iPhone 5: Everything you need to know

At its event in San Franciso on September 12, Apple finally lifted the veil on the long-awaited iPhone 5. Our complete guide to Apple's newest flagship phone.

Confirming all the rumors detailing its appearance, internals, and bundled earbuds, the iPhone 5 launch was very predictable. But lack of shock-factor aside, the new handset still has a lot to offer. Apple’s newest iPhone has been slimmed down, suped up, and redesigned. If you want to know more about the iPhone 5 then you’ve come to the right place.

Advanced Retina Display

With the iPhone 5, Apple changed the size of the iPhone screen for the first time ever. The new screen is elongated, with a widesceen aspect ratio to 16:9. The new 4-inch, Retina display is described by Apple as “panoramic” and boasts 44 percent more color saturation than the iPhone 4S, making it full sRGB (aka: it’s gorgeous).

Apple also introduced new touch technology to the display of its latest smartphone. Rather than having two layers, the pixels in the screen and the touch sensors have been integrated into a thinner, single layer. The pixels actually sense the user’s touch all on their own, without the need for separate components. What does this mean for you? Much better viewing angles, a clearer image, a lighter device, and a thinner profile.

Updated Design

The design of the new iPhone was no surprise as Apple has obviously lost control of its secrets in a post-Jobs era. The iPhone 5 looks exactly as it was portrayed in many leaked images. Lead designer Jony Ive said Apple has “never built a product with this extraordinary level of fit and finish.” Made with a glass display and an aluminum unibody, the iPhone 5 comes in the standard color options: black or white. Thanks to its new touch-integrated display, the iPhone 5 is the thinnest LTE smartphone in the world at just 0.29 inches. It’s also 20 percent lighter than the 4S at 112 grams or 3.95 ounces.

A6 Processor

A new iPhone means a faster CPU. This one’s called the A6 — following the established numbering system — and Apple claims it is two times faster than it’s predecessor, able to load web pages 2.1 times speedier.

iOS 6

One advantage of buying the latest Apple product is having a device designed specifically for the latest and greatest software version. iOS 6 brings a lot of new features to the table, and builds on many of those introduced in iOS 5. For instance, Siri will now play nice with Yelp, Opentable, and Fandango. It’s also able to launch apps (finally). Facebook is now integrated into the OS alongside Twitter, and Safari has an offline reading list. Apple’s thrown in its own version of Google Maps with Yelp support and turn-by-turn navigation. Passbook is a new feature as well, essentially a wallet app that can store your boarding pass, Starbucks card, and more. Read our full breakdown of iOS 6 for extra details.

Connectivity

“Ultrafast Wireless” is the moniker Apple’s chosen for its latest wireless chip. The single chip supports standards necessary to operate on all carriers, according to Apple. It can handle HSPA+ (20Mbps), DC-HSDPA (42Mbps), and LTE (max 100Mbps). The iPhone’s Wi-Fi has been beefed up as well, sporting 802.11N (dual-channel, 2.4GHz and 5GHz) and a max speed of 150Mbps. The iPhone can, like most modern routers, switch between connections for the best results.

Sadly, Verizon said recently that the iPhone 5 will not support simultaneous voice and data connections, even on LTE. This is in direct contrast to the rest of its LTE phones, which can all handle voice and data. The feature won’t be supported by Sprint either. AT&T, however, has confirmed with The Verge that its customers can simultaneously access voice and data over HSPA+ or LTE.

Improved Audio

Wanting to make its iPhone refresh as thorough as possible, Apple made sure its audio components underwent a makeover as well. The iPhone 5 features three microphones: one on the bottom, back, and front. As a result, the sound quality of recordings and voice calls will be improved. In a truly impressive move, Apple has managed to include noise cancelling without the need for external hardware. In real world use, this means background noise should be muted as much as possible during voice calls. And with what Apple calls, “wideband audio,” the iPhone 5 will use more bandwidth to transmit higher-quality audio over your network. This feature will depend on carrier support, however.

The internal speakers are now 20 percent smaller and yet have grown from three to five magnet transducers for a richer sound. 

Last but certainly not least, the EarPods are Apple’s latest bundled earphones for its new mobile devices. Designed to be much more comfortable and better-sounding than the current unwieldy earphones, the EarPods are also more ergonomic and meant to fit comfortably in the ear. We look forward to trying these out.

