Mobile Devices - Page 183

According to the latest research from Strategy Analytics, global smartphone shipments grew by 44-percent annually, with a record 117 million units in Q3 2011. Samsung sped past Apple to claim top spot as the world's number one smartphone vendor. Samsung shipped 28 million smartphones and overtook Apple to become the world's largest smartphone vendor by volume with 24-percent market share.

Director at Strategy Analytics, Neil Mawston says:

Apple's iPhone 4S may have enjoyed a large start in sales, but those sales are useless if there are various issues with the handsets. Today brings the problem of battery life on the new iPhone 4S. A story on the Guardian reported that Apple engineers have begun contacting certain users who have complained of battery problems.

Apple have reportedly asked those used to install diagnostic programs onto their iPhone 4S' so that Apple can better diagnose what is causing the battery issues. Since the get go, the Internet has been ablaze with people complaining about the battery life. Even as far as reviews from such places like iLounge, which noted their biggest disappointment with the iPhone 4S was its battery performance.

Then we have TechCrunch which had an opinion piece titled "Dear Apple, Please Make My iPhone 4S Battery Life Suck Less", which they say after a full charge, the 4S dies within eight hours. They also claim that the iPhone 4S battery only lasted for around two-and-a-half hours of Internet usage, 30 minutes of talk time and five hours on standby before being totally drained. This is the same kind of issues that various people on the Apple support forums are reporting.

Own a tablet? Impressed with your single or dual-core speed? Well, ZiiLabs have shown off their JAGUAR3 reference Android-based tablet, which sports a 50-core processor. Inside the JAGUAR3 is a ZMS-20 system-on-a-chip (SoC), which sports two 1.5GHz ARM Cortex-A9 cores as well as an additional 48 StemCell processing cores, effectively bringing it up to a 50-core monster. There's not much technical details on the 48 StemCell cores, but ZiiLabs compares them to GPU cores and says they easily make ZMS-20 "the most powerful SoC available for tablets today."

Passed out on the ground in a puddle of your own drool? Well, get your stuff together, kid. If you thought 50-cores were great, ZiiLabs will also intro the ZMS-40 to OEMs next year which sports, get this, 100-cores. The ZMS-40 SoC features a quad-core ARM Cortex-A9 and 96 StemCell processors. This 100-core "4th-generation" chip is compatible with the Jaguar3, so OEMs will have no troubles upgrading the part as it becomes available.

ZiiLabs is not well know, but you may know the company who owns ZiiLabs. ZiiLabs is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Creative Technology Ltd. and with that, brings 25 years of experience with 3D graphics, GPU and SoC designs under its previous name, 3DLABS.

With little more than rumour to go off ever since we first heard about it many moons ago, Dell has finally confirmed the Latitude ST tablet's existence as well as a very close launch date - that being November 1st!

Dell says the Latitude ST is a business oriented product, running Windows 7 and being based on Intel's Oak Trail platform. The device also includes support for VMware and Citrix's virtualization solutions.

The unit weighs in at 816 grams and features a 10.1-inch (1366x768) touchscreen. It's powered by a 1.5GHz Atom Z670 processor with 2GB of RAM and up to 128GB SSD for storage. It has 802.11b/g/n WiFi, optional 3G support, SD card slot and USB and HDMI ports.

Winamp for Android is amazing. I love it, I use it all the time and it is wonderful. Today brings Winamp for Android updates that include a bunch of new features such as a Winamp for Mac Sync beta app that brings the same wireless freedom to Mac users that Windows users have enjoyed for a while now, access to Spinner's MP3 of the day from your Android phone, and a new premium version of the app with extended features.

The biggest feature is Winamp for Android now lets users sync their music and videos wirelessly with the Mac, the same as Windows users have been able to do. The Winamp for Mac Sync Beta app is brand new and a available as a free download. The new updated Winamp for Android also includes more streaming music for Winamp's "Listening Party" feature, where you can stream songs and listen together with friends, and more free music from Spinner.

Lastly, we have the Winamp "Pro Bundle" which will set you back $5 but includes extended features such as support for FLAC, crossfading and gapless playback, and a customizable home screen for the player and a 10-band equalizer. The free version does however include more features than before, but the extended features are just extra flavoring on an already tasty product from Winamp.

