing will include wood, metal, fabric and ceramic as well as the default plastic.
In a post on Google+ Wimblerley wrote: "People keep asking for Moto X leaks, so here is another tidbit. Moto X features a curved design engineered from ground up for personalization.
"As I reported awhile back, users will be able to pick the material for the backplate. Plastic is the default material, but wood is also an option that should be available at launch. Other materials like metals, ceramics, and fabrics should become available after the August 23rd launch."
The device is expected to launch on all networks in Motorola's US homeland and beyond, but in his post on Friday, Wimberley hinted Verizon's great rival AT&T may have a little exclusive up its sleeve.
He added: "AT&T has some kind of "exclusive" thing for the Moto X launch, but I don't know if it's an exclusive material/colour or something else completely different."
If the Moto X went on sale with the aforementioned options, which backplate material would you choose? We'd have to say the wooden finish sounds rather appealing.
Features, not specs, are what will help the Lumia 1020 stand out
It's seemingly impossible to go a week without a new smartphone announcement, with manufacturers falling all over themselves to announce the "next big thing."
Some may be tempted to write off yesterday's reveal of the Nokia Lumia 1020 as just another debut of yet another Windows Phone 8 device, albeit one with a humungous camera, but the Finnish firm is hoping consumers will find that it actually enhances the mobile phone experience.
When CEO Stephen Elop took the stage to put the focus on the bombastic 41MP Pureview camera fitted into the Lumia 1020's frame, he showed the world the Nokia is ready to evolve beyond the traditional idea of a smartphone.
In addition to attempting to blaze a new path in the cellphone sphere, Nokia believes its latest flagship will offer prospective users true control and confidence in capturing their lives at the press of a button.
Two camera apps, one focus
Lumia 1020 rethinks what a camera phone should be
That the Lumia 1020 has a better camera than most point-and-shoots, and low-end DSLRs for that matter, shouldn't intimidate potential users.
For Nokia, one of the core concepts of its latest phone is putting confidence back in the hands of the amateur photographer.
According to the company's research, consumers will take 7-10 pictures with a camera just to make sure they got the right image.
As Nokia's reps explained to us, with the Lumia 1020, the first picture you take will hopefully be the picture you keep. Granted, it make take the phone a little longer to save the 15MB image, but the aim is that it's worth the wait.
The phone's Pro Camera app should alleviate some of the unease and uncertainty users might have about getting the shot just right, as well.
Useful features like Reframe allow you to craft multiple images from just one massive 41MP shot, while more experienced photographers will still find all the ISO, f-stop, and shutter speed options they could hope for, allowing them the same level of customization they have with a full camera in a device decidedly smaller. The features aren't inaccessible to the non-photogs among us, either.
The Smart Camera app provides a range of "been there, done that" options at a slightly lower resolution, but is still capable of offering more creative ways to personalize your pictures.
Though you won't be able to take 41MP images with Smart Camera on, you'll have much more freedom and flexibility for action shots and editing within Nokia's built-in Creative Studio.
Technically, there's a third camera app in the default Windows 8 camera, but it's not fine-tuned for the new Pureview lens like the other two Nokia-developed apps.
Called Cinemagraph, it will still take pictures just like you'd expect, but it doesn't offer any of the bonus features found in either Smart Camera or Pro Camera.
Regardless of which app you use, all photos are taken with the new stabilization, multi-layered lens, and flash, which should help give even novices a chance at capturing the elusive "perfect" image.
The forest for the trees
Every picture tells a different story
Unless you've got an actual photographer in your family, most of your photo albums are probably full of either close-ups or wide-angle shots.
Your smartphone camera album is probably even worse, as most digital zooms end up looking awful and distorted.
Pro Camera's Reframe takes all the guesswork out of the equation, and lets you snap pictures now and decide what the story is later, without the loss of pixel density or fidelity.
To be fair, in our time with the Lumia 1020, we found zooming in all the way for the tiniest of details left things muddled, but the range of post-photo zooming is miles above what's available elsewhere.
Reframing works as soon as the photo is saved, giving you the choice of repurposing the still to your exact specifications quickly and easily.
While more savvy photo fiends are already doing these kinds of things in editing programs on their computers, having the option available instantly and on the go certainly helps the Lumia 1020 appear more flexible for the average consumer.
Pictures in 41 megapixels
Simple and smart
Even if you'll be losing some of the ridiculous pixel density by using the Smart Camera app, there are still some advantages to the secondary application.
We've seen camera features like action shots, multi-shots, face-swapping, and the ability to wipe moving objects before, but that doesn't make them any less relevant for a phone like the Lumia 1020.
By including a wealth of options like those above, Nokia has effectively eliminated the hoping and praying typically associated with trying to get just the right shot.
In theory, users will be able to take solace that no matter what, they're going to get the shot they wanted... with a little help from Nokia's software.
Of course, there's something to be said for the lens and flash coming with the Lumia 1020 as well, as those components will do a lot of the heavy lifting in making sure photographs turn out the way you intended.
Intelligent design
Nokia's future is built on the 1020's camera
The Xenon flash isn't as harsh as an LED flash, but it is brighter and faster, which means images taken in low-light will come out stronger, even if people are moving.