Camera Features

Apple spent a lot of time talking up the iPhone’s camera improvements in its live event, putting the strongest emphasis on its new panorama mode, though it blissfully ignored the fact that most high-end smartphones already have this feature. It works much the same here, you simply pan the phone across an area and the software will stitch the images together for you. The iPhone 5 will even correct blur from your shaky hands and remove any moving objects.

The back camera keeps the five-element optics and 8-megapixel sensor (3264 x 2448) found in the 4S. It also has backside illumination, an f/2.4 aperture (slower than the F/2.0 aperture on the HTC One X and Evo 4G LTE), and a hybrid infrared filter. A few video features have been tossed in as well: still photo capture while recording, improved image stabilization, and face detection.

The iPhone 5 also ships with a dynamic low light mode. The new image processing chip picks out the areas of a photo in need of noise reduction and leaves the rest alone. Because of this, Apple claims photography in low light is much improved. In addition, photos can be taken 40 percent faster than the 4S, which already has a super fast shutter. Even the lens has been revamped, this time made with a sapphire crystal (the next hardest material to diamond).

FaceTime is now in 720p HD and, as long as carriers play nice, video conversations will be available over a user’s cellular network. Like the rear-facing camera, the front-facing one has face detection built-in. According to The Verge, Verizon has recently stated users may run FaceTime over the network with no extra charge, regardless of which data plan they have. Sprint has also said it won’t be charging for the service, while AT&T will only allow it if you sign up for a new Mobile Share data plan. 

Lightning Connector

Here’s where Apple’s going to frustrate a lot of Apple users who have undoubtedly amassed a large collection of 30-pin connectors Luckily (or unluckily, depending how you look at it), the new, smaller 8-pin connector can still be used with older cords by purchasing a $30 adapter. A neat feature of the Lightning connector is its reversible orientation, it will plug into your device no matter which side is up.

Battery Life

The battery life of the iPhone 5 is nowhere near the impressive numbers shown earlier this month in Motorola’s newest RAZR line, but for the average user, it will do. Apple states the official numbers as 225 hours on standby, 8 hours of 3G talk, 8 hours of browsing with LTE, 10 hours on Wi-Fi, and 30 hours of video.

Availability and Pricing

On September 21, the new iPhone will be available in the United States, Canada, UK, Germany, France, Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Japan. Availability will extend to the remaining countries on September 28. Pre-orders began at midnight on Sept. 14. If you’re trying to get an iPhone 5 at launch, keep informed with our “How to Find an iPhone 5” article, which we’re updating with availability information as we get it.

The iPhone 5 will come in three different storage sizes and price points: 16GB for $200, 32GB for $300, and 64GB for $400. These prices include a two-year contract, however. At full price, the phone starts at $650 for the 16GB model. And since the iPhone 4S is old hat now, it will be offered for $100 on a two-year contract with the iPhone 4 costing zilch, nada, nothing after signing on the dotted line.

After the dust has settled, the iPhone 5 still stands tall as a premium gadget offering superior performance, outstanding build quality, and snappy wireless speeds. But is that enough? Will you be waiting in line for the sixth generation of Apple’s infamous smartphone-to-rule-them-all or are you sitting this one out?

Source : http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/apple-iphone-5/

Read More

iPhone 5: Everything you need to know

At its event in San Franciso on September 12, Apple finally lifted the veil on the long-awaited iPhone 5. Our complete guide to Apple's newest flagship phone.

Confirming all the rumors detailing its appearance, internals, and bundled earbuds, the iPhone 5 launch was very predictable. But lack of shock-factor aside, the new handset still has a lot to offer. Apple’s newest iPhone has been slimmed down, suped up, and redesigned. If you want to know more about the iPhone 5 then you’ve come to the right place.

Advanced Retina Display

With the iPhone 5, Apple changed the size of the iPhone screen for the first time ever. The new screen is elongated, with a widesceen aspect ratio to 16:9. The new 4-inch, Retina display is described by Apple as “panoramic” and boasts 44 percent more color saturation than the iPhone 4S, making it full sRGB (aka: it’s gorgeous).

