The iOS phablet? Larger iPhones on the way in August!

 

We love the iPhone 5s, but with a relatively tiny 4-inch screen it feels like a bit of a relic in comparisons to phones like the HTC One (M8) and Samsung Galaxy S5, let alone the current crop of phablets. The iPhone 6 needs to be bigger then, and if reports are to be believe, it looks like it could well be, with a 4.7-inch model launching in August, with an even bigger version on the way in September.

There’s still plenty of scope for smaller smartphones – the launch of lots of ‘mini’ handsets such as the Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini confirms that – but it’d be great to see a bigger screen on the next-gen iPhone, making it better suited to videos and catching up with The Gadget Show.

And according to a report in Reuters and the Taiwanese Economic Daily News, we could be seeing a couple of new, larger iPhones later this year.

The first Apple iPhone 6 looks like hitting the shops in August – a few months earlier than previous years – with the 4.7-inch screen putting it more on par with rivals when it comes to display real estate. News of a gigantic 5.5 or 6-inch version hitting the shelves in September – in keeping with timing of the launch of the last new model – is even more exciting though, and we can’t wait to see an iOS phablet go toe to toe with the likes of Samsung’s Galaxy Note 3 and the Lumia 1520.

With 80 million iPhone 6 handsets reportedly in the making, this is definitely the biggest shakeup we’ve seen for the iPhone since the introduction of the iPhone 3G, with Apple needing to come up with something significant if it wants to stay on top.

Having bigger screens will definitely make a difference, but we’ll have to wait and see if Cupertino can nail the other specs. DSLR lenses for photography could certainly help it though!

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Android 4.2 updates, the PlayStation 4, Xbox Surface and much more

 

It’s been another epic week in gadgetry and gaming, and we wouldn’t blame you for struggling to keep up with it all. It’s just as well we’re here to do that for you: read on for our round-up of all the hottest stories of the week, here in the Gadget Digest.

Souped up smartphones

It’s been a busy week in all things Android. Google’s new version of its smartphone operating system, 4.2, is barely a week old, but it appears it’s already heading to the Samsung Galaxy S3 super phone. Not to be outdone, we started seeing the first signs that HTC’s incredible full HD phone, the HTC J Butterfly, is making the leap from Japan to the West.

Next-gen consoles

Microsoft’s got a new Xbox on the way, but it’s not what you think. It’s actually a tablet, according to sources, and it’ll run touchscreen games much like an iPad – but as we revealed in our feature, Microsoft’s no stranger to this form of handheld gaming. Meanwhile, we pulled together our wishlist of must-have features inside the Sony PS4: is there anything else you’d like to see?

Smart TV

Over on the smart TV front meanwhile, Google turned up the heat on Apple TV a little with the addition of movie and TV streaming on Google TV boxes in the UK. Virgin meanwhile took on its arch-rival Sky by releasing its TV Anywhere service for laptops, computers and iPhone and iPad. But as we found out, it has a few catches.

Games galore

While all the big tech for Christmas has already been announced, things are only just getting started on the gaming side of things. On mobile, Angry Birds Star Wars touched down and we checked out the bizarre Curiosity cube, which holds a life-changing prize for someone within. Over in console land, we also took a gander at Need For Speed: Most Wanted, and set loose our full review of Halo 4. Has it been worth the wait?

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BlackBerry 10 smartphones delayed till 2013, is it game over?

 

Earlier this week RIM confirmed that the first BlackBerry 10 device will swap the keyboard for a touchscreen. Now the company has announced we won’t be seeing the new BlackBerry handsets until early 2013. The news comes amid growing troubles for the company. It sounds like BlackBerry fans will have to be very patient. But will 2013 be too late for the new handsets? More this way. 



RIM had hoped to introduce the new and improved BlackBerry 10 interface and smartphones by the end of this year, but it seems even RIM underestimated how long development would take. The phones now won’t be arriving until 2013, Thorsten Heins, President and CEO of RIM confirmed.

“Our top priority going forward is the successful launch of our first BlackBerry 10 device, which we now anticipate will occur in the first quarter of calendar 2013,” he said (via Marketwatch).