Outside of turning the flash on or off, that's not something you'll ever have to manage; that's just the way the phone is built.
Additionally, the five lenses (one glass, four plastic) compacted together to create the Pureview design have stabilization measures built-in to ensure they all move in unison.
By ensuring the lenses will never be out of sync, you have a markedly lower chance of shaky cam happening with stills or with video.
Again, this should aid in taking all of the worry out of picture-taking, which in turn allows users have faith in their abilities, and should keep them snapping away without having to worry about standing perfectly still.
Point of sale
The Lumia 1020 is still a pricey piece of hardware (priced at $299.99 in the U.S. or about £199/AU$327) when compared to some competitors, but Nokia and its products appear set to take a different path than phones like Samsung Galaxy S4 or the HTC One.
The Lumia 1020 doesn't quite hold up to the screen and hardware power of its top rivals, but as the line between spec-heavy devices has blurred, Nokia's phone is a bold statement about where it sees itself going in the future.
Based on our earliest impressions, every aspect of the Lumia 1020 has been fine-tuned to appeal to the snap-happy consumers that have flooded social networks with pictures of everyday life, while also offering power and performance that should impress pros.
As it will be arriving in just a few weeks in the U.S., we won't have long to wait to discover if consumers are willing to shell out premium prices for the convenience, and confidence, the Lumia 1020 provides.
You can find out more about the Lumia 1020's camera prowess in the video below:
Waste from tin mining pours into the ocean (credit: Ulet Ifansasti / Friends of the Earth)
Apple has launched an investigation over allegations that tin mining operations in Indonesia are destroying the country's environments and communities.
Tin mined there is used for production of Apple's iPhones, iPads and other products, but it comes at a heavy cost, according to environmental activists Friends of the Earth.
The group claims Apple's mining is "destroying tropical forests, killing coral and wrecking the lives of communities in Indonesia," and that in 2011 an average of one miner a week died due to dangerous conditions.
Apple recently updated its Supplier Responsibility page with a claim that it's led "a fact-finding visit" to the Indonesian island of Bangka.
Ecowarriors to the rescue
"Recent concerns about the illegal mining of tin from this region prompted Apple to lead a fact-finding visit to learn more," the site reads.
"Using the information we've gathered, Apple initiated an EICC working group focused on this issue, and we are helping to fund a new study on mining in the region so we can better understand the situation."
Friends of the Earth alerted Apple about the alleged harms caused by tin mining in Indonesia months ago and its "ecowarriors" have been campaigning at Apple Stores and writing letters to Apple executives.
It seems Apple finally took notice, but those concerned can still use Friends of the Earth's custom contact form to ask the company to take further action.
The group also claims that Samsung has already acknowledged getting tin from the same sources.
This isn't the first time the iPhone maker has experienced controversy surrounding its suppliers and manufacturers; concerns over working conditions at Foxconn's plants, which allegedly prompted strikes and suicides, caused quite a hubbub last year.
Windows Phone users may have to wait until 2014 for a significant update
Microsoft detailed the next Windows Phone 8 update yesterday and revealed that General Distribution Release 2 (GDR2) will bring minor changes to the mobile OS.
But eight months after the initial release of Windows Phone 8, some users are expecting more major changes to the OS. After all, Windows 8 received its substantial Windows 8.1 update just ten months after release.
But despair not - The Verge claims to have learned that the major Windows Phone 8 update users are jonesing for will drop next year, once Microsoft has had time to iron out some irksome bugs.
That update will focus on adding new features to the software to support new hardware from Microsoft's OEMs with bigger screens and better processors, the site said today.
Updates and more updates
The soon-to-arrive Windows Phone 8 update includes minor improvements to Xbox Music, Skype, and Internet Explorer, plus the return of FM radio to some phones, and a Data Sense app for some carriers, Microsoft revealed on its Windows Phone blog.
It also allows users to set a default lens for the camera app and promises other improvements that aren't detailed.
So yeah, nothing major. That will have to wait until the "blue" update - also the codename for Windows 8.1 before that was officially unveiled - drops in early 2014, according to The Verge.
That more significant WP8 refresh will reportedly include a notification center, souped up multitasking, and more changes to built-in apps.
However, the site expects another update, GDR3, to arrive before the end of 2013, and some of the features expected in next year's update, including a much-needed rotation lock option, could also be included in that.
Microsoft and Nokia sitting in a tree
Just like it did for the Nokia Lumia 1020, Microsoft is believed to be working closely with Nokia and possibly other OEMs on development of future Windows Phone 8 updates.
Manufacturers are reportedly dictating or requesting some of the changes to the OS, including leaving room for 5- and 6-inch 1080p Windows Phone handsets with quad-core chips.
Those devices are thought to be arriving this year from manufacturers that work closely with Microsoft, like Nokia and likely HTC.
Let's face it: smartphone screens are getting a little boring. Apart from going closer to the edge of the bezel, it's all just increasingly larger displays in the same rectangular shape, with most attempts to deviate from this form factor failing.
