iPhone 6 to pack a 12-megapixel camera?

 

The Apple iPhone 6, the iPhone 5S. Whatever Apple plans to call it, you can bet a next-gen model is coming, and we’re starting to hear whispers of what we can expect to find inside it. According to a new report, it’s packing camera tech to take on the likes of HTC and Nokia, including a 12-megapixel camera with added low-light super powers. Fancy that in your next iOS blower?

A source at Wonderful Saigon Electrics, the Vietnamese branch of a Japanese company that supplies cameras for the iPhone, has revealed to the leak gurus at Tinhte.vn that the next-gen iPhone will come packing an improved camera, upping the eight-megapixel sensor inside the iPhone 5 to a whopping 12-megapixels.

If the source is right, you can expect a few other added imaging features too, such as improvement in low-light performance and HDR video recording, a feature that’s making its way to some of the higher end Android phones and greatly improves performance in shots of extreme brights and blacks.

The Vietnamese site has been bang on the money before: it posted a hands-on video of Apple’s new Earpods before they came out, and correctly predicted that the iPhone 5 would have an 8-megapixel camera too. Of course, it’s worth taking the rumour with a pinch of salt until Apple unveils the next iPhone, but we’ll keep you updated on all the news along the way.

Are you wanting an improved camera in your next iPhone or do you think its current camera is good enough? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

Gadgets of 2013: the future is upon us

 

Models parade in Google Glass augmented reality eyewear at a New York fashion show. Photograph: Edward Le Poulin/Corbis

iPhone 5S

As per usual, it is expected that Apple will release an "S" update before moving up an integer.

Possible features? Respected tech industry analyst Peter Misek is predicting it will come with a new "super HD camera/screen, a better battery and NFC [near field communication - used in such things as contactless payment systems]". He also claims that, like the Nano, the phone will be available in six to eight colours.

When can I buy one? Misek suggests that Apple will be speeding up its cycle of launches, so we should expect it in June.

Apple iTV

There has been speculation for some years that Apple would make a land grab for the TV market. Apple CEO Tim Cook recently remarked that turning on a TV is like going "backwards in time by 20 or 30 years". That is, like the music and phone industry previously, it's in need of an Apple update.

Possible features? Cult of Mac reported that the TV would feature both Siri and iSight to enable voice and face recognition – iPhones and iPads could also be used to control it.

When can I buy one? Gene Munster (industry analyst) has predicted that the Apple iTV will be launched in October 2013: "It should cost $1,500-$2,000 and come in sizes from 42 inches to 55 inches." It is likely a UK version would only be released when licensing deals with British TV channels are finalised.

Xbox 720

Microsoft's long-awaited follow-up to the Xbox 360, rumoured to be called the Infinity.

Possible features? Like the Kinect, the console will use motion detection technology and T3 recently revealed that Microsoft had filed a patent concerning projecting augmented reality 3D images on walls, which would require you to wear Wi-Fi-enabled 3D glasses. May also include a Blu-ray drive.

When can I buy one? A Microsoft executive did talk about a "new Xbox" but this statement was quickly withdrawn by the company; however, the company has placed job ads which mention the new console. A Bloomberg report says the XBox 720 is likely to be available from autumn 2013.

 

Amazon phone

The internet giant is said to be adding a phone to its range of Kindle readers.

Possible features? Don't expect any revolutionary hardware, but the software will allow seamless integration between Amazon's Appstore, Amazon MP3, Amazon Cloud Player and Kindle books. In short, it will be more of an multipurpose Amazon revenue-generating device than a phone. As PC Magazine has suggested, it's likely to be cheap. This is because Amazon is expected to subsidise the cost of the handset and the monthly price plan using the revenue from the vast amount of Amazon media, electronics and whatnot you are inevitably going to purchase with it. It is also likely to come pre-loaded with a bar code scanner, which will point out how much cheaper everything is on Amazon. Yes, it does sound pretty Faustian.

When can I buy one? Your pact could start in mid-2013.

Augmented reality glasses

Google and a company called Vuzix are lining up futuristic specs for people who can't bear not to be connected.

