Archive for 2013

By May 25, 2013 Read More →

Samsung Galaxy S4 and HTC One compared (Part 1)

s4_one The Samsung Galaxy S4 and the HTC One are two of the most popular devices on sale at the moment and are going head to head for the top smartphone spot. In fact the HTC One has already won a couple of industry awards, including Best New Mobile Handset at MWC earlier in the year.

I’ve been using the HTC One for a few months and the Galasy S4 for a couple of weeks so I thought it was about time that we started to compare some of the key features of both devices.

For the sake of full disclosure, I should say that I was not expecting to like the Galaxy S4. I wasn’t a big fan of its predecessor, the S3 and I was already using and very much enjoying the experience of the HTC One. However, after just a short period of time with the S4 I like it too!

The questions I most frequently have via Twitter at the moment is ‘Which is better the S4 or the HTC One?’ or ‘Should I buy the S4 or the HTC One?’. I think these questions are almost impossible to answer in isolation, there are many factors to be considered as each device is, obviously, different and therefore better at some things than others.

At time of writing this first part, of what a suspect will end up being 3 or 4 posts over the next week or so, I haven’t been able to make up my mind either. I’m switching between the S4 and One throughout the day depending upon what I want to do so I am also hoping that writing these comparison articles may help me decide too!

So in this first part I’m going to talk about the cameras on each device. As we have discussed in other posts on the site before, HTC have been quite brave with the choices they have made with the HTC One camera. Instead of chasing more and more megapixels HTC have gone the other way and reduced the pixel count down to 4.0MP while increasing the size of the individual pixels on the sensor. The result, they call the Ultrapixel camera, yields an over 300% increase in the amount of available light, and more light equals better pictures, in theory.

Samsung have have been rather more conventional with the S4 opting for a 13MP sensor. That’s not to say that it’s not a good sensor and that it’s not a good upgrade from the S3 but it’s the approach to cramming in more pixels.

So lets take a look at some of the photos. In all the samples below, there is no editing or cropping. HTC One on the left, S4 on the right:

 

Posted in: Reviews
By May 24, 2013 Read More →

TV Is Changing at Warp Speed

cool sofa In an increasingly media saturated culture, you might assume the number of households with televisions would be on the rise. But according to the folks at Nielsen, TV households dropped from 115.9 million during the 2010-2011 season to 114.7 million the following year. At first glance, it seems that people are simply watching less television, but perhaps the state of TV is actually changing.

There are a number of factors at play here, from the diminishing impact of network channels, to the new formats available to TV consumers. Basic cable and satellite packages run consumers about $30 a month, as noted on http://www.directtvdeal.com, while a streaming option like Netflix offers a range of TV and film content for $8 per month. As with the smartphone revolution that preceded it, it appears that the way we view and pay for TV is changing quickly.

Posted in: TV & Home Cinema
By May 23, 2013 Read More →

Samsung Galaxy S4 sales booming

samsung-galaxy-s4-xl

Samsung Electronics today announced that global channel sales of its Galaxy S4, a life companion for a richer, fuller, simpler life, has surpassed 10 million units sold in less than one month after its commercial debut. Launched globally on April 27, the phone is estimated to be selling at a rate of four units per second.

The Galaxy S4 sets a new record for Samsung, generating sales quicker than any of its predecessors. Sales of the Galaxy S III reached the 10-million mark 50 days after its launch in 2012, while the Galaxy S II took five months and the Galaxy S seven months to reach the same milestone.

“On behalf of Samsung, I would like to thank the millions of customers around the world who have chosen the Samsung Galaxy S4. At Samsung we’ll continue to pursue innovation inspired by and for people,” said JK Shin, CEO and President of the IT & Mobile Communications Division at Samsung Electronics.

The Galaxy S4 was developed to enhance the meaningful moments in our lives through its innovative features and superior hardware. It has the world’s first Full HD Super AMOLED display that showcases images at their very best on a 5-inch screen with 441ppi. Equipped with a powerful rear 13MP camera, the Galaxy S4 also boasts a Dual Camera function that allows simultaneous use of both front and rear cameras. The Galaxy S4’s new and innovative software features include Air View and Air Gesture for effortless tasks, while it also keeps people up-to-date with information about their health and wellbeing using S Health.

