It’s Gareth and Dan this week with Dan speaking from the Barcelona based tech show. What can be expected from this years Mobile World Congress? Are there any surprises in store? The guys discuss!
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For the last few years the Chomebooks have been simple and cheap solutions for those wanting an internet experience, instead of all the trimmings of a Windows based laptop. Google has recently unveiled their Chromebook Pixel, a high end Chomebook that combines stellar screen technology with the cloud centric operating system based around the popular Chrome browser. It’s an attractive chuck of technology and something of an experiment when you consider the competition out there.
Google have stated they are not interesting in seeing this machine fly off the shelves, instead they want to raise the bar of what a Chromebook can be considered to be. The Pixel has some decent specs, maybe not as much as you would expect considering the price tag of £1,049.00 however it does compare more to the Macbook Air than a more traditional laptop.
Just a few weeks ago you may have seen James pick up and unbox his PR version of the shiny new BlackBerry Z10 but today I’ve managed to get my hands on a full retail version of the Z10, and the one I have is in white! Hardware wise we are exactly the same but here we are looking at the retail packaging and what comes along with it.
This is literally the first time I’ve looked at BB10 so forgive my clumsiness with the UI, it takes a little getting used to. Make of that what you will.
Our BlackBerry Z10 White review unit came courtesy of Phones4U and works on the 4G EE Network.
Check out the video below and if you want to see BB10 and the UI in more detail have a look at some of our other BlackBerry videos.
Guys over at eXpansys have let us know that they have just received their first stock of the new BlackBerry Z10.
You can head over and place your order now for just £519.99 SIM Free and including delivery. http://www.expansys.com/blackberry-z10-black-242143/
Stock is somewhat limited so it’s first come first served but more stock to arrive next week.
Posted by: Matt
The Nexus range was one of the first instances where software heavyweights enter the market to produce their own hardware to complement that of the traditional manufacturers which has proven to be a popular move ever since the Nexus One. With the Google Nexus 4, Google have collaborated with LG to bring a successor to last year’s popular Galaxy Nexus from Samsung. While that was certainly a great phone it was not without its flaws, and the fourth iteration of the Nexus phone has received some well deserved hype and praise from the media and passionate users.
In fact the combination of a stock Android device with top-notch specs and a heavily publicised launch meant the number of launch customers was grossly underestimated, as Google only had the (modest) numbers of previous Nexus devices to go on. This lead to a huge supply issue; it was almost four months after the first launch before it readily available from the Play Store. It may not sound like too long, but in a market where new devices supersede older ones each year, that’s a good third of the Nexus 4’s lifespan.
So is the Nexus 4 actually worth the wait? Read on to find out.
Convinced by the new HTC One already? The chaps over at Clove Technology have just confirmed that they have the HTC One up for pre-order on their website.
The price is £425+VAT and the device is available in Silver or Black colours with 32GB of internal memory.
First stock is expected to begin shipping on the 15th March.
For more information please visit: http://www.clove.co.uk/htc-one
Last week HTC invited Matt to a little press event to discuss their new flagship phone; the HTC One. Gareth and Matt meet up to chat about the new phone and Matt tries to conceal his excitement. He doesn’t succeed.
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By now you have probably see the news and press releases about the new HTC One but here’s my summary ‘review’ of the HTC One that I had chance to play with last week. Obviously this isn’t a full review of the HTC One but rather my initial take on the device as well as some coverage of the features and summary of the information we were given at the briefing last week.
I have to open by saying that the HTC One is probably the most interesting Android phone I have seen in some time and there’s a raft of new and cool things in there plus the design is stunning!
We’ve known about a new flagship device coming from HTC for a while and there has been plenty of rumours about the device codenamed HTC M7. There were some leaks a few weeks ago and claims that the M7 would launch as the HTC One and they have proven to be quite correct.
At a series of special events in a number of cities today, HTC have officially announced the HTC One.
The flagship Android device has been the subject of various leaks and rumours over the past few months and we’ve formerly known of the device by its codename, HTC M7.
I’ve had a chance to play with this handset already and can tell you that I am really excited about this device, cant wait to get hands on the review unit. Until then, here is the press release and we’ll have a few more posts about the HTC One coming up shortly!
Introducing the new HTC one, A New perspective on smartphones
HTC BlinkFeedT, HTC ZoeT and HTC BoomSoundT Deliver HTC One’s Unprecedented New Smartphone Experience
London and New York City, February 19, 2013 – HTC, a global leader in mobile innovation and design, today announced its new flagship smartphone, the new HTC One. Crafted with a distinct zero-gap aluminium unibody, the new HTC One introduces HTC BlinkFeedT, HTC ZoeT and HTC
BoomSoundT, key new HTC Sense® innovations that reinvent the mobile experience and set a new standard for smartphones.
“People today immerse themselves in a constant stream of updates, news and information. Although smartphones are one of the main ways we stay in touch with the people and information we care about, conventional designs have failed to keep pace with how people are actually using them,” said Peter Chou, CEO of HTC Corporation. “A new, exciting approach to the smartphone is needed and with the new HTC One, we have re-imagined the mobile experience from the ground up to reflect this new reality.”
