Windows Phone 8X vs. Galaxy S3 vs. iPhone 5: spec showdown

The biggest representatives of every operating system go head-to-head-.to head. The iPhone 5, Samsung Galaxy S3, and HTC Windows Phone 8X square off in a Spec Showdown. Which phone best meets your needs? Take a look at our comparison and make your call.

Since Apple makes its own products, it’s latest product is the default market leader for iOS. For Android and Windows Phone handsets, however, the field is wide open. The market defines the front runners with their wallets, and there’s the media darlings that manage to snag the hearts of reviewers. The Samsung Galaxy S3 has become Android’s model phone, in part because of an aggressive and enjoyable ad campaign, and because it’s just a darn good handset. With Windows Phone 8 just becoming available, we can’t be certain what the mobile operating system’s chief representative will be. What we can say with confidence, though, is that HTC’s Windows Phone 8X can make quite a case for itself. How do these three heavyweights of the handset world stack up against one another? Take a look at the stat sheet and draw your own conclusions.

Read our full reviews for the iPhone 5, Samsung Galaxy S3, and HTC Windows Phone 8X for our extended take on each option. 

	iPhone 5	Galaxy S3	Windows Phone 8X
Size	123.8 x 58.6 x 7.6 (mm)	136.6 x 70.6 x 8.6 (mm)	132.3 x 66.2 x 10.1 (mm)
Weight	112g	133g	130g
Screen	4.0-inch LCD	4.8-inch Super AMOLED	4.3-inch Super LCD 2
Resolution	1136×640 pixels	1280×720 pixels	1280×720 pixels
OS	iOS 6.0.1	Android 4.0 with TouchWiz UI	Windows Phone 8
Storage	16/32/64GB	16/32GB	16GB
SD Card Slot	No	Yes	No
Processor	Dual-core A6X	Dual-core Snapdragon S4 (US)	Dual-core Snapdragon S4
RAM	1GB	2GB	1GB
Connectivity	Wi-Fi, 4G LTE, HSPA+	Wi-Fi, 4G LTE, HSPA+	Wi-Fi, 4G LTE, HSPA+
Camera	Front 1.2MP, Rear 8MP	Front 1.9MP, Rear 8MP	Front 2MP, Rear 8MP
Bluetooth	Yes, version 4.0	Yes, version 4.0	Yes, version 3.1
Battery	1440mAh	2100mAh	1800mAh
Charger	Lightning connector	Micro USB	Micro USB
Marketplace	Apple App Store	Google Play Store	Windows Phone Store
Price	$200+	$200+	$100+
Availability	AT&T, Sprint, Verizon	AT&T, Sprint, T-Mob, Verizon	AT&T, T-Mob, Verizon

What it means: You can sit and compare the processing power and pixel-per-inch count on each device and come to a conclusion about which phone is most technically sound. That said, the biggest and most glaring difference between these three handsets is in one category: the operating system. Apple’s iOS is streamlined and smooth, like everything Apple; Google’s Android OS is in a seemingly constant state of upgrade, but rarely are the changes met with complaints; Windows Phone 8 brings the complete implementation of Live Tiles, and we’ve already started to see that Microsoft may be on to something. The deciding factor may come down to your other devices and computer. If you own a Mac, sticking with the Apple theme may be best for the purposes of continuity. PC users that sprung for Windows 8 should consider snagging the Windows Phone 8X to get the full functionality of the OS. Android devices can work with Mac, Windows, or even Linux, and the NFC features like S Beam make the Galaxy S3 appealing if your friends of co-workers also own the device. Luckily, if you are making your choice from this group, it’s hard to pick wrong.

(Specs by Jeffrey Van Camp)

Source : http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/spec-showdown-windows-phone-8x-vs-galaxy-s3-vs-iphone-5/

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UK government also probing Huawei, says it currently has no security concerns

Following the House of Representatives damaging report, the UK has revealed it has also been examining Huawei amid security concerns.

The story following the House of Representatives report that Huawei and ZTE pose a security threat to US national security continues, as international governments examine their involvement with the Chinese companies and look for their own evidence of security risks.

In the UK, it has been revealed that a parliamentary committee has also been examining Huawei’s presence in the country for a while, as it’s a major supplier of network equipment to British Telecom, Vodafone, O2 and most other network providers, plus it’s responsible for much of the infrastructure behind EE’s 4G network.

Should any discrepancies be identified, the continued rollout of both fiber and 4G broadband could be slowed or halted. Both projects, and the relationship with Huawei, are well established, and disruption would be costly. The report is due to be published at the end of the year.

Quite apart from the network disruptions, there’s a political aspect at work too, as Prime Minister David Cameron had a meeting with Huawei’s CEO Ren Zhengfei last month, where a £1.3 billion deal was reached. One of the first stages is for Huawei to move its UK workforce into a new 140,000 square foot office building in April next year.

A Cabinet Office spokesperson, Derek Smith, has been talking to the UK press about the government’s view on both Huawei and ZTE ahead of the final report, which is notably different to that of the US House of Representatives.

Cyber Security Evaluation Centre

Smith told TechRadar.com that “the Cabinet Office is confident that there are no security concerns,” and “comparisons with the US don’t hold up with what we’re doing here. We have a very strict evaluation process for products from any country, not just China, coming into the UK.”

He then referred to Huawei’s Cyber Security Evaluation Centre, which opened in 2010, where hardware and software are tested to, according to Huawei “ensure its ability to withstand growing cyber security threats.” The closest the blurb gets to admitting the centre is more about checking Huawei’s equipment is the admission that it’s there to “build mutual trust in the area of cyber security.”

A 2011 report covering the center’s opening from notorious scare-mongers The Daily Mail is far less subtle, starting with the headline “New cyber attack fears over the Chinese ‘Red Army Lab’ being used for BT tests.” The piece goes on to quote numerous security experts who warn against using Huawei’s services, plus it reveals that Huawei has an identical copy of BT’s computers and telecoms system back in its Shenzhen head office, so it can evaluate new hardware. Thankfully, the system isn’t connected to the UK network.

For now, it seems Huawei’s operations in the UK are safe, but things will take a turn for the serious — not to mention politically embarrassing — should the forthcoming report not back up the Cabinet Office’s statements, as Huawei is already sitting at the table with its slippers on in the UK, instead of only knocking on the door in the US.

Source : http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/uk-government-examining-huawei-amid-security-concerns/

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