Nokia's CEO, Stephen Elop, teased the codename "Sea Ray" phone in the middle of the year, which looked just like a Nokia N9. Today, Sea Ray has been unveiled as the Nokia Lumia 800 and we get to see how Windows and Nokia gel together, according to Elop, it's the "first real Windows Phone".

Nokia's Lumia 800 sports a single-core Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM8255 1.4GHz processor, 16GB of internal storage, a curved 3.7-inch ClearBlack AMOLED screen framed by a black, cyan or magenta case with individually drilled speaker holes, a dedicated camera button for the f/2.2 Carl Zeiss Tessar lens, 512MB of internal memory, 12.1mm-thick frame and a 1450mAh battery that is said to be good for approximately 9.5 hours of 3G talk time. Software wise, we have Windows Phone Mango, and the Lumia 800 comes packed with a free 25GB SkyDrive account, as well as Nokia Drive, a free turn-by-turn voice navigation program, a first for any Windows Phone.

Filling out the Lumia 800 we have Nokia Music with Mix Radio, which is a global service with no subscriptions or log-ins required for "hundreds of channels of locally-relevant music", and an ESPN Sports Hub, three programs not found on any other Windows Phone 7-powered device.

I remember importing the first iPhone into Australia because we were left out of Apple's circle of power, and I remember the camera being good, for the time. I upgraded to the iPhone 3G on launch day and I remember the camera only being a little better. But, now we have side-by-side shots of the same picture, from all of the iPhone's.

Gizmodo have a news piece where Lisa Bettany has taken the same picture with every iPhone (the original, 3G, 3GS, 4 and 4S) to see the differences, and PetaPixel stiched them together to show you just how much the camera has improved from each generation.

As we can see from the above picture, the original to the 3G was not that much of an improvement, but the 3GS is when the iPhone became a serious photo-snapping camera. The iPhone 4 is another step up in quality, but the iPhone 4S... very, very nice indeed. Lots of detail, near-perfect quality when compared to even the 3GS and blows the 3G and the vanilla iPhone out of the water. Back when the original iPhone came out, most people had point-and-shoot cameras, but these days? There's just no real need if you take pictures in a non-serious, I-don't-need-a-DSLR way.

HTC has partnered up with Dropbox to offer a new deal with all of the latest Android-based handsets that will give a bonus of 3GB storage in addition to the 2GB of free storage offered by Dropbox if they connect to the platform with the new phone - launching in October.

The deal which is set to extend to all Sense 3.5 devices in the futurer, all allow users to save files and photos on their phone and have them automatically synced to their computer at home, or other devices running the Dropbox software. Dropbox currently offers users 2GB of storage, free, with the change to upgrade that by 8GB by getting friends to sign up to Dropbox. HTC's additional deal with 3GB makes reaching the 10GB storage for free, not that hard at all.

HTC wasn't clear whether this deal will come to their Windows Phone 7-based smartphones, this may be because Microsoft has Skydrive, which is built directly into the OS. Skydrive also offers 25GB free storage, which blows away the Dropbox offer.

The Commonwealth Bank has unveiled its near-field communication (NFC) payments product called Kaching. Kaching enables pay-anyone facilities through Facebook, e-mail and MasterCard PayPass. This is a great move by the CBA, as NFC allows data transmission over a range of approx. 10cm. An NFC-enabled chip in a smartphone can interact with a proximity card reader to make mobile payments.

Kaching is set to allow customers (via the app) pay each other via e-mail, Facebook or mobile, and via an iCarte case for iPhone or pay via MasterCard's contact-less PayPass terminals. Users don't even need to be Commonwealth Bank customers to receive payments, with non-bank customers directed to an external collection site.

The App is set to be compatible with Apple's iOS 4.3 and above, with cases designed for the iPhone 4 and 4S. CBA's chief information officer, Michael Harte has said that the Kaching app and the iCarte case have been designed in close consultation with Apple. Dubbed iCarte 420, the case contains an "embedded smart-chip" that can be configured for debit, credit and pre-paid use and also has the ability to read NFC-enabled advertisements and transit systems.

