iPhone 5S rumour round-up

Apple will most likely release its next iPhone until around mid-year, but that isn’t stopping tech blogs and news sites from speculating about what we could expect in the next Apple Smartphone.

There are plenty of rumours on the web about the next iPhone, which many believe will be called the iPhone 5S. Most rumours online turn out to be nothing but wishful thinking, but a few do sometimes get it right.

Same design as iPhone 5

Since the iPhone 3G launched in 2008, Apple has continued a pattern of changing the design of its phone only every two years. On even years, the company puts out an iPhone with a different exterior while on odd years; it releases a phone that looks the same but features improved internal hardware and one or two new software features that are exclusive to the new model. Well, this, of course, is an odd year, and already, multiple reports have come out saying users should expect the iPhone 5S to feature the same design as its predecessor.

12-megapixel camera

One of the features Apple is likely to improve on its next version of the iphone is the camera. Every time Apple has released an “S” version of the iPhone, it has improved the quality of the camera, and this year, there’s extra pressure to do that as many rivals – including Samsung and Sony are coming out with phones that have as many as 13 megapixels in their camera sensors. The current iPhone 5 has just 8 megapixels.
Fingerprint scanner

The “S” in the iPhone 3GS stood for “speed”, the “S” in the iPhone 4S stood for “Siri”, so could the “S” in the iPhone 5S stand for “scan”? That’s the rumour, as many believe the Cupertino tech company will incorporate fingerprint scanning into the Home button of the next iPhone. If Apple incorporates this scanning technology into its next iPhone, it could market the device as being more secure than its rivals.

Wireless charging

Another rumour that has been reported about the iPhone 5S is that Apple will add wireless charging to it. This is a feature we have seen on other devices, including the Nokia Lumia 920. The rumour was reported by Digitimes, which has a spotty record when it comes to Apple products. The Apple news site reckons adding a wireless charger to the iPhone will require some design changes to the phone, which, don’t usually happen with “S” versions of the iPhone.

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Hands-on with the Xperia Z tablet

Since the beginning of the year Sony has already announced and released its range-topping Xperia Z smartphone, as well as introducing new members of the Xperia range that will slot in below that when they are released later in the year.

Similarly, Sony has also managed to deliver one of the world’s slimmest 10-inch tablets, which shares a name and several features with its smartphone counterpart. The LTE-capable device has a 10.1-inch 1900 x 1200 (WUXGA) pixels HD display that makes use of Sony’s Mobile Bravia Engine 2. Like its smartphone stable mate, the Xperia Z is also dust and water resistant.

Other key hardware specs of the tablet include a quad-core S4 Pro processor with 1.5GHz asynchronous CPUs and 2GB of RAM.

Interesting to see how Sony’s strategy pans out…. It’s been a good 18 months for Sony; the mother of all reboots; flooding the market with new handsets to try and regain traction from Samsung, and gain a foothold in the market.

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As more Smartphone manufacturers offer devices with large screens, Samsung is now pushing the limits with 2 New Smartphones sporting massive displays.

Samsung is reportedly designing 2 Smartphones with eye-popping displays of 5.8 inches and 6.5 inches, according to a report from Samsung

It is reported that the Galaxy Mega 6.3 will have a 6.3-in. PLS HD resolution display, an 8-megapixel back camera, a 2-megapixel front camera and a dual core processor clocked at 1.7 GHz. The Galaxy Mega will have 1.5 GB of RAM, Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi 80211 a/b/g/n and A-GPS are on the device too. Samsung will bring the Galaxy Mega 6.3 with a battery juice of 3200 mAh, the dimensions are 88×167.6×7.9mm, which is the same thickness as the Galaxy S4. The device will run on Android 4.1.2 or 4.2.2 and use Samsung’s own Nature UX interface.” Samsung will offer a version of the Galaxy Mega 6.3 (code-named GT-I9200 3G/GT-I9205 LTE) with 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) capability. The phone is reported to be available in black or white.

The Galaxy Mega 5.8 (code-named GT-I9152) will offer Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity, WiFi capability, an 8-megapixel back camera and a 2-megapixel front camera. The device will run on Android 4.1.2 /4.2.2 Jelly Bean with Samsung’s Nature UX interface, also known as TouchWiz, layered on top.