Despite falling revenues, and job cuts, Heins promised that BlackBerry 10 is at the top of the company’s to do list. “The successful launch of the BlackBerry 10 platform and the delivery of high quality, full-featured BlackBerry 10 smartphones remain the Company’s number one priority.

“Over the past several weeks, RIM’s software development teams have made major progress in the development of key features for the BlackBerry 10 platform…”It’s just taken a little longer than expected.

“The integration of these features and the associated large volume of code into the platform has proven to be more time consuming than anticipated.” So 2013 it is.

“RIM’s development teams are relentlessly focussed on ensuring the quality and reliability of the platform and I will not compromise the product by delivering it before it is ready,” the CEO promised. “I am confident that the first BlackBerry 10 smartphones will provide a ground-breaking next generation smartphone user experience.”

That is at least some crumb of comfort for those awaiting the release of BlackBerry 10, but with its own troubles afflicting the company, RIM, and BlackBerry 10 will need to go some way to convincing fans of Google’s Android, Apple’s iOS and Microsoft’s Windows Phone to be tempted away, especially with the prospect of a new iPhone on the horizon. RIM is doing its hardest, but will 2013 could be too late.

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iPhone 5 to get NFC: will change the way we use smartphones

 

The iPhone 5 is likely to have NFC (Near Field Communication) technology built-in, letting its users use the smartphone as a digital wallet for paying for goods. NFC already exists in smartphones, such as the Samsung Galaxy S3 and Nokia 808 PureView, but with backing from Apple the technology could really take off.

Apple news site 9to5Mac claims to have pulled some information via an iPhone 5 prototype of sorts that suggests NFC will feature in the next iPhone.

The site has previously posted photos said to reveal the design of the next iPhone, with a taller screen, and a mini dock connector. The site also believes those models will use NFC, to possibly tie-in with Apple’s new PassBook app.

PassBook was recently revealed at Apple’s WWDC event. PassBook stores all iPhone owners tickets, passes, vouchers, loyalty cards and more in one place. PassBook will also display vouchers, that you can scan at various venues offering services and products to take advantage of the latest offers.

Apple developed PassBook with the ability to work without NFC. The app will be available as part of iOS 6, but it is thought that NFC will play a major role in the app going forward.

Jim Peters, CTO of communications specialist SITA claims it will have huge repercussions. on the way we all use our smartphones.

“Opinion is that Apple is going to incorporate NFC into Passbook,” he said. “There aren’t any transactions in it yet, but I think that’s how Apple is going to sneak up on the industry. They are going to get people used to using it and then all of a sudden they will allow credit cards to be used in there, on the next iPhone, which will include NFC.”

By the end of the year the majority of smartphones that you go and buy will have NFC on them. If in October the next iPhone comes out and it has NFC on it, it’s game over.”

In fact NFC can be available on any device. Barclaycard recently launched its PayTag scheme that sends NFC-enabled stickers to users to stick onto their smartphone, letting them pay for goods up the the value of £20.

Would you use Wallet services through NFC on your iPhone? Let us know your thoughts. After all, we could all be using NFC very soon.

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Nokia takes on Android with cheap as chips Windows Phones

 

Despite Nokia releasing its Nokia 808 PureView 41-megapixel cameraphone and going in a bold new direction by teaming up with Microsoft to release new Windows Phones, the company has been having a tough old time of late, announcing plans to cut 10,000 jobs. What to do? In an effort to close the gap at the top, Nokia plans to take on the might of Android by making Windows phones cheaper. But would you buy one? 



The bold plan was underlined by Nokia CEO Stephen Elop. He spoke of how Nokia plans to undercut Android phones to make Nokia’s Windows Phones are more attractive alternative to the abundance of cheap Android handsets already on sale.

LG to dump Windows Phone

“We are absolutely going to make Windows Phones cheaper than the Nokia Lumia 610,” Elop said at a conference call. “We need to compete with Android aggressively,” he said.

Elop went on to say that making waves at the lower end of the smartphone market is key to those plans, with hundreds of Android phones flooding the marketplace.

Nokia recently released the Nokia Lumia 610 – a budget Windows Phone as an entry-point into Nokia’s Windows Phone range. Elop confirmed that Nokia wants to go even cheaper. “We had plans already to go lower than the 610,” he confirmed. 