Google's upcoming Android 4.0 'Ice Cream Sandwich' will include "full support for stylus input events" in the OS - including features such as pressure sensitivity and the ability to distinguish motion events from different sources; as in a pen or your finger. The support hangs on hardware-level support from tablet and smartphone makers, but hey, the native support in the OS is a big, big start.

This is something Apple have yet to include, and could push ICS in a different direction for smartphones and tablets for people on-the-go. Windows 8 will most likely include the same kind of support, but ICS is here, now.

Google state in the exact words below:

iSuppli have torn the iPhone 4S apart to reveal the stock iPhone 4S 16GB modem carries a build of materials (BOM) of just $188 before factoring in manufacturing costs. Considering manufacturing costs for Apple are quite low because of where they're manufactured, Apple are making a tidy amount of money here.

The 32GB model is virtually identical with a BOM cost of $207 where the 64GB model's BOM is $245. NAND flash is the most expensive part of the iPhone 4S, so this is where the differerence comes into play.

16GB NAND will set you back $19.20 where 64GB is a hike up to $76.80. The electrical system is the most expensive subsystem sitting at $33, followed by wireless capabilities at $23.54 and the display at just $23. The A5 processor powering the iPhone 4S is just $15, while the camera subsystem is $17.60.

Kogan have just released a new low-cost tablet in the UK which is set to target the audience who are unable or unwilling to spend more on a mobile device. The pricing in the UK for the 8-inch tablet is at around the £120 price point where the 10-inch version is just £30 more at £150.

Kogan has a business model which requires no middleman, designing, assembling and delivering low-cost tablets directly to customers. This keeps the prices extremely low. Both tablets sport capacitive touchscreens and a 1GHz processor.

The Kogan Agora 8″ Tablet PC Features:

Well, that was fast, Google. Along with the announcement of the next-gen Samsung Galaxy Nexus, Google have announced their all-new version of their Android OS codenamed Ice Cream Sandwich. Android 4.0 continues the development, ideas and design of the tablet-based Honeycomb, but will go onto smartphones, too.

Android 4.0 is an open source release which means any hardware manufacturer that wants to tinker with it can download the source and sell it with Android 4.0 on top. This is something Honeycomb never offered.

We've talked a bit about Android 4.0 'ICS', but if you haven't seen the news yet, ICS sports unlocking the phone through facial recognition, syncing Chrome bookmarks is now default, built-in NFC powers the new Android Beam app which lets you share content, maps, contacts, app and more by tapping the back of your phone to another NFC-enabled Android device.

Apple have really stumbled with the iPhone 4S launch, yesterday I reported about the various screen issues, and today we have an issue with Siri. Siri, by default, can be activated even if the iPhone 4S is passcode locked. This is great if you are the one wanting to use it, but what if you leave the phone unattended, or, lose the phone altogether?

Anyone who gained access to your Siri-sporting iPhone 4S could take a look at your upcoming calendar appointments and know your every move over the upcoming days, weeks, months and it also gives access to send e-mails or text messages. Thankfully, there are limitations. While the iPhone 4S is passcode locked, you can't launch any apps, you can't send e-mail or text messages to anyone not on your contact list.

But still, the ability to gain access to e-mail, text messaging and your calendar is definitely not good enough. Of course, it can be disabled. In the Passcode Lock settings, you just have to switch Siri to "off". You will still be able to use Siri, just not when the phone is locked. Now as an iPhone 4S user, you have the choice between convenience and security. In my opinion, this should be the default setting: OFF.

Reports coming out of the United Daily News believe that Samsung and AU Optronics have sent 7.85-inch screen samples to Apple for consideration in future products, the rumored iPad mini. Rumors of a smaller iPad have made their way around the Internet a few times now, and are once again doing so. Steve Jobs was against the idea of a 7-inch tablet, being quoted in an earnings call last year that Apple won't make a 7-inch tablet because the screen is too small to express the software.

Jobs believed that developers wouldn't be happy writing app code to accommodate varying screen sizes in the same product line (what about consumers?). Now that new CEO Tim Cook is directing the Apple ship, this could change. An iPad mini would be even more portable than the current offerings as well as costing just a portion of the price, allowing Apple to gain more market share at an even lower price point.