TouchWiz lets users choose how they use the device. All key features and services on the home screen can be moved and resized for the most appealing layout. For example, if the user is utilizing the camera a lot, he or she can move the camera icon from the applications menu to the home screen. The platform also provides an intuitive task manager to get straight to the most recently used programs.

The news of the latest large-screen smartphones from Samsung highlights the growing shift to big displays on thin smartphones. The Galaxy S4, which boasts a 5-inch display, is perceived as a direct competitor to Apple and its iPhone, which only offers a 4-inch screen.

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Reports from SamMobile suggets that the leaked image appears to be nothing special but a smaller version. The report also claims a few features from the miniature handset.

Screen: The Galaxy S4 Mini has been rumoured to come with a 4.3-inch Super AMOLED screen, resolution of course is smaller at 960 x 540 pixels and 256 ppi pixel density.

Processor: Being the miniature of Galaxy S4, the report suggests that the Galaxy S4 Mini will have a dual core 1.6GHz processor instead of an octa core or quad core chip.

Android Jelly Bean OS: One aspect that S4 Mini might borrow from Galaxy S4 is the OS as the report hints that the upcoming handset might run on Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean OS and come with TouchWIZ TW Nature UX 2.0.

Dual SIM Variant: As the demand for the dual SIM smartphones is on the rise and as Samsung itself has seen a huge success with the Galaxy Grand Duos, the speculation that Galaxy S4 Mini will be a dual SIM smartphone is not too surprising.

Release Date: It is also speculated that the smaller variant will be launched in June or July this year in order to give a tough competition to the Apple iPhone 5S, which is reportedly the cheaper variant of iPhone 5 also rumored to come at the same time.

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HP is hoping to solve that problem in the near future by offering glasses free smartphones and tablet devices. They recently published findings in the popular science journal, “Nature Today” that the technology they are creating will also be able to be used for data visualization, entertainment and medical training.

They are reporting that the 3-D effect will be very similar to what you see in the movie Star Wars when Princess Leia’s hologram is asking for Obi Wan Kenobi’s help according to the lead author.

Creating the 3D effect for mobile devices is very different than for large screen movies so don’t expect this technology to be coming to the theater any time soon.  With the smaller screen it is possible to use a ‘multiview’ technology which takes advantage of geometric optical tricks as well as small circular grooves which are etched into the surface of the device.  The result is a 3D hologram type image which can be seen properly from a wide viewing angle.

While the Nintendo 3DS claims to have a glasses-free 3D experience, you need to be looking at it from the perfect direction or it won’t have the desired effect.  HP believes they’ve got the right technology to help allow people to experience true 3D entertainment in the palm of their hands.

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Let’s take a look what is this iPhone 5s killer feature that everyone’s talking about. Huberty appeared to be suggesting some kind of software function that’s going to surprise people, which could be something new from the upcoming iOs 7 and of course, exclusively to iPhone 5s (just like Siri on the iPhone 4s).

Huberty said:

“I do believe that Apple is approaching a bottom. As you have heard, they are talking about returning more cash, and we think they will do that in coming weeks. But people don’t own Apple for that, they own Apple for innovation. You saw the Samsung Galaxy S4 come out last week, that shows you the innovation cards are up for grabs. What is lacking in that product [the S4] is a killer feature. We think that’s where Apple will surprise this year. This [iPhone] 5S cycle this year will be about a killer feature that drives consumers increasingly to the platform, and that increases the value of those 500 million accounts.”

New design with NFC and fingerprint access

On the hardware side, it’s a totally different story, many more possibilities have been speculated such as a complete new external design and material, possibly much thinner and going with the wave of bigger screens; NFC is also another feature mentioned everywhere online, along with a security feature where you can unlock your phone via your fingerprint, which isn’t new (already available on some HP laptops).

We are expecting some news around June to confirm this “killer feature” from Apple. In the mean time, please let us know your thoughts below…

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We have already posted 5 features that are expected from the Nexus 5. This recent leaked image is purportedly the LG model, codenamed “Megalodon”. Rumoured to feature a 5.2-inch (that’s massive!) OLED screen with 1080 resolution. Runs on a Snapdragon 800 2.3GHz processor, with 3GB of RAM (that’s the average RAM on a today’s PC).

The LG Nexus 5 also has been speculated with a 16MP OmniVision Camera, which will allow you to record 4K videos (although the screen itself can’t display in 4K?!), the front camera has 2.1MP, and a solid 3300mAh  lithium polymer battery.