Apple also introduced new touch technology to the display of its latest smartphone. Rather than having two layers, the pixels in the screen and the touch sensors have been integrated into a thinner, single layer. The pixels actually sense the user’s touch all on their own, without the need for separate components. What does this mean for you? Much better viewing angles, a clearer image, a lighter device, and a thinner profile.

Updated Design

The design of the new iPhone was no surprise as Apple has obviously lost control of its secrets in a post-Jobs era. The iPhone 5 looks exactly as it was portrayed in many leaked images. Lead designer Jony Ive said Apple has “never built a product with this extraordinary level of fit and finish.” Made with a glass display and an aluminum unibody, the iPhone 5 comes in the standard color options: black or white. Thanks to its new touch-integrated display, the iPhone 5 is the thinnest LTE smartphone in the world at just 0.29 inches. It’s also 20 percent lighter than the 4S at 112 grams or 3.95 ounces.

A6 Processor

A new iPhone means a faster CPU. This one’s called the A6 — following the established numbering system — and Apple claims it is two times faster than it’s predecessor, able to load web pages 2.1 times speedier.

iOS 6

One advantage of buying the latest Apple product is having a device designed specifically for the latest and greatest software version. iOS 6 brings a lot of new features to the table, and builds on many of those introduced in iOS 5. For instance, Siri will now play nice with Yelp, Opentable, and Fandango. It’s also able to launch apps (finally). Facebook is now integrated into the OS alongside Twitter, and Safari has an offline reading list. Apple’s thrown in its own version of Google Maps with Yelp support and turn-by-turn navigation. Passbook is a new feature as well, essentially a wallet app that can store your boarding pass, Starbucks card, and more. Read our full breakdown of iOS 6 for extra details.

Connectivity

“Ultrafast Wireless” is the moniker Apple’s chosen for its latest wireless chip. The single chip supports standards necessary to operate on all carriers, according to Apple. It can handle HSPA+ (20Mbps), DC-HSDPA (42Mbps), and LTE (max 100Mbps). The iPhone’s Wi-Fi has been beefed up as well, sporting 802.11N (dual-channel, 2.4GHz and 5GHz) and a max speed of 150Mbps. The iPhone can, like most modern routers, switch between connections for the best results.

Sadly, Verizon said recently that the iPhone 5 will not support simultaneous voice and data connections, even on LTE. This is in direct contrast to the rest of its LTE phones, which can all handle voice and data. The feature won’t be supported by Sprint either. AT&T, however, has confirmed with The Verge that its customers can simultaneously access voice and data over HSPA+ or LTE.

Improved Audio

Wanting to make its iPhone refresh as thorough as possible, Apple made sure its audio components underwent a makeover as well. The iPhone 5 features three microphones: one on the bottom, back, and front. As a result, the sound quality of recordings and voice calls will be improved. In a truly impressive move, Apple has managed to include noise cancelling without the need for external hardware. In real world use, this means background noise should be muted as much as possible during voice calls. And with what Apple calls, “wideband audio,” the iPhone 5 will use more bandwidth to transmit higher-quality audio over your network. This feature will depend on carrier support, however.

The internal speakers are now 20 percent smaller and yet have grown from three to five magnet transducers for a richer sound. 

Last but certainly not least, the EarPods are Apple’s latest bundled earphones for its new mobile devices. Designed to be much more comfortable and better-sounding than the current unwieldy earphones, the EarPods are also more ergonomic and meant to fit comfortably in the ear. We look forward to trying these out.

Camera Features

Apple spent a lot of time talking up the iPhone’s camera improvements in its live event, putting the strongest emphasis on its new panorama mode, though it blissfully ignored the fact that most high-end smartphones already have this feature. It works much the same here, you simply pan the phone across an area and the software will stitch the images together for you. The iPhone 5 will even correct blur from your shaky hands and remove any moving objects.

The back camera keeps the five-element optics and 8-megapixel sensor (3264 x 2448) found in the 4S. It also has backside illumination, an f/2.4 aperture (slower than the F/2.0 aperture on the HTC One X and Evo 4G LTE), and a hybrid infrared filter. A few video features have been tossed in as well: still photo capture while recording, improved image stabilization, and face detection.

The iPhone 5 also ships with a dynamic low light mode. The new image processing chip picks out the areas of a photo in need of noise reduction and leaves the rest alone. Because of this, Apple claims photography in low light is much improved. In addition, photos can be taken 40 percent faster than the 4S, which already has a super fast shutter. Even the lens has been revamped, this time made with a sapphire crystal (the next hardest material to diamond).