Possible features? More of a headset than a pair of spectacles, the Vuzix projects a small colour image in front of your eye, runs the Android operating system and connects via Bluetooth to your phone. The screen could show you text messages, emails or map directions.

What this device's killer app will turn out to be is anyone's guess. It could, for instance, use face recognition to remind you of fellow partygoers' names, their CVs and their latest Facebook status updates and tweets – never be stuck for small talk again! A scary Charlie Brooker-scripted future is heading our way, basically.

When can I buy one? Summer 2013 for under $500. Google Glass isn't expected until 2014.

Nest

A "learning thermostat" designed by two former Apple employees, it has already been described as the "iPhone of thermostats" by Wired.

Possible features? Via Wi-Fi, it connects with your smartphone, allowing you to control your heating whether you're at home or not. Over time it learns your schedule and designs a heating or air-conditioning programme around it. It can detect when you're not at home. And it looks pretty: it glows orange for heating, blue for cooling.

When can I buy one? They're already available in the US for $250 – the manufacturer claims you will claw that back in utility bill savings in two years

www.tell-me-first.com

Six ways Jony Ive can make iPhone 6 the ultimate phone

 

Six ways Jony Ive can make iPhone 6 the ultimate phone

Make no mistake, the iPhone 5 is the best Apple handset yet. But it’s far from perfect.

The good news is that due to a shakeup over at Apple HQ, design supremo Jony Ive is now in charge of all of the company’s “human interface”, which means – yes – hardware and software. But how can Ive make sure the company’s next blower is king of the mobile jungle?

Here are six ways we think he could make it happen.

1 Icons that come alive

Apple’s interface still looks as good as ever in screenshots, but when you get the device in your hand, it seems a little dated. Especially after seeing Microsoft’s Windows Phone 8 or RIM’s BB10 in action. Both of these feature icons that update live right in front of you, bringing the home screen alive and giving you info without you having to open the app. Which is a great timesaver. Come on Apple, make it so.

2 More forward-looking design

When it comes to software, Apple’s design philosophy is known as ‘skeuomorphic’ – that means its programs take on an old-fashioned look, with retro-style dials and plenty of leather and brass. It’s meant to make technophobes more comfortable using the device, and not alienate them by looking too ‘techy’. Which is all well and good. But it’s getting a little long in the tooth nowadays and could do with a refresh. The iPhone was aimed at people who were turned off by how complicated other smartphones were, but now the smartie is no longer a niche product, it’s time Apple binned the look and chose a new direction.

3 Sort out the maps

Let’s be honest: Apple Maps was a disaster. Apple gave Google Maps the boot in favour of its own mapping app in iOS 6, and the reaction was so severe that CEO Tim Cook posted an apology to customers, suggesting alternatives. Many think this marked a turning point for Apple, that it was now so big it’d rather pursue its vendetta with Google even if customers suffered. Apple needs to sort out Apple Maps sharpish. There’s no shortage of competing mapping apps on iOS, after all.

4 Wireless charging

Nokia is looking to the future with its Lumia 920, offering a wireless charger. All you have to do is plonk your handset on it, and it’ll juice it up; no fiddling with annoying connectors required. Apple, however, went the other route with the iPhone 5, introducing a new Lightning connection that renders old accessories and chargers redundant without an adapter. Apple, it’s these kinds of decisions that turn people off.

5 NFC

Apple has so far chosen not to add Near Field Communications (NFC) to the iPhone. NFC lets you pay for items using your handset, share files with other devices, and read tags set up on posters to unlock other related content. Instead, Apple has stuck with its own technology, using its Passbook app to let you call up a boarding pass, discount voucher, or loyalty card. But it’s a lot more limited than NFC, which everyone else has adopted.

6 Bigger screen

The iPhone 5’s 4-inch screen is a step-up from the 4S’s 3.5-incher, but it’s still tiny compared to the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S3, with its 4.8-inches. (Watch a YouTube video on both side-by-side in landscape mode to really see the difference.) The trend is for bigger blowers too, with the Galaxy Note 2 at a mammoth 5.5-inches, and the 5-inch HTC Deluxe rumoured to be hitting UK shores soon. If the iPhone 6 isn’t larger than 4-inches, it’s going to look pretty puny compared to the big boys.