Whether the strategy pays off remains to be seen. The Windows Phone interface hasn’t captured everyone’s imagination. Electronics retailer LG last month announced plans to dump Windows Phone in favour of Android, citing poor global Windows Phone sales. Android could have too much for Nokia.

Meanwhile, and presumably at the other end of the scale, Nokia this week confirmed plans to bring its PureView camera technology to Windows Phones, but declined to mention whether the new PureView Windows Phones would feature the same 41-megapixel camera sensor. 



Would you purchase a Nokia Lumia Windows Phone with a 41-megapixel sensor, or a cheap Windows Phone in favour of an Android device? Let us know what you think about this Nokia and Windows Phone versus Android battle.

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Free mobile apps 'drain battery faster'

 

Free mobile apps which use third-party services to display advertising consume considerably more battery life, a new study suggests.

Researchers used a special tool to monitor energy use by several apps on Android and Windows Mobile handsets. Findings suggested that in one case 75% of an app's energy consumption was spent on powering advertisements. Report author Abhinav Pathak said app makers must take energy optimisation more seriously. Free applications typically have built-in advertisements so developers can make money without having to charge for the initial app download.

Mr Pathak said that developers should perhaps think twice when utilising third-party advertising and analytics services in their app.

 

“Start Quote

It seeps up the energy”

End Quote Chris McClelland App developer

The research, produced by at team at Purdue University in Indiana, USA, looked at popular apps such as Angry Birds and Facebook. Due to restrictions built into Apple's mobile operating system, the team was unable to run tests on the iPhone. In the case of Angry Birds, research suggested that only 20% of the total energy consumption was used to actually play the game itself. Of the rest, 45% is used finding out your location with which it can serve targeted advertising.

'3G tail'

The tests were carried out by running the app over a 3G connection. The results noted that many apps leave connections open for up to 10 seconds after downloading information. In Angry Birds, that brief period - described by researchers as a "3G tail" - accounted for over a quarter of the app's total energy consumption.

Chris McClelland, director of Belfast-based app developer Ecliptic Labs, said he was not surprised by the findings.

"Advertising needs to connect to the server and send information about location," he explained .

"That just takes up so much battery. It seeps up the energy."

He said such practices were largely unavoidable if users wanted to enjoy free, ad-supported games and applications.

However, he said developers should give more consideration to energy consumption when building in new features.

Samsung Galaxy S3 set to launch in April?

 

A launch date for the Samsung Galaxy S3 has so far been elusive, but it looks like we won’t have to wait too long for one of 2012’s hottest Android phones. Rumours are pinpointing an April release for the speedy Android 4.0. If any phone can topple the iPhone 4S’ popularity, it’s the Samsung Galaxy S3.

Those reports stem from gadget blog ZDNet Korea. The blog suggests that Samsung will release the Galaxy S3 next month in a campaign geared around the London 2012 olympic games. That means we don’t have too long to wait.

The launch is especially important because like its predecessor, the Samsung Galaxy S3 is expected to become the number one Android phone on the market, considered by many to be the only real alternative to the Apple iPhone 4S.

Samsung has yet to confirm the specs, but if previous leaks are anything to go by, the Galaxy S3 is an impressive beast. Reports are claiming the latest Android 4.0 operating system, a 1.5GHz quad-core processor, full HD 1080p shooting and a 4.8-inch display.

We had expected to see the Samsung Galaxy S3 at MWC 2012, but it was not to be. Instead Samsung launched the Samsung Galaxy Beam – a smartphone with a built-in projector that will be in stores this July.

It sounds amazing, but it’s the Samsung Galaxy that Android will really be looking forward to. We’ll bring you more on this year’s must-have Android phone as we hear it. Roll on April.

MWC 2012: Top 5 smartphones we love so far! by

 

MWC 2012: Top 5 smartphones we love so far!

The MWC 2012 mobile convention has brought us some cracking smartphone announcements and a first glimpse of the mobile tech we’ll soon be seeing in stores stores. There was so many great smartphones on show, that we couldn’t decide which excited us the most, so here are five of best.