But what if we didn't have to put up with that? What if a radical new way of looking at our smartphone could mean we completely change the way we use our smartphones and tablets? Flexible displays could do just that, and it's a technology that could be worth billions in just over half a decade.
The second you mention flexible displays, most people turn off. They don't see the point in being able to bend your phone - and if that was all that flexible displays allowed, they'd have a point.
But imagine if your smartphone could expand to tablet size, or you could wear a curved display on your wrist. Many people already know that flexible screens can be rolled or even folded, but more importantly they also offer much greater durability.
A study by warranty provider Square Trade suggested that iPhone and Android device owners in the UK spent £1.2 billion on repairs between 2007 and 2012, and the most common cause of damage was accidental drops. While traditional glass touchscreens shatter and scratch, flexible displays can survive similar falls unscathed.
The technology dates back to the 70s, when research company Xerox PARC produced the first flexible e-paper display. Billions of pounds have been sunk into the research and development of flexible displays since then, with limited results. Cambridge-based Plastic Logic showed off a concept newspaper that could be rolled up and put in a bag around seven years ago, but the technology has struggled to get off the ground.
At the same time Polymer Vision, a company spun out of the Philips R&D lab in Eindhoven, tried to release a folding e-ink display, but couldn't get to the economy of scale needed - plus, the company told us, it was hard to convince people that their new device wasn't horrendously brittle.
Thankfully in the last couple of years we've seen a flurry of prototypes heralding the arrival of this technology on the consumer electronics scene, meaning we could gett our hands on the new wave of devices in the not-too-distant future.
A recent report from Visiongain suggested "the global flexible display screens market will reach US$260.3 million" this year, but expects it to be the "benchmark technology for mobile devices" by 2018.
An IHS report from early June is also optimistic about the future of flexible displays suggesting that worldwide shipments will climb to "792 million units in 2020, up from 3.2 million in 2013", taking market revenue to around US$41.3 billion, although other reports are more circumspective, suggesting that the market will only be worth $3.2 billion by 2017.
Designing the future
The numbers are still very much up for debate, as we're not even at the product stage yet. However, prototypes for flexible devices already range wildly and the potential is exciting.
At the shallow end, there are displays that simply curve around the edge of a traditional rectangular smartphone, as shown by Samsung.
Manufacturers could design user interfaces to make use of these spaces as distinct touch control areas for navigation, or as secondary displays for specific information. Imagine a permanent battery meter and signal strength display, or a dedicated notifications area that provides at-a-glance information regardless of your activity or the app that you are in, without detracting from your normal smartphone use.
One could easily see a version of Android being brought out to cater for this, using the top, bottom or spine of the phone to deliver notifications.
As the technology improves, smartphone forms will become a great deal more imaginative. Freed from the restrictions of rigidity, we could see a real drive toward designs that fold up to be truly portable, but also allow us to expand our smartphones to large tablet size for watching video.
The trend toward larger displays and hybrid smartphone/tablet devices indicates clear demand in the market already.
Interact in a new way
We could also find new ways to interact. The Nokia Kinetic, on show at Nokia World 2011, allowed users to flex the device in order to control it. You could scroll by twisting, or answer the phone by giving it a squeeze.
It's clever ideas like this that will capture the imagination of the public when a manufacturer delivers the first truly malleable phone - not just the fact that you can wrap it around your finger.
A similar idea has obviously occurred to Apple, as you can see from this patent application which discusses a system to detect "force exerted on a flexible display". A touchscreen that could determine the force you apply and react accordingly would be a great deal more intuitive to use.
It could also have major implications for apps and games. A harder strike on a virtual piano key, for example, could play a louder note - this is already possible, but flexible screens would give the user so much more relevant feedback.
The potential applications in wearable tech are also striking. Flexible displays could serve the burgeoning smartwatch industry, or be uses in clothes themselves - imagine a display on your sleeve that bursts into life when you have an incoming call and prompts you to pop your earpiece in.
But we're getting way ahead of ourselves here.
So, what's actually happening now?
All major manufacturers of smartphones are working on flexible displays, in one form or another, for a multitude of devices. Samsung, LG, and Nokia have all shown off prototypes, where Sony, Phillips, Sharp, Toshiba, and others have revealed they're also working on the technology.
Even Apple has already filed patents in this area, showing that the race to release the first smartphone with a flexible display is clearly on - although the early pacesetters look to be LG and Samsung.
Samsung showed off its bendable OLED displays, dubbed Youm, at CES earlier this year, where LG Display followed up with something very similar at the Society for Information Display conference a few months later.
Both prototypes were crafted from thin plastic and based on OLED (organic light-emitting diode) technology - the same kind that's powered the high-performance displays in the Galaxy S2, S3 and S4.
Flexible LCD displays are possible, but OLED is preferable because it doesn't require a backlight. This enables thinner and lighter designs, critical for a bendable screen. OLED also offers deeper black levels, higher contrast ratios, and greater power efficiency.
The e-ink / flexible display combination is the most advanced example of this technology – and you're probably already using it today if you're one of the millions of ebook readers.
The Amazon Kindle, for instance, is packing a flexible display - that's what makes it so robust. However, bringing out a completely flexible ereader on the same scale would be too expensive, and require a flexible case, battery and processor too.