Samsung Galaxy S4 is available in more than 110 countries and will gradually be rolled out to a total of 155 countries in cooperation with 327 partners. Samsung is planning to introduce more colour variations to meet various consumer tastes and preferences. In addition to the currently available White Mist and Black Forest, new colour iterations will be added this summer, including Blue Arctic and Red Aurora, followed by Purple Mirage and Brown Autumn. UK availability on these colour variations is to be confirmed.

 

Posted by: James

Posted in: Press Releases
By May 23, 2013 Read More →

HTC announce the Desire 600 with dual SIM heading to Russia, Ukraine and MEA

Desire 600 dual sim dark 3V HiRGB Render copy

HTC, a global leader in mobile innovation and design, has today unveiled the new HTC Desire 600 dual sim, the first mid-range handset to offer HTC’s latest Sense 5 experience; HTC BlinkFeed and HTC BoomSound, most recently launched as part of the award-winning HTC One. Taking full advantage of Android Jelly Bean, the new model also offers super-fast quad-core performance, while the advanced Video Highlights feature enables maximum creativity at a more affordable price tag.

“People rely on their smartphones every day to be their news channel, email inbox, social network and music player,” said Peter Chou, CEO of HTC Corporation. “The HTC Desire 600 dual sim combines speed and easy multitasking with the truly innovative HTC BlinkFeed home screen. The result is an affordable mid-range phone that sets the standard for its class, keeping the busiest user up-to-date at a glance and offering them the power and range of features to switch between work and play.”
A smartphone designed to keep pace with life

Posted in: Press Releases
By May 22, 2013 Read More →

Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 8.0 spec leak

Tab3PlussThe newest hot Android tablet from Samsung might be coming pretty soon. The Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 8.0 just got its press pic leaked. We also have some intel on specs for the device. Here’s the industry speculation at the moment,

  • Wi-Fi, 3G and LTE versions
  • Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean
  • 8-inch 1280 x 800 pixels display (could be better at time of launch)
  • 1.3MP front-facing camera
  • 5MP rear camera
  • Bluetooth 4.0
  • Dual-core 1.5GHz processor
  • 1.5GB of RAM
  • 16GB of internal memory
  • MicroSD card support (up to 64GB)
  • 4,450 mAh battery

As you can see, the specs aren’t spectacular, but perhaps the price will be competitive because of that. If they can price it below a certain point it could put the squeeze on the Apple iPad Mini. We will keep you apprised if something more concrete comes out.

Posted by: Gareth

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Posted in: News
By May 21, 2013 Read More →

Samsung Galaxy Mega to be available SIM free in July

samsung-galaxy-mega-6-3

Expansys have told us today that the monster Samsung Galaxy Mega is due to arrive in the UK in July. At this stage an exact date and price cant be  confirmed but as soon as we have them we’ll let you know.

The Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3 is a versatile device that combines the convenience of a smartphone with the impressive power and viewing experience of a tablet. At 6.3-inches it’s the perfect device for those customers who need an incredibly capable smartphone with a little something extra.

With a 1.7GHz dual-core CPU and a stunningly large 6.3-inch HD display with a 1280 x 720 pixel resolution the Galaxy Mega is anything but small and compact. But despite its large frame the Mega is still ultra thin and light, making it easy to hold and operate with one hand. The large screen with landscape mode support offers a great viewing experience for all your video content, web browsing or reading.

Posted in: News
By May 19, 2013 Read More →

Galaxy S4 vs HTC One benchmark video

s4vone Two of the hottest Android smartphones on the market at the moment are the HTC One and the Samsung Galaxy S4. Both released at about the same time and both firmly at the top end of the market being flagship devices for their respective manufacturers.

These devices have polarised opinion. On one hand the HTC fans are rubbishing Samsung’s latest attempt while those preferring the S4 are doing the same of the HTC One. I’m constantly being asked which one I prefer or which one I think someone should buy. That’s a pretty big question and as I’ve only had my Galaxy S4 for a couple of days it’s one I’ll address later.