From Asus to Nokia – we’ve picked out five smartphones from five different phone-makers, each offering something different. Take a look. You’re bound to find something you like.

Nokia 808 PureView

The Nokia 808 PureView is by far the most advanced camera phone we’ve ever seen, outgunning its own Nokia N8 as the company’s best camera phone. It uses Nokia’s own PureView technology to produce stunning photos filled with detail even when zoomed in. The Nokia 808 PureView also shoots full HD video with “CD-quality” sound.

Huawei Ascend D quad

Huawei claims that the Ascend D quad is the “world’s fastest” smartphone. It’s able to produce such blistering feats thanks to Huawei’s own K3V2 processor that runs at at 1.5GHz. The Huawei Ascend D quad can also boast a 4.5-inch display, the latest Android 4.0 operating system and some clever graphics processors. Games will look great on this thing. An 8 megapixel camera with full HD recording and Dolby audio technology round-up just a few of the reasons we love already love the Huawei Ascend D quad. Its name is not one of them.

HTC One X

The HTC One X takes our own title as one of the most gorgeous phones of MWC 2012. Underneath the polycarbonate chassis it’s even more impressive. At launch it will have the latest Android 4.0 operating system, a 4.7-inch screen with a Super LCD 2 display, 1.5GHz Tegra 3 processor and 32GB of storage. We’re also talking an 8-megapixel camera with full HD video shooting, and HD video chats.

Sony Xperia U

The Sony’s Xperia may not be the most powerful phone around, but we love the look of this midrange device that’ll soon be available in a range of colours. The Xperia U features a 3.5-inch display, 5-megapixel camera and recordS HD video. It may not come shipped with the latest Android operating system, but that update will come later this year.

Asus Padfone


There’s a lot more to the Asus Padfone than meets the eye. Sure, it’s a trendy looking bit of kit with a 4.3-inch Super AMOLED qHD display, dual core processor, 8-megapixel camera and up to 64GB of memory – but did you know that it can take on the form of a 10.1-inch tablet. It does this by docking into one of the many tablet attachments that you can purchase separately. Some even have a keyboard – letting you transform the Asus Padfone into a laptop.

Five for the weekend: Nokia Lumia 610, Playstation on HTC phones, Assassin’s Creed 3, More BlackBerry and Windows Phone leaks, and more

As another five days of gadget goodness comes to an end, it’s time to round up some of the stories that got us most excited. It’s been an exceptionally good week for leaks, smartphone fans and gamers. Missed any of it? Fear not. Read on to catch up, in our latest five for the weekend news roundup.


You read that right. Ubisoft this week confirmed that Assassin’s Creed 3 is a real thing, and that it’ll be launching on October 30th, also putting it in line to become a Nintendo Wii U launch title.


BlackBerry phones are set for a major overhaul. In every way. Photos showing how leaked earlier this week, revealing a radically different BlackBerry 10 interface. If you’re a Blackberry fan of any sort, you need to see this.


Rumours this week suggested that Sony is about to allow PlayStation games to appear on HTC smartphones and tablets in an attempt to widen the reach of the PlayStation brand. But who cares about branding – that’s great news for gamers and HTC gadget owners.


The likes of Spotify and Napster could have a new rival on its hands. Word has got out that HTC and Beats Audio are hatching a plan to develop its own music streaming service set for an unveiling later this month.


The Nokia Lumia smartphone range is one of the most gorgeous we’ve ever laid eyes on. Now there are rumours of a budget model called the Nokia Lumia 610, which will apparently be unveiled later this month, hopefully giving many more the chance to own a piece of beautiful design.

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Nokia Lumia 910 to arrive in May with a 12-megapixel camera

 

The Nokia Lumia 900 arrives in the UK this June. As if Nokia fans did not have enough to look forward to, there is now talk of a new model called the Nokia Lumia 910, sporting an even better 12-megapixel camera
.
The Nokia Lumia 910 would be a new model, that has not yet been announced by Nokia. However, a well-known source believes the new model is real, and that it will also be launching this June.