And while e-ink is good for the written word, it's not use in smartphones as it can't handle HD video. It even struggles to reproduce colour to the same degree as a Super AMOLED or LCD display.
The general consensus is summed up in a recent IHS report into the possible state of the flexible display market: "We predict OLEDs will be the leading flexible display technology during every year for the foreseeable future."
Wait - there's a problem
But can a flexible display offer anything approaching the resolution and clarity as seen on the stunning HTC One and Samsung Galaxy S4?
"It's very difficult to have high definition screens that are also bendable and flexible," Professor Andrea Ferrari from Cambridge University told us. That's because of current technology limitations.
LG Display already demonstrated an unbreakable and flexible 5-inch plastic OLED panel for mobile devices that was labelled as HD, but it's unlikely that early flexible displays will match their rigid counterparts when it comes to pixel density.
Raza Ali, IT & Telecom Analyst at Visiongain, added: "The flexible screens in early devices will not be as good as traditional glass OLED initially. However, the quality will get better with time and eventually surpass glass OLEDs."
Making everything else flexible
There's also the issue of the myriad other components needed to enable a bendy phone or tablet. It's fine for the display to flex, but if the battery and other components can't do the same, then how can we ever expect progress here?
That's what makes the recent developments with graphene so exciting. This flexible carbon is extremely strong and could be used to make the display and the rest of the components in a smartphone flexible as well.
Professor Ferrari told us that graphene is the "strongest and most stretchable material, flexible and bendable, transparent and conductive," going on to explain that "these properties are ideal for interactive displays."
Plastic Logic is already using the material to overcome the barriers to flexible screens, working with the Cambridge Graphene Centre to overcome the inherent issues.
"Plastic Logic is working with new materials which will help make batteries flexible and energy-dense enough to power these flexible display screen devices" according to Ali, explaining that "there will be a whole new submarket working on subsidiary electronic components needed for flexible display devices. There is a lot of research and development going on... to make truly flexible display devices a reality in the near future."
As for the touchscreen, we are used to glass, and plastic simply doesn't have the same feel. Luckily the makers of Gorilla Glass, Corning, are already working on something called Willow Glass which is flexible and (according to Corning) "formulated to perform exceptionally well for electronic components such as touch sensors".
This material will even allow electronics to be printed directly onto the substrate and combined with the glass all in one manufacturing process - another big advantage that OLED technology has, as it can be printed in a variety of ways.
But will anyone be able to afford a flexible phone?
Cost is always a consideration with new technology - OLED TVs are a brilliant idea, but have been hampered for years by eye-watering price tag.
Ali suggested "the biggest challenge to be faced by OEM's in the flexible display screens market is balancing the performance and the price of the product to ensure premium user-experience and the best value for money at that price point."
He states they will be "high-end and luxury consumer devices for early adopters", and it could be 2018 before the costs fall significantly enough to entice the new smartphone buyer to splash out on a new device.
But, like LCD and plasma TVs in the last decade, identifying new materials and fine-tuning the manufacturing process will bring costs down over time to a price people are comfortable with.
When can I buy a smartphone with a flexible display?
But don't think the iPhone 5S will be a wibbly wonder. Predictably, it will be some time before the full potential of the technology can be realised.
Professor Ferrari believes "[displays] are becoming less and less of a science issue, and more of a development and marketing decision," so we could see smartphones using graphene in the display within a year or two.
But when it comes to transistors, casings, batteries and other components, there is still a great deal of research to be done - although there are loads of companies with extremely interesting patents popping up all over the place.
But there may have been some confusion over what that means, as Global Communications Director for LG, Ken Hong, told us.
"What he was referring to was the 'plastic OLED' display which is often translated as 'flexible' by some media, but that means it's not as rigid as glass, not that it can wrap around one's finger," he clarified.
He went on to explain that "it's about resilience and durability first", and confirmed that LG is "still targeting the fourth quarter of this year to introduce a smartphone featuring a plastic OLED display."
Early flexible display devices aren't likely to offer much, or indeed anything, in the way of functionality beyond current smartphones.
What they will offer in the short term is the possibility of lighter and stronger devices in familiar form factors.
It may not be thrilling, but, as Ali explains, "it is a huge leap forward in terms of display technology, especially since conventional glass screens are so prone to cracking even if dropped from a low height."
By comparison flexible displays "would be unbreakable, and would be able to take a huge amount of wear and tear before showing signs of abuse while maintaining a high screen quality and resolution."
As the technology matures over the next couple of years, we'll see some designs that use flexibility to maximise space and offer additional displays and controls.
When manufacturers can make batteries and other components flexible as well, then we will see some really inspiring designs.
It's highly likely in the short term we'll see one of the Asian manufacturers bringing out a standard smartphone with a flexible e-ink display on the back for web and ebook reading, but this will be a niche product to test the market in the same way as the Samsung Galaxy Beam with built-in projector.
But who wouldn't love to have a small, highly portable smartphone that's capable of expanding to full 10-inch tablet size? That will be a device that people will rush out and buy… but there's still time to enjoy the Samsung Galaxy S5 before that comes about.