HTC BlinkFeed: A personal live stream right on the home screen
At the centre of the new HTC One experience is HTC BlinkFeed. HTC BlinkFeed is a bold new experience that transforms the home screen into a single live stream of personally relevant information such as social updates, entertainment and lifestyle updates, news and photos with immersive images so that people no longer need to go to separate applications to find out what’s happening. HTC BlinkFeed aggregates the freshest content from the most relevant and interesting sources, giving it to people at a glance, all in one place, without the need to jump between multiple applications and web sites.To enable this new dynamic approach to the smartphone, HTC will provide both local and global content from more than 1,400 media sources with more than 10,000 articles per day from some of the most innovative media companies, such as the AOL family of media properties, ESPN, MTV, Vice Media, CoolHunting, Reuters and many others. For more information on HTC BlinkFeed’s content partners, visit the HTC Blog.
HTC UltraPixel Camera with HTC Zoe
The breakthrough HTC UltraPixel Camera redefines how people capture, relive and share their most precious moments. HTC Zoe gives people the ability to shoot high-res photos that come to life in three-second snippets. These Zoes, photos and videos are then displayed in a unique way that brings the gallery to life and transforms the traditional photo gallery of still images into a motion gallery of memories. It also automatically creates integrated highlight films from each event comprised of Zoes, photos and videos set to music with professionally designed cuts, transitions and effects. These highlight videos can be remixed or set to different themes, and can be easily shared on social networks, email and other services.
To enable this innovative camera experience, HTC developed a custom camera that includes a best-in-class f/2.0 aperture lens and a breakthrough sensor with UltraPixels that gather 300 percent more light than traditional smartphone camera sensors. This new approach also delivers astounding low-light performance and a variety of other improvements to photos and videos. In addition, the perfect self-portrait or video is just a tap away with an ultra-wide angle front-facing camera which supports 1080p video capture. Multi-axis optical image stabilisation for the rear camera also helps ensure video footage smoother whether stationary or on the move. HTC UltraPixel camera adds many other features and effects such as enhanced 360′ panorama, time sequencing and object removal.
HTC BoomSound
The new HTC One offers the best audio experience of any mobile phone available today. HTC BoomSound introduces for the first time on a phone, front-facing stereo speakers with a dedicated amplifier and an amazing full HD display that immerses people in music, videos, games and the YouTubeT clips they love. Beats AudioT integration is enabled across the entire experience for rich, authentic sound whether you’re listening to your favorite music, watching a YouTube video or playing a game.
HDR recording uses advanced dual microphones and audio processing to capture clean, rich sound that is worthy of high-definition video footage. Phone calls sound great on HTC One thanks to the addition of HTC Sense VoiceT, which boosts the call volume and quality in noisy environments so that conversations come through loud and clear.
HTC Sense TV
HTC Sense TV transforms the new HTC One into an interactive program guide and remote control for most TVs, set-top boxes and receivers. Tapping the power of the cloud, Sense TV makes it simple and intuitive to see what’s on and find that favourite show.
Metal Unibody Design
Wrapped in a zero-gap aluminium unibody and sporting a brilliant 4.7″, Full HD (1080p) screen, the new HTC One features the latest Android Jelly Bean operating system and LTE network technology to offer blazingly-fast browsing in a package that combines premium design with breakthrough build quality.
Available in stunning silver and beautiful black, the sleek and crafted aluminium unibody sits comfortably in the hand and showcases HTC’s unique antenna technology, which helps people achieve a crystal clear signal. The display also resists scratches and reduces glare, whilst offering incredible 468ppi resolution and rich, natural colours.
Global Availability
The new HTC One will be available globally through more than 185 mobile operators and major retailers in more than 80 regions and countries beginning in March. For more information and to pre-register for the new HTC One, visit www.htc.com.
Posted by: Matt
It looks like Archos will be jumping into the Android smartphone game. Some new intel and pictures have come out that solidify these rumours with some very detailed info. Here’s a quote,
The most interesting one is a Galaxy S III look-alike, the Archos 48 Platinum, a flagship device with a 4.8-inch IPS display with a 800 x 1,280-pixel resolution and the popular MediaTek MT6589 chipset with a 1.7GHz quad-core processor. The best thing about the Archos 48 Platinum is its price – it will only cost 249 euro (around $335) at launch, which is slightly more than a third of other flagship devices. The device will run on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean.
Of course, the quad-core MT6589 is not quite on par with the Exynos 4412, but nonetheless its a pretty impressive chip for its price. Performance is expected to be around 50% to 60% of that of the Samsung device. The flagship Archos 48 Platinum will go on sale in May.
Next on the list is the Archos 52 Titanium, a 5.2-inch Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich-based smartphone. It will obviously be an even more affordable solution given its 480 x 800-pixel display and dual-core 1.2GHz processor with 512MB of RAM. There is no info on its price yet though.
Finally, Archos will also ship a purely low-end device in the form of the Archos 35 Carbon. This smartphone will feature a 3.5-inch 320 x 480-pixel screen, a single-core 1GHz processor, 512MB of RAM, and 512MB of internal storage (expandable via microSD cards). The Archos 35 Carbon will run on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and cost only 90 euro (around $120) at launch.
As you can see, Archos is not leaving its "budget-friendly" ideals behind. Still, the phones could be a relative bargain and it will be nice to see some upward-moving market pressure on pricing. If more of these inexpensive devices can start to make a dent, then the big dogs will have to get a bit more competitive with their pricing as well.
Posted by: Gareth
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