Eldar Murtazin has popped up again and again, often proving a thorn in Nokia’s side and getting hold of information and pre-production models before they’re officially released. He predicted Nokia’s tie-in with Windows Phone ahead of the official announcement, and now Murtazin has suggested on his Twitter page that the mysterious new Nokia Lumia 910 may launch ahead of the Nokia Lumia 900.
“Who needs Lumia 900 in june if they want to launch Lumia 910 (12mpx) in may? Europe.” Murtazin tweeted.

Murtazin says little else of the rumoured Nokia Lumia 910, or whether the supposedly newer model will upgrade on the rest of the Nokia Lumia 900’s features, but past predictions have turned out to be true. Watch this space.

Earlier this high-street retailer Carphone Warehouse listed the Nokia Lumia 900 for a June 2012 release. Pricing details are yet to be revealed

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Top 5 smartphone launches we're excited about

Is the smartphone in your hand starting to look a little dated, a little slow and frankly a little 2011? Well, there are some pretty amazing smartphones set to launch and here we take a look in the crystal ball and predict when we’ll see them on the high-street.

If 2011 was all about the battle between Android versus Apple (expect to see a repeat some time this year as the Apple iPhone 5 rumours kick start again), 2012 is all about size as three of our favourite smartphones for 2012 all turn up sporting an over-sized jacket. Check out our top 5 smartphone launches for 2012 we’re excited about.

LG Prada 3.0
The LG Prada Phone 3.0 itself has a 4.3-inch display, 1GHz dual-coreprocessor, 1GB of RAM and 8GB of internal storage for photos, videos, apps and more. An 8-megapixel rear camera for photos and 1.3-megapixel camera for video calls, and the aforementioned Android operating system round up the features. Delayed from December, expect the Prada 3.0 to hit in February.


BlackBerry Bold 9790
The BlackBerry Bold 9790 will feature the latest BlackBerry 7 operating system, and have a 1GHz processor, which should make for a fast, yet smooth performance. You’ll be able to make the most of the high-resolution 2.45-inch touchscreen display with BlackBerry’s optical trackpad and QWERTY keyboard. Expected to hit in April


Sony Xperia S
The Sony Xperia S looks like it will be one of the must-have devices of 2012. Rocking up with a 4.3-inch screen, something we’ll see a lot of this year, you’ll also feel all David Bailey with its huge 12.1MP camera that gives perfect photos, while the 1.5GHz dual-core processor means this Android smartphone is as fast as it is lean. No official launch date yet but we’re thinking March would be a good launch time.


Nokia Lumia 900
Nokia is making a great deal of noise with its Windows Phone range and while the Nokia Lumia 900 has only been announced for the US to-date, we’re pretty sure the Finns will be bringing it to the UK too. This 4.3-inch monster has the looks and style of the smaller Lumia 800, but you’ll find a front-facing camera and all the extras we’ve come to expect from Nokia, such as great maps, music and camera. Pundits have put this down as a June launch for the big Windows Phone.

What we want to see in the Apple iPhone 5



As the year comes to an end it’s time to get excited about what’s in store for gadget fans in 2012. One of 2012‘s most-anticipated gadgets is the rumoured Apple iPhone 5 – the potential successor to the iPhone 4S. Read on to find out more.

The Apple 4S will take a lot of topping, but it can be done. Here’s a selection of the features we want to see in the Apple iPhone 5.

A new form factor with a stronger buildThere’s no doubting that the iPhone 4S is a gorgeous bit of kit, but despite a more industrial design that has been in place since the iPhone 4 not a lot has changed. Apple has some of the best designers around, so it would be cracking to see an iPhone 5 that stands out from the crowd. It should also be tougher. Just one drop on a concrete floor is enough to make the glass case iPhone 4S shatter.

Faster processorThanks to the Apple A5 processor the iPhone 4S is one of the quickest smartphones around. However the next iPhone could be even nippier. Reports say that Apple has already begun work on a more powerful A6 quad-core processor, which we hope is ready by the time iPhone 5 rocks into town.

New ways to use SiriIt’s easy to be skeptical about Apple voice assistant Siri. After all, not everybody wants to speak to their phone. More dedicated Siri apps might help convince gadget fans of its worth, however. Just recently the clever Scribblenauts Remix game received an update letting players use their voice to play. We want to see more like this from Apple’s own apps to show us what Siri can really do.