FaceTime is now in 720p HD and, as long as carriers play nice, video conversations will be available over a user’s cellular network. Like the rear-facing camera, the front-facing one has face detection built-in. According to The Verge, Verizon has recently stated users may run FaceTime over the network with no extra charge, regardless of which data plan they have. Sprint has also said it won’t be charging for the service, while AT&T will only allow it if you sign up for a new Mobile Share data plan. 

Lightning Connector

Here’s where Apple’s going to frustrate a lot of Apple users who have undoubtedly amassed a large collection of 30-pin connectors Luckily (or unluckily, depending how you look at it), the new, smaller 8-pin connector can still be used with older cords by purchasing a $30 adapter. A neat feature of the Lightning connector is its reversible orientation, it will plug into your device no matter which side is up.

Battery Life

The battery life of the iPhone 5 is nowhere near the impressive numbers shown earlier this month in Motorola’s newest RAZR line, but for the average user, it will do. Apple states the official numbers as 225 hours on standby, 8 hours of 3G talk, 8 hours of browsing with LTE, 10 hours on Wi-Fi, and 30 hours of video.

Availability and Pricing

On September 21, the new iPhone will be available in the United States, Canada, UK, Germany, France, Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Japan. Availability will extend to the remaining countries on September 28. Pre-orders began at midnight on Sept. 14. If you’re trying to get an iPhone 5 at launch, keep informed with our “How to Find an iPhone 5” article, which we’re updating with availability information as we get it.

The iPhone 5 will come in three different storage sizes and price points: 16GB for $200, 32GB for $300, and 64GB for $400. These prices include a two-year contract, however. At full price, the phone starts at $650 for the 16GB model. And since the iPhone 4S is old hat now, it will be offered for $100 on a two-year contract with the iPhone 4 costing zilch, nada, nothing after signing on the dotted line.

After the dust has settled, the iPhone 5 still stands tall as a premium gadget offering superior performance, outstanding build quality, and snappy wireless speeds. But is that enough? Will you be waiting in line for the sixth generation of Apple’s infamous smartphone-to-rule-them-all or are you sitting this one out?

Source : http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/iphone-5-everything-you-need-to-know/

Read More

How to get an iPhone 5 on launch day

The iPhone 5 has finally been announced. Pre-orders start September 14 and the phone hits the streets on September 21. We've got a guide to getting yours.

The September 12 announcement of the iPhone 5 was anything but shocking to the tech world, but that doesn’t mean we won’t all dash out to get one. That’s the crazy thing about Apple products: the information can leak days in advance, but the official announcement can put consumers in a trance until they wake up in line on launch day. There’s no stopping the horde of fruit phone frenzied zombies, so you may as well prepare yourself to join in.

Before you decide to jump head-first into the pool of iPhone 5 early adopters, make sure that you take a look at everything that’s out there. The market is full of worthy competitors, from the Galaxy S3 to the new Razrs, and even Apple’s own iPhone 4S. Who are we kidding, though? You want the iPhone 5. I mean, just look at the thing. If you’ve made up your mind and are already packing your tent to camp out at the Apple Store, make sure to arm yourself with this information.

Basics

The iPhone 5 will become available for pre-order online through the Apple Store on Friday, Sept. 14. The phone will officially be available on the following Friday, Sept. 21. Apple stores open at 8:00 a.m., so make sure you’ve got a fresh cup of coffee for the morning. The lowest price rung for the iPhone will be the 16GB model for $200, followed by the 32GB for $300, and the 64GB for $400. 

Pre-Order Details

Sprint customers should sprint to Sprint’s iPhone page to do their own pre-order. While the site will remain filled with old model information until the 14th, the service provider will start their own pre-order offer at 12:01 a.m. AT&T users can also get themselves geared up to keep hitting the refresh button come Friday, because they have a pre-order option available as well. The information is likely to live right after midnight on AT&T’s iPhone page. No word has come from Verizon about a Friday frenzy, but it’d be a safe bet for customers to bookmark the iPhone landing page there.