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
Many carriers all over the world have jumped through all sorts of hoops in order to secure that precious iPhone deal with Apple but this is the first time carriers that have already offered the Apple snartphone are giving up on it
According to Hi-Tech Russia VimpelCom known by its Beeline brand has broken all ties with Apple over serving the iPhone after its contract expired.
This is the third (and final) major carrier in Russia that's has gone this road and some hypothesize that Apple's conditions are not ideal. Others think that a newly-inked deal with Samsung is the reason VimpelCom distanced itself from Apple.
In any way this doesn't mean that Apple devices will be completely gone from the large and demanding Russian market. Apple already has a functioning online store with a brick and mortar one in the works. However, those looking to purchase the smartphone at a subsidized price with a contract will be out of luck.
Apple's market share in Russia for the first quarter of this year shrunk from 9% in Q1 2012 to 8.4%. This, combined with the strong performance of WP in the country has allowed carriers to give up on the iPhone, which is usually costing them quite dearly, without losing a lot of subscribers.
You know that feeling when you're at a party, someone's on stage doing karaoke and they're dying on their arse? You just want to drag them off because it's painful to watch. It's how I feel every time I see an article about Blackberry these days. In fact, I could sum up that emotion in a sentence:
Taxi for BlackBerry - it's time to go.
Just this week, the boss, Thorsten Heins, was urging investors not to write the company off, begging for more time to let his three-stage turnaround strategy work. Shares fell by almost 30 per cent in June - just months after the much publicised launch of the Z10, the Q10 and OS, BlackBerry 10.
You wonder how much time Heins needs - considering an instant success could be measured easily. 20 million Galaxy S4's sold by Samsung in two months, for example. That's the kind of maths Mr Heins is praying for. But it ain't coming, by the looks of things.
Pre-Christmas, the tech world was eager to see what fruity treats the company formerly known as RIM could offer. But the January blues set in as punters and retailers realises the magic was gone.
The Z10 appears to have been a flop. And even though BlackBerry and Selfridges were keen to point out there were queues for the Q10 when it launched exclusively there, one swallow does not a summer make. In fact, the swallow seems to have died on the wing and fallen out of the sky.
Now, investors - and voyeuristic tech journalists who can see what's happening - are wondering how many second chances this company needs. Outside the gates of its HQ in the aptly-named Waterloo, this battle is being lost.
Good old days
Part of the problem is beyond BlackBerry's control. These days, apps sell a phone as much as the design and the OS. Would the iPhone be as popular if there was no third-party love, as was the case at launch?
The twist here is that BlackBerry has always supported third party apps - before Google and Apple started biting into market share. Many were - and still are - poorly designed, overpriced tat, but the underlying fact is that RIM always had its doors open.
The launch of the App World made that official but many of the big names have stayed away. BlackBerry has made a nice looking shop with a lot of crap, expensive stock on the shelves.
It wasn't always this way. 10 years ago, a BlackBerry was the status symbol. Hell, even five years ago, it was a big deal. When I received a company BlackBerry while working at the BBC, I was giddy with excitement - not at the model, since they'd gone budget (license fee money, after all), but the fact I suddenly became somebody.
Calls of "I'm on my BlackBerry" as I headed out of the office were pretty common. (As were comments of "You're a tosser" thrown back at me, I'm sure, as I manoeuvred my big head out of the office door.)
And BlackBerry was diversifying. Out went the fear of cameras (lest security-conscious IT managers screamed about espionage concerns) and in came a big push to get BBM down with the kids.
For the last few years, BlackBerries have been just as synonymous with teenagers as traders. But the advent of services like WhatsApp is once again proving that there are alternatives out there. And don't even go there with the PlayBook. #FAIL.
Resorting to the robot
So, where does it go from here? Here's a radical idea: why doesn't RIM ditch OS 10 and adopt Android? It may sound crazy on the surface, but there are reasons why this could work.
Firstly, Android and iPhone sales are taking away what was once BlackBerry's core market. This would allow RIM to tackle the competition head on with an if-you-can't-beat-them-join-them approach. Secondly, it would give RIM instant access to a huge app library, with all the big names.
And thirdly, as we've seen with the likes of the Kindle Fire and Nook HD, Android can be tailored to look and feel exactly as the owner wants. An Android-running BlackBerry could be made to look exactly like an OS 10 running BlackBerry, to make the user feel familiar and comfortable with what they're holding.
The beauty is here that BlackBerry can have its cake and eat it. It can still run its services independently within an Android framework if it wants to reassure customers. Remember the Siemens SK65 or the Nokia E61? Both third-party handsets, which accessed BlackBerry's services. Neither sold well, but they were examples of RIM's core service working on other native operating systems.
This may be akin to dancing with the devil. But if RIM doesn't stand up and put those dancing shoes on, it may find itself waltzing off into the sunset sooner rather than later.
I've reviewed dozens of phones and tablets for TechRadar over the years - each time putting them through their paces in the most unbiased, rigorous way possible.