SD card storageYou can get an iPhone 4S with up to 64GB of memory built-in. The addition of SD card support would up that further without the need to rely on Apple’s iCloud storage service for extra room. 


What else do you want to see in the Apple iPhone 5?

OnLive rolls out to Apple and Android phones and tablets

OnLive has announced some big news that could change mobile gaming forever. From today its cloud-based game service will be arriving on phones and tablets via iOS and Android apps letting gamers play console quality games on mobile devices.
From day one, users will be able to play titles such as Assassin’s Creed: Revelations, Batman: Arkham City and Rockstar Games’ L.A. Noire on tablets and phones.
The apps join the PC and Mac versions available by signing up online, and the OnLive MicroConsole in providing full access to over 200 games and demos of console games from some of gaming’s biggest publishers including Rockstar Games and Ubisoft,


As a welcome gift, those downloading the OnLive app will receive a free copy of LEGO: Batman, which will be added to the users ‘My Games’ list within 24 hours of connecting to the OnLive service from the OnLive Android or iPad.
Games such as L.A. Noire will feature controls especially tailored for touchscreen. OnLive promises that nearly all of its 200 games will be playable with a new OnLive wireless controller that will also work with tablets and smartphones.


The optional controller will sell for £39.99 in the UK. Current OnLive subscribers will receive 30% off. Whichever method gamers choose, the new service means that games previously unthinkable on mobile phones and tablets will soon be playable on tablets and phones.
“Today marks a major milestone: OnLive is now delivering the latest, console-class, top-tier games – literally to your fingertips, on mobile tablets and phones for instant on-demand play anywhere, anytime,” says Steve Perlman, OnLive Founder and CEO.
In the UK play will be mostly limited to wi-fi connections, though the service will run on 3G connections, but at a slower rate. U.S. customers will be able to run OnLive over faster mobile 4G LTE connections.
In the meantime, look out for the OnLive app, which should be hitting Android and Apple devices from sometime today. Will you be playing?

Gadget of the year 2011

 

Gadget of the year 2011

 

2011 has been a fantastic year when it comes to new gadgets, with some truly epic technology making an appearance for the first time. From the Samsung Galaxy S II, to the Apple iPhone 4S, we’ve been rounding up the very best toys for our Gadget of the Year 2011 poll. Read on to find out more.

We’ve seen thousands of great announcements in the past 11 months, and it’s now time to vote on the best. We’ve gathered ten of the greatest devices from the past year – check out all the videos below, and vote to have your say in the Gadget of the Year 2011.

Nintendo 3DS With 3D technology making a bigger splash than any other year, Nintendo chose 2011 to launch its new Nintendo 3DS games console. With the ability to play games in 3D, it’s a great bit of kit.

OnLive With OnLive, there’s no need to own a gaming console, no need to spend money on a gaming PC, and you’ll be able to play some fantastic new titles online, via your TV, at great prices.

Apple iPhone 4S The Apple iPhone 4S may be evolution rather than revolution, but it boasts some great new features. We’re particularly fond of Siri, and it really is the more comprehensive and easy to use voice recognition software yet.

Virgin Media TiVo Finally, a TV on demand service that can take on the might of Sky+. Sure, it doesn’t offer quite the same choice when it comes to live TV, but the electronic programming guide is more comprehensive, you can record an extra channel simultaneously, and it has a better choice of programmes to watch on demand.

Sony HDR-TD10E With 3D TVs now making a widespread appearance on the market, the Sony HDR-TD10E lets you take full advantage, with this tiny camera recording high-definition video in 3D.

Samsung Galaxy S II The Samsung Galaxy S II is one of the first smartphones to truly compete with the Apple iPhone 4, and in many ways it’s the better handset. Can it win your vote for Gadget of the Year 2011, however?

Apple iPad 2 Apple revolutionised the tablet market with the iPad, and the Apple iPad 2 has taken things a step further. Smaller, lighter, faster, it’s still the best all-round tablet on the market, although devices like the Asus EeePad Transformer come close.

Samsung 8000 Series 3D TV Samsung offers a fantastic range of high-definition TVs, and the Samsung 8000 series is no exception. This stylish choice offers both high-definition and 3D, so it will still be up to date for years to come.

Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin Air The Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin has become an iconic gadget over the past couple of years, with the latest version – the Bowers & Wilkins Zeppelin Air – offering an additional handy feature – the ability to stream music from your iPhone without needing to dock it.

Nike+ Sports Watch powered by TomTom Work off any Christmas excess with the Nike+ Sports Watch, which uses TomTom technology to work out exactly what you’re up to and how many calories you’re burning. Check out the video to find out more.

BlackBerry Bold 9790 and BlackBerry Curve 9380 coming soon

 

BlackBerry Bold 9790 and BlackBerry Curve 9380 coming soon

 

BlackBerry phone maker RIM has just revealed two new BlackBerry OS 7 handsets that are set to arrive in the coming weeks – The BlackBerry Bold 9790 and the BlackBerry Curve 9380, which is the first in the Curve range to receive the full touchscreen treatment.

Starting with the BlackBerry Bold 9790 – it features the classic Bold-like styling BlackBerry fans have become familiar with. Features include a high resolution screen that RIM claims is ‘highly responsive’. The trusty keyboard is also there, and an optical trackpad provides its means of navigating the menus.

The BlackBerry Bold 9790 will feature the latest BlackBerry 7 operating system, and have a 1GHz processor, which should make for a fast, yet smooth performance when running applications and browsing websites such as The Gadget Show Online.

 

On board, owners will find 8GB of memory, and an expandable memory card slot to support up to 32 GB of extra storage.

The second of RIM’s announcements is the BlackBerry Curve 9380. It’s the first in the BlackBerry Curve family to go all-touchscreen. 



 

Among the features are a 3.2-inch high-resolution display and a wealth of pre-installed social networking apps including BlackBerry Messenger, Facebook and Twitter and a 5-megapixel camera with flash.

Like the BlackBerry Bold 9790, the Curve 9380 will use the BlackBerry 7 OS. Both will also include built-in support for Augmented Reality and the exciting Near Field Communication (NFC) technology, which lets users scan physical objects such as movie posters to grab the latest film trailers.

The BlackBerry Bold 9790 and BlackBerry Curve 9380 will be available on a variety of networks over the next few weeks. Will you be going for either?

Nokia Champagne to put Nokia back on the map?

 

Nokia Champagne to put Nokia back on the map?

 

Out of all the smartphones we’ve seen in the past year, the Nokia Lumia 800 has been one of the most exciting, and it looks like the Finnish company hasn’t finished yet. There could be another impressive range-topping handset in the offing in the form of the Nokia Champagne – a smartphone that runs the next-generation Windows Phone Tango. Read on to find out more.

The Nokia Champagne has been leaked as being the next Nokia to run Windows Phone, following in the footsteps of the Nokia Lumia 800 and the Nokia Lumia 710. Both these handsets are deeply impressive, but it looks like the Nokia Champagne could be even better.

According to Slashgear, the Nokia Champagne will run Windows Phone Tango – the next iteration of Windows Phone. Will this finally be the version that firmly betters iOS and Android in every department?

Sadly, nothing else is known about the hardware for the Nokia Champagne – but if the image of a smartphone spotted at a Nokia exhibition at the Design Music turns out to be the Champagne, it looks like a stunner!

Would you hold off on buying the Nokia Lumia 800 for the Nokia Champagne? Do you think this will be the smartphone to put Nokia back on the map? Leave a comment and let us know!

HTC Edge: Four fab reasons to get excited!

 

HTC Edge: Four fab reasons to get excited!

 

In just three months, the Mobile World Congress mobile phone show kicks off in Barcelona. One of the announcements is expected to be the HTC Edge – the first smartphone to launch with a quad-core processor. The HTC Edge is already sounding very special indeed. Here are a four fab reasons to get excited about it.

The quickest smartphone yet! Reports have suggested that the HTC Edge will arrive in stores in early 2012. When it does it will be the quickest smartphone around, and the first to equip a quad-core processor with a 1.5GHz Tegra 3 chip. The HTC Edge is going to be seriously fast, making light work of anything you can throw at it.

Ship with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich The HTC Edge will reportedly ship with the latest Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich as standard, matching the high-end Samsung Galaxy Nexus and also competing with iOS and the Apple iPhone 4S, and the next brace of Mango Windows Phone handsets, such as the Nokia Lumia 800.