What to Expect when Pre-Ordering

If you decide to be one of the brave few (million) that decide to stay up to snag an early purchase of the iPhone 5, there are a few things you should prepare for. First of all, slow loading. These sites are built to manage a fair amount of traffic, but any event like this is sure to cause the servers to take a beating. If you have to refresh a few times, don’t be too shocked. Once you do get through, you should make sure that you’ve received email confirmation of your order. This will come in handy when you decide to pick up your phone from the local carrier of choice.

What to Expect In-Store

Buying an Apple product on the day of launch historically calls for a camping session the night before. There might not be s’mores in store, but there are no bears either, and you’ll be getting the ultimate Swiss Army Knife when you wake up in the morning. Needless to say, though, you should arrive as early as you possibly can to secure your spot in line. If you’re not committed to the cause and you didn’t pre-order, don’t bother. Wait for the madness to die down after the first few weeks so you can easily slip in and out of the store without running the risk of being squished or body-surfed to the back of the line. But if you want an iPhone on launch day and don’t want to pre-order, be prepared to get in line and wait there… for many hours.

Source : http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/how-to-get-an-iphone-5/

Read More

Sony Xperia Tipo review

Buying Guide

Best Android phone

The Sony Xperia Tipo is the latest addition to the Xperia smartphone range, and it's undoubtedly the baby of the family. It comes in at around £100 (around $160), with an 800MHz single-core processor, 512MB of RAM, 2.5GB of internal storage, a 3.2MP camera and a 3.2-inch 320 x 480 display.

It runs Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, which in terms of its specifications is definitely the standout feature.

The Sony Xperia Tipo (also known as the ST21i) is priced at around the same level as the Huawei Ascend G300, Samsung Galaxy Y and LG Optimus L3. In other words, it's an entry-level Android smartphone.

But while its specs are mostly the same as its competitors - or even slightly weaker in some cases - it is one of very few handsets at around this price point that currently runs Android 4.0.

The first thing that hits you with the Sony Xperia Tipo is just how chunky it is, at 13mm (0.5 inches) thick. Conversely, its height of 103mm (4 inches) and width of 57mm (2.2 inches) are both on the small side, as you'd expect from a low-end phone.

The build quality isn't bad, though at 99.4g (0.22lbs) it's pretty lightweight. Rather than sporting a plastic back like most of its rivals, the Sony Xperia Tipo comes with a "premium rubber" coating on the battery cover. This is designed to wipe clean with a wet cloth, keeping your phone looking new and unmarked.

Though we didn't want to push our luck too much, these claims seemed true in our tests, with minor stains wiping straight off. The coating also makes it easy to get a solid grip on the handset. Shiny plastic covers have a tendency to feel precariously slippery in the hand, but this has no such problems.

The cover is quite easy to remove, which is just as well because the battery, SIM card and microSD card slot all lie behind it. There's a small groove at the bottom of the phone that you can use to pull it straight off, and replacing it is just as easy.

The microSD card slot and SIM card can only be accessed by removing the battery itself. It's an unfortunate placement, particularly in the case of the microSD card slot, since that 2.5GB of internal storage will quickly get eaten up.

Heavy users of media and apps may find the need for more than one microSD card to store all of their stuff. So it would be nice if they were switchable on the fly. Still, it can take cards of up to 32GB, which will likely be more than enough for most users.

The top-left corner of the Sony Xperia Tipo houses the power key, which can also be tapped to lock or wake the phone. Along from that on the top-right you'll find a 3.5mm headphone jack.

On the right edge of the handset near the top there's a volume rocker, which can also be used to zoom the camera. There's also a strap hole near the bottom.

On the left-hand side all you'll find is a micro USB slot, which is used primarily for charging the phone and connecting it to a computer. It's not an ideal position, since it gets in the way and makes it unnecessarily awkward to operate the phone while it's charging. A better position would have been the top or bottom edge. It also doesn't help that the charging cable provided with the phone is very short.

The camera lens is on the back of the phone, as you'd expect, as is a speaker. Finally, the front of the phone has the ear speaker at the top and three soft touch keys at the bottom. These are specifically the back key on the left, the home key in the centre and the menu key on the right.

The Xperia Tipo sits alongside other Android smartphones in the growing Xperia range, including the Sony Xperia Go, Sony Xperia T, Sony Xperia J and Sony Xperia V.

Source : http://www.techradar.com/reviews/phones/mobile-phones/sony-xperia-tipo-1088798/review

Read More