But as well as being a professional, I have a love/hate relationship with tech, and that's what these columns are all about: the passionate howlings of a true fanboy. Tell me why I'm right, wrong or a hopeless idiot in the comments below or by tweeting @techradar or @phillavelle.
Google's Eric Schmidt rocked up at the Allen and Co media conference with a phone we expect is the Moto X Phone.
Sadly, he 'couldn't comment on the nature of' the handset, but was happy enough to wave it around in front of photographers' cameras.
He's nothing if not unassuming.
Jazzy
The sleek white handset doesn't come with the traditional boxy Motorola stylings - in fact, it looks quite nice and less chunky than previous leaks have suggested it will be.
The back panel looks sort of cross-hatched in a similar style to the Google Nexus 4's snazzy jazzy back plate.
Credit: Gary He (Twitter)
One reporter, Rachel Abrams, reports that Schmidt insisted, "I'm not allowed to comment on the nature of this phone."
Credit: Rachel Abrams
So that was useful. If it is indeed the Moto X Phone, we expect that back plating to come in various colours to tick off the whole 'customisable' bend Motorola is going on.
Still not too much to report spec-wise, although with the device on show like this we don't imagine it'll be too long before Motorola and Google make the handset official.
Rumors about the Motorola Moto X have been getting more and more intensive theses days and we even managed to get a glimpse of the upcoming smartphone from the Google-owned company. The latest bit is particurlarly interesting though - the Moto X smartphone was seen in the hands of no other than Eric Schmidt, Google's Executive Chairman. Mr Schmidt was spotted using the handset at the on-going Allen & Co. annual conference in Sun Valley and judging by the quality of the shots, he wasn't trying very hard to hide it.
The images give us a clear idea of what the upcoming smartphone from Motorola is going to look like. We didn't get any confirmation of the previously leaked specs though. As you might recall the Motorola X is said to sport a 720p display and a 1.7 GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro chipset along with 2 GB of RAM, 10 megapixel rear camera and Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean.
As we already know, Motorola X is going to be assembled in United States and the smartphone is expected to start shipping later this summer.
Apple made the screen bigger last time. Is an even bigger iPhone on the way?
When Apple unveiled the iPhone 5, the reaction was a bit muted: where previous phones were massive leaps forward, the iPhone 5 was a bit longer and a lot easier to scratch.
So what can we expect from the next iPhone, the iPhone 6 or 5S? Let's see what we can glean from the varying sources of the internet - some reliable, some not so much. But when might the iPhone 6 release date even be?
One thing is for sure, with the release of such super handsets as the Samsung Galaxy S4, Sony Xperia Z and HTC One, the next iPhone will have to seriously up its game.
iPhone 6 and the iPhone 5S are two different phones
The rumour mill doesn't seem too sure whether the next iPhone is going to be the iPhone 5S or the iPhone 6. Given the iPhone's history - from the 3G onwards, there's always been a half-step S model before the next numbered iPhone - we'd bet on an iPhone 5S first and an iPhone 6 a while later.
However, in May 2013 Stuff reported it received a photo of the till system at a Vodafone UK store (which it has since removed along with the reference to Vodafone), with '4G iPhone 6' listed. Interesting.
It's been suggested that there could even be three size variants of the new iPhone - check out these mocked up images by artist Peter Zigich. He calls the handsets iPhone 6 Mini, iPhone 6 & iPhone 6 XL.
Could we see both an iPhone 5S and iPhone 6 this year? Some reports suggest a new 5S in the middle part of the year before a revamped iPhone 6 towards the end of the year or very early in 2014.
iPhone 6 release date
Many pundits predict a summer iPhone 6 release date. It's quite likely that Apple is moving to a two-phones-per-year upgrade cycle, but we'd bet on a springtime 5S model and a bigger, iPhone 6, update in the Autumn, probably September.
Digitimes reckons predicts a summertime reveal for Apple's next generation phones, which again fits with a WWDC unveiling. In May it became clear that US carrier Verizon introduced an iPhone 5 price cut of as much as $100 USD.
Reports in April also suggested that Foxconn has added as many as 10,000 assembly line workers per week to its Zhengzhou plant as it readies itself for the iPhone 6 release date.
But Jefferies analyst Peter Misek reckons we'll see an iPhone 5S first, with a June 2014 release for the iPhone 6. Citi's Glen Yeung also believes that we won't see an iPhone 6 or cheap iPhone until 2014.
Apple may have a new roadmap, with new phones every spring and autumn
iPhone 6 casing
Multiple rumours say Apple's working on plastic cases for its next iPhone, mixing plastic and metal in such a way that "the internal metal parts [are] able to be seen from outside through special design." Could these images from Apple.pro be a new iPhone 6 complete with plastic casing? The cynic inside us says no, but you never know...
It's unclear whether such cases would be for the iPhone 5S or iPhone 6, or if Apple is simply considering making cheaper iPhone 4s to sell when the iPhone 3GS reaches the end of its life.
Speaking in March 2013, a KGI analyst said it believed Apple would turn to manufacturer Pegatron to make up to 75 per cent of low cost iPhone products. Indeed, rumours in early June 2013 pointed at a $399 price point for the cheap iPhone 6. We've also seen further supposedly leaked images of an all-white, plastic handset, but we're really not sure of the provenance.