Super specs On top of its quad-core processor the HTC Edge will have a large 4.7-inch HD display, 1GB of RAM and an 8-megapixel camera with LED flash, and able to shoot 720p high definition video. What’s not to like?

The best mobile phone for games? Of course, the Apple iPhone 4S might have something to say about that, but there’s no denying that the HTC Edge will be more than equipped to at least match the iPhone 4S at its own game. The iPhone 4S is already enjoying exclusive game deals such as the announcement of Grand Theft Auto III exclusively for iOS devices, so we could see some better games announced for the HTC Edge, too.

Motorola Motokey Social is Facebook friendly

 

Motorola Motokey Social is Facebook friendly

 

Gadget companies just can’t get enough of Facebook. Motorola is the latest. The new Motorola Motokey Social smartphone is built for the social networking addict, and even comes with its own dedicated Facebook button.

The Motorola Motokey Social sounds like the dial tonic for those in need of an urgent Facebook fix. Tapping the button on the large QWERTY keypad takes users right into the heart of their account to view all those notifications and private messages.

Specs-wise, the Motorola Motokey Social is more on the entry-level side of things. The screen is a 2.4-inch QVGA display. Its keyboard is a full-on QWERTY affair – great for those that love to send text and email.

Facebook phone fanciers will also find a 3-megapixel camera around the back. Pricing and availability have yet to be revealed.

Phones with flexible screens coming 2012

 

Phones with flexible screens coming 2012

 

Starting in 2012, the shape of mobile phones could be about to change forever. From next year Samsung hopes to produce mobile phones with flexible displays. It might sound like fantasy, but flexible displays are closer than one might imagine.

The exciting, yet ambitious plans to being flexible mobile phone displays to the world were revealed by Samsung spokesman Robert Yi, who expects the production of flexible-screened gadgets to start with handsets. 

”The flexible display, we are looking to introduce sometime in 2012, hopefully the earlier part,” Yi said during a recent earnings call. 



Samsung is reported to be working on flexible screens for other gadgets such as portable tablet computers, with mobile phones the first to get the flexible treatment. Flexible displays may sound far off, however Samsung is not the only company eager to stretch phone screen technology to the limits.

Nokia is also developing phone-bending tech. the recent Nokia World 2011 expo saw Nokia show off a working prototype of its Kinetic display, inspired by nanotechnology that enables screens to stretch and flex. 



Users will control the Kinetic devices not by tapping a touchscreen, but by bending and twisting the device to adjust volume, zoom in and do plenty more. Nokia hopes that its own Kinetic displays will reach the market in around two years.

Would you hold out to buy a phone with a flexible screen after your current phone contract is up? Let us know in the comments section below.

Apple iPhone 4S battery issues - is your iPhone affected?

 

Apple iPhone 4S battery issues - is your iPhone affected?

 

The Apple iPhone 4S may not be the revolution we were hoping for, but it’s still one of the best smartphones currently on the market. That said, some handsets do appear to be suffering from a big problem – battery life – with users making countless complaints. Join us after the cut to find out more.

The Apple iPhone 4S is a fantastic smartphone. The screen is excellent, the camera is impressive and it’s more than fast enough for any task.

This all comes at a price, however, with loads of users complaining of woefully short battery lives. Thankfully, it doesn’t appear to be a hardware issue, with iPhone 4 owners who’ve made the upgrade to iOS 5 also complaining of poor battery life.

Over the past week or two, users have been complaining that when fully charged, they’ve been unable to get a working day of use from their iPhones, rendering the handset pretty useless if there’s nowhere to recharge during the day.

If left without a fix, the issue would get even worse during the next year, as batteries will inevitably degrade when being charged two or three times a day, every day.

Complaints have also been made about handsets that get painfully hot during use.

We’re hopeful that a firmware update will do the trick, helping users with both the Apple iPhone 4S and the Apple iPhone 4. As it stands, Apple has responded by replacing some handsets at Apple Stores, although this seems a bit extreme.

We’d also like to point out that millions of iPhone 4S users have been unaffected by the problems.