We have also heard that Google could be teaming up with Nikon to bring a camera which could feature a “triple camera sensor thing”, something that has never been seen yet in a smartphone’s camera.

The leaked image itself suggests a game promotion, perhaps Google is planning to work with Ubisoft? Whatever the real deal might be, we will soon find out by May when Google will be expected to officially announce the LG Nexus 5. In the mean time, plenty more leaks and rumours to come.

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Calum MacDougall, Director of Xperia Marketing at Sony Mobile Communications said:

“Both of our new models benefit from Sony’s proven innovation and engineering expertise – whether you want to enjoy premium HD quality entertainment over 4G LTE on our mid-range Xperia SP or capture every moment in perfect detail with our more affordable Xperia L.”

Xperia SP

The Sony Xperia SP relies on the advanced BRAVIA® TV technology to feature the amazing 4.6-inch HD screen display for its rich and sharp pictures. A slightly lower spec comparing to their recent Xperia Z release, but still amazing with its 720p resolution, and a dual-core 1.7GHz Snapdragon processor. The hardware design is surrounded with a thin aluminum frame, available in white, black and red. We particularly love the flashing customisable light on the bottom edge which makes the smartphone a bit fancy!

Xperia SP features

•  Precision crafted co-moulded aluminium frame
•  Super-bright 4.6″ 720p HD Reality Display with Mobile BRAVIA® Engine 2
•  One-touch functions with NFC to display content on your TV or to share music and photos between devices
•  4G LTE for superfast entertainment and browsing
•  Unique “transparent element” can be personalised to change colour when notifying you of all your incoming messages and calls. Or simply set it to pulse to the beat of your music to stand out from the crowd.
•  8MP fast-capture camera with “Exmor RS for mobile”, HDR and Superior Auto for the best photos, even at night or against a strong backlight
•  Battery STAMINA Mode for optimum battery life
•  Available in white, red and black colour variations

Xperia L

As mentioned before, the Sony Xperia L concentrates on its camera, which has 8 megapixel, featuring the Exmor RS for mobile sensor technology and HDR (High Dynamic Range), giving you clear and sharp photos and videos. Sony also claims that the dedicated camera key can capture a photo with just over a second from standby mode.

Xperia L features

•  8 megapixel fast-capture camera takes sharp pictures in any light
•  Enjoy all your content on the generous 4.3″ FWVGA display
•  One-touch functions with NFC to display content on your TV or to share music and photos between devices
•  Fast performance with dual-core processor
•  Battery STAMINA Mode for optimum battery life
•  Available in white, red and black colour variations

Xperia L and Xperia SP release date

Both devices will be available worldwide from Q2 2013. Prices are not yet confirmed, but expected to be around £350.

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Reports suggests that the phone isn’t the expected  X Phone from Google (a rumoured phone). But the specifications aren’t bad either.

The Motorola Xt912A has a 4.65-inch HD screen, runs on a Qualcomm’s Snapdragon S4 Pro processor with 2GB of RAM. Battery is also pretty top notch at 2200mAh.

The material externally is made out of plastic, but fairly easy to hold. And appears to be extremely thin, and featuring a bit of a curved back, which implies a new design direction for Motorola’s smartphones.

We are not sure yet whether this is an actual finished model or just a testing handset for a much more improved finish when it’s released.

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After Samsung revealed their Galaxy S4 on Thursday competing phone makers are attempting to put out additional information about their upcoming phones to try to take the spotlight off of Samsung as quickly as possible.  Tech reporters were quickly distracted when the single promotional shot was leaked of this intriguing phone.

Most people believe that Sony leaked the photo intentionally as a marketing ploy, and why not, after all this type of marketing tactic has been very successful in the past.

Along with this leaked picture four UK retailers listed the Sony Xperia SP on their websites Thursday indicating they would be for sale March 19^th for about $589.  Despite all this activity, there is still no official word from Sony regarding the leaked photo or the official release date.

While the leaked photo doesn’t actually reveal anything new about the phone, it does bring it the attention Sony no doubt is looking for in this mid-range smartphone.  They originally announced its development at CES 2013 and it is supposed to be packing a 1.7 Ghz processor and Andreno’s 320 GPU.  The screen size is expected to come in at 4.5 inches which is somewhat larger than the previous Xperia phone.  Regardless of what the official specs are, this image gives us a new look at what will surely be a popular phone.

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