Pretty, yes, but also horrifically scratch-prone. Will your next iPhone have a plastic back?
The iPhone 6 will finally do NFC
That's what iDownloadblog reckons, quoting Jefferies analyst Peter Misek: it'll have a better battery too, he says. Many Android phones now boast NFC.
PayPal's chief information security officer, Michael Barrett said this during a recent keynote speech: "There is going to be a fingerprint enabled phone on the market later this year," he said. "Not just one, multiple."
Could this be inside the iPhone 6?
See our video below on what Apple needs to do to slay Samsung's Galaxy S4
The iPhone 6 will run iOS 7
iOS 7 has been announced at WWDC 2013. It's a radical overhaul of the OS, especially in terms of the design which has fundamentally changed and is far flatter and more Android-like. There are rounded icons, striking colours and a stark font. There are new features, of course, such as Control Center, AirDrop and iTunes Radio.
We're expecting a September or October release date for iOS 7 in line with previous releases.
iOS 7: what do you think?
iPhone 6 storage
We've already seen a 128GB iPad, so why not a 128GB iPhone 6? Yes, it'll cost a fortune, but high-spending early adopters love this stuff.
iPhone 6 home button
According to Business Insider, of the many iPhone 6 prototypes Apple has made, one has a giant Retina+ IGZO display and a "new form factor with no home button. Gesture control is also possibly included" - more on that shortly. Mind you, it was mooted that Apple would dump the home button in time for iPhone 5, but it never happened.
iPhone 6 screen
The Retina+ Sharp IGZO display, would have a 1080p Full HD resolution. It's also been widely reported that Apple could introduce two handset sizes as it seeks to compete with the plethora of Android devices now on the market.
Take this one with a pinch of salt, because China Times isn't always right: it reckons the codename iPhone Math, which may be a mistranslation of iPhone+, will have a 4.8-inch display. The same report suggests that Apple will release multiple handsets throughout the year over and above the iPhone 5S and 6, which seems a bit far-fetched to us.
Could the touch screen even be transparent? Emirates 24/7 sin't the first source we'd turn to for bone fide rumours about a new smartphone, but it claims that an ultra-sensitive transparent touchscreen will make it into iPhone 6. The site also believes the display will be made by Sharp, which wouldn't be so surprising. One thing's for sure - a potential wraparound screen is probably a pipedream.
Jefferies analyst Peter Misek also says he believes the new iPhone will have a bigger screen. Different sizes also seem rather likely to us - the word on the street after WWDC 2013 was that there would be 4.7 and 5.7-inch versions.
You'll probably still be able to see the camera lens in the iPhone 6
iPhone 6 processor
Not a huge surprise, this one: the current processor is a dual-core A6, and the next one will be a quad-core A7. The big sell here is more power with better efficiency, which should help battery life.
Expect to see it in the 2013 iPad first, and expect to see an improved A6 processor, the A6X, in the iPhone 5S.
iPhone 6 camera
Apple's bought camera sensors from Sony before, and this year we're going to see a new, 13-megapixel sensor that takes up less room without compromising image quality.
An Apple patent, uncovered by Apple Insider in May 2013, shows a system where an iPhone can remotely control other illuminating devices - extra flashes. It would work in a similar manner to that seen in professional photography studios. Interesting stuff.
Will the iPhone 6 be handy for pro photographers? [Image credit: Apple Insider]
iPhone 6 eye tracking
One thing seems certain - Apple can't ignore the massive movement towards eye-tracking tech from other vendors, especially Samsung. It seems a shoe-in that Apple will deliver some kind of motion tech within the next iPhone, probably from uMoove.
The new iPhone will have better 4G LTE
On its UK launch, just one UK network had 4G LTE: Everything Everywhere, which currently offers 4G on the 1800MHz band. In 2013, all the other big names will be coming on board, offering 4G in other frequency bands. International iPhones already work across different 4G bands to the UK, so you can expect the UK iPhone 6 (and possibly the iPhone 5S) to be more promiscuous than the iPhone 5.
By the time the iPhone 6 emerges, iOS devices should also have "nonclassified communication approval" status from the US FCC, which means they won't need to go through a lengthy approval process.
iPhone 6 Wi-Fi may be 802.11ac
Apple likes to lead Wi-Fi standards adoption - its Airport really helped make Wi-Fi mainstream - and there's a good chance we'll see ultra-fast 802.11ac Wi-Fi in Apple kit this year. It's faster than Lighting, and not very frightening.
iPhone 6 wireless charging
Wireless charging still isn't mainstream. Could Apple help give it a push? CP Tech reports that Apple has filed a patent for efficient wireless charging, but then again Apple has filed patents for pretty much anything imaginable.
The tasty bit of this particular patent is that Apple's tech wouldn't just charge one device, but multiple ones. Here are more details on the iPhone 6 wireless charging patent.
Meanwhile, a further Apple patent seems to imply that future iPhones will be able to adjust volume as you move them away from your ear.