However, as there are many questions regarding the performance of these two devices I thought it would be interesting to run the same benchmark on both devices at the same time to give some indication. Bear in mind though that the benchmark score isn’t the be all and end all, many other factors should be considered but we’ll talk about those another time.

For now, check out the video below to see which phone comes out on top, the results may surprise you!

 

Posted in: Videos/Unboxings
By May 18, 2013 Read More →

Samsung Galaxy S4 unboxing video

s4 We all know that Samsung’s Galaxy S3 was one of the most popular phones last year and with the launch of the new Galaxy S4 just a few weeks ago Samsung are hoping that they’ve come up with another winning formula.

There really is no denying that the specification of the S4 has it sitting firmly at the top end but there’s also the top end price tag to match, costing in the region of £575 for the entry-level 16GB model all the way up to as much as £800 for the 64GB model. The prices are quite eye-watering.

However that money does buy you quite a lot from a 5″ Full HD Super AMOLED screen to the quad-core CPU that challenged the performance of almost everything else on the market.

This week, thanks to the folks over at Clove Technology, I’ve finally got our hands on a retail Samsung Galaxy S4. This is one handset that I have been looking forward to being able to play with to see how it compares to the HTC One that I now use as my primary device.

Initial impressions are that this is an awesome phone, great screen and slick performance but the build quality lets it down with a plastic design that doesn’t really match the specification and price tag which in comparison to the HTC One is just a bit of a let down not to mention very similar to the S3 of which I made the same complaint.

Those buying the 16GB model may also be disappointed with the amount of available memory that they have to play with, just 9GB out of the 16 is left for the user to store their apps.

However, the negatives above aside, the S4 performs really well, is thin and light and as mentioned already, has an awesome AMOLED screen.

Check out the unboxing and demo video below for more.

 

Posted in: Videos/Unboxings
By May 17, 2013 Read More →

Some love for Google TV

Google-tv-logo3-lGoogle has been mentioned at Google I/O this year. Although not specificly in the keynote, they announced some cool new things for the service. First, Google is now sending out the latest Android 4.2.2/Jelly Bean to Google TV. This is a welcome upgrade and should get GTV users excited. Additionally, they are also sending out the latest version of Chrome as well. Now browsing on your Google TV should be even faster than before.
That’s not all. Google also announced they plan to bring updates to Google TV on a much more timely basis, specifically stating “weeks rather than months.” Here’s a quote below from the Google TV developer’s blog G+ account with all the details,

Quote:

Over the past few months Google TV has gathered momentum by launching powerful features for our users such as the highest quality voice search of any TV product and strong manufacturer adoption of the platform. At Google I/O, it’s time to talk about developers and enabling them to bring more great experiences to TV.
Today, Google TV is moving to the latest version of Android (Jelly Bean, 4.2.2), and we’ve refactored Google TV so that our TV OEM partners can update to future versions of Android in a matter of weeks rather than months. For developers, this means you can build TV experiences using the latest Android APIs, including the NDK.
Today Google TV is also moving to the latest version of Chrome, and from now on Google TV benefits from Chrome updates on the same six week cycle that you’ve come to expect from Chrome. In Chrome on Google TV, we’ve added support for hardware-based content protection, enabling developers to provide premium TV content in HD within their web apps.
Google TV-powered devices in market will start to receive updates in the coming months, and we expect to see new devices launched later this year. If you are attending Google IO, please check out the “Android: As seen on TV!” session and stop by the Google TV Developer Sandbox area.
https://developers.google.com/tv/

LG has already updated some of their new Google TV equipped LG HDTVs with the newest Android 4.2.2 version. Above is a video of the TV with the new update.

Posted by: Gareth

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Posted in: News
By May 17, 2013 Read More →

ARCHOS Unveils the ARCHOS 80 Xenon

image002Archos, the little French company that did, is currently  preparing to launch another Android tablet that is easy on the wallet. Featuring a wave of uninspiring specifications, the tablet sets itself apart from the rest with Archos’ signature approach to Media consumption. The inclusion of Xenon in the title does not, however, apply to a flash technology for the camera.

 

Posted in: Tablets
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