It would also be great competition for Amazon's 7-inch Kindle Fire, as well as the varying GALAXY Tab devices from super-competitor and main threat, Samsung. Apple is expected to unveil the iPad 3 sometime in early 2012 based on the 9.7-inch display. Rumors have again fueled on the iPad 3, with most (including myself) expected it to sport a resolution of 2044x1536.

Motorola have unveiled the RAZR successor, sporting Android, 4G LTE, a 1.2GHz dual-core chip and is constructed from Kevar, is a nice piece of kit. The new RAZR is only 7.1mm thick, making it the thinnest of its kind.

It also sports 1GB of RAM, 16GB of on-board storage, 12.5 hours of talk time, a 1800 mAh battery, 8-megapixel rear-facing camera, a 4.3-inch qHD Super AMOLED display with strengthened Gorilla Glass, a steel core and Kevlar fiber, which makes it both strong and lightweight.

On top of all of this, the entire phone, inside and out (including the electronics) have been coated in a water-resistant material, which makes the phone virtually invincible against spills and the elements. RAZR will also also dock with Moto's webtop, and the MOTOACTV, a smartwatch that can sync with the Droid RAZR for on-the-fly updates and functionality.

Samsung has had the advantage when it comes with Google's Ice Cream Sandwich/Android 4.0 OS, but it doesn't mean that other smartphone manufacturers have been left out of the race. HTC have released an official statement to confirm that its looking at Google's latest OS, and combing through its new features and functionality.

HTC say that they're figuring out how to make it happen without forcing sacrifices to the usability and performance of each HTC product. Whatever HTC cook up, it'll be good to see how they integrate their amazing Sense UI with the new Ice Cream Sandwich UI. HTC are careful not to commit to the new Android, and it has not given any particular timeframe or roadmap. The full statement is shown below:

Early adopters, and theres a lot of them (over 4 million reported) may be experiencing issues with their latest Apple-branded magical toy, the iPhone 4S. There is an open discussion on Apple's discussion forum where iPhone 4S owners are reporting issues they are having with their iPhone 4S' display.

The majority of complains are that the iPhone 4S has a yellow tint, especially noticeable when compared and placed next to an iPhone 4. There are other complaints too, with people saying they're experiencing color washouts and contrast in the same discussion thread.

This is the same issue that was experienced on the iPhone 4 when it was first released. The problem with the iPhone 4 display is that the smartphone shipped so quickly after it was built that screens continued to show signs of a yellow adhesive used during manufacturing. Eventually, the yellow residue from the adhesive disappeared leaving a normal looking display.

The Samsung and Google co-event to launch both the Samsung Galaxy Nexus and Google's Android 4.0/Ice Cream Sandwich mobile OS has just happened and with it, brings a slew of news for Samsung/Google fans.

The Samsung Galaxy Nexus sports a 1.2GHz dual-core OMAP4460, a 4.65-inch HD Super AMOLED display pushing 1280x720, Android 4.0/Ice Cream Sandwich, 1GB of RAM, 16/32GB on-board storage, NFC, a 5.1-megapixel rear-facing camera w/LED flash and a 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera. Very nice indeed. The biggest point of that is not actually hardware, but software. Google's Ice Cream Sandwich is set to be the stand-out star here.

The Galaxy Nexus also includes something different, a panorama mode for the camera, as well as Bluetooth 3.0, USB 2.0, Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n, accelerometer, compass, gyro, proximity sensor and even a bloody barometer - you know, just in case you wanted to know the current atmospheric pressure.

Scheduled for an imminent launch today, the first official photo of Motorola's Droid RAZR has popped up on the web ahead of the official unveiling in a matter of hours from now. The phone, codenamed Spyder runs Android 2.3 and that fancy looking, sleek casing you see in the picture is in fact made of a mixture of metal and carbon fiber.

The phone sports a qHD (960 x 540) Super AMOLED touchscreen which has been further strengthened using Gorilla Glass, while inside lurks a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, 1GB RAM and 4G LTE support. It has an 8MP rear-facing camera which is also capable of recording in 1080p as well as a front facing HD camera.

It's been confirmed that the Droid RAZR will be offered by Verizon in the states. We'll cover more details on that post launch folks.