Microsoft is building up a huge update to Windows Phone. Dubbed Blue, the General Distribution Release 3 (GDR3), will likely land in 2014 with a notification center, improved multitasking and updated core apps in tow. According to sources Microsoft will be releasing some of the improvements meant for Blue later this year - support for larger screens (5" and 6"), 1080p resolution and quad-core chipsets (likely the Snapdragon 600 and 800 series).
So it's likely that we'll see Windows Phone 8 phablets with much improved hardware before the end of the year. Microsoft has reportedly been trying to offer speedier updates but had issues with chipset testing and bugs along the way.
Meanwhile, Redmond has also released the changelog for the upcoming WP8 GDR2 update - it will bring improved Xbox Music (easier download of music), FM Radio embedded in the Music+Videos app (select phones) and the new Data Sense aoo, which helps you regulate your phone's data usage. There's also improved HTML5 support for Internet Explorer, and the ability to set a Lens as default cameraapp. The GDR2 update will come to the Nokia Lumia lineup as a side dish to the Lumia Amber update, which will bring Smart Camera among other goodies.
Casings, casings everywhere but no actual handset to speak of (credit: FanaticFone)
Yet more photos of what is believed to be a cheap iPhone have surfaced, showing off its outer shell and volume switches in close-up.
The design of the white shell first published by the fairly reliable folk over at FanaticFone.com show a similar design to that we're already familiar with from other leaks.
It's very similar to the iPhone 5 but with a softer, more-rounded look thanks to the plastic casing that continues around the edges of the handset.
Snow White
Also on show are holes for the camera lens and flash and the dinky lightning connector port on the bottom panel. Unfortunately, the headphone jack is also down there as it is on the iPhone 5.
Credit: FanaticFone
Chinese-Twitter-alike Weibo also plays host to some volume switches supposedly for the cheap iPhone - in the jaunty shades of yellow, blue, green and red that we've seen in other budget iPhone chassis leaks, they look an LA starlet's daily dose of vitamins and supplements.
Credit: Weibo
We're still none the wiser as to a release date for the budget iPhone, however - although, knowing Apple, 'budget' is likely to turn out to mean 'slightly less insanely expensive' rather than being synonymous with 'actually cheap'.
Rumours that BlackBerry is set to launch its largest phone screen seem more certain than ever as an image of the A10 handset has appeared online.
Don't assume this is the real deal but the picture certainly echoes previous word that the handset, also known as the Aristo, would closely resemble the Samsung Galaxy S4 with its rounded edges, as well as coming across as a bit HTC One.
BGR's report states confidently that the BlackBerry A10 will have a 5-inch Super AMOLED display, dual-core processor and separate graphics processor.
It's also noted, however, that the resolution will be just 1280 x 720, which pales a little to the growing number of 1080p displays on the market.
Aristo Development
The dual-core processor, if true, will no doubt disappoint some who were hoping that the A10 would be a true heavyweight when it comes to power, even though not going quad-core will be gentler on the battery.
The BB10-rocking phone is expected to launch "this fall", with a November date being thrown around. As the fourth handset to come running the new OS, could this be the one to help BB10 take off?
An image of what is reportedly the BlackBerry A10, an upcoming BB 10 smartphone, has been leaked. The photo confirms that the handset will be build around a 5" display.
The source claims that the BlackBerry A10, which is codenamed Aristo, will be equipped with a 1,280 x 720 pixel display, like its Z10 predecessor, rather than a full HD screen as available on most recent high-end smartphones.
Other BlackBerry A10 we know so far include a Snapdragon chipset with a 1.5 GHz quad-core Krait processor along with 2 GB of RAM and an 8 megapixel primary camera.
The design of the BlackBerry A10 looks quite similar to that of the BlackBerry Z10 except that this time the piece at the bottom is colored white, rather than black.
BlackBerry A10 will run on BlackBerry 10 OS, but unfortunately, there is no word on the pricing and the launch date of the smartphone.
If you're enticed by the Nokia Lumia 1020's camera suite but plan on sticking with your older PureView Windows Phone handset for the time being, don't fret - Nokia has promised you'll be able to get in on the action too.
The Pro Camera app will be available to the Nokia Lumia 920, Lumia 925 and Lumia 928 later this year, so long as the handsets have been upgraded to the latest Amber software update.
We found there was a whole world to play with in the Pro Camera software, which you can read all about in our hands on review.
More blips!
Focus on the good stuff and have a look through some more blips
Yesterday, Nokia announced the Lumia 1020 smartphone with a 41 megapixel PureView sensor and to go with it, a new version of the Nokia Pro Camera application with one of the most comprehensive range of image adjustment options found on a mobile phone.
The best part about this software is not how it packs in a dozen options but the way the interface is laid out, which makes using them quick and easy. Unfortunately, as of now this app is only available on the Lumia 1020 but if you have an older Lumia device, fret not as you could be getting it soon.
Nokia has confirmed that the Nokia Pro Camera application would be released to older Lumia smartphones through a software update, also known as the Amber update. The update will only be released to the Lumia 920, 925 and 928 smartphones, so if you have any other Lumia phone then you're out of luck.
No dates have been given as to when this update will start rolling out.
You can find out more about the Nokia Pro Camera app here.
