Happy new year - Top 5 Phone - PC

1. Apple iPhone 5

2.Samsung Galaxy S III

3.HTC Droid DNA

4. Nokia Lumia 92

5.Motorola DROID RAZR HD

Apple Might Have To Pay To Use “iPhone” Name In Brazil

A little over a week ago we reported that a Brazilian company by the name of Gradiente had released a smartphone called the iPhone Neo One. It is by all accounts a rather outdated Android handset running on Gingerbread, but given that the company seems to have registered the trademark to the iPhone name way before Apple did, on the surface it would seem that they are within their legal rights to call their phone the iPhone if they wish.

As we mentioned in our previous report, this seemed like an excuse for Apple to take notice and possibly work out some settlement agreement and according to reports, Gradiente is most definitely willing to make a deal with Apple if they wish to license the iPhone name from them. Gradiente has warned that they are willing to“adopt all the measures used by companies around the world to preserve its intellectual property rights”. At the moment Apple has yet to make an official comment on the matter, but hopefully this will be resolved quickly and peacefully.

The iPhone is Apple's line of smartphones. That was also the original name of the first iPhone, which was announced on January 9th 2007 by Steve Jobs during the Macworld Keynote. The iPhone was released to the public in June of the same year. The development of the iPhone started in 2004, was internally called "project purple" and was the fruit of a collaboration between Apple and AT&T. Since then, Apple has released new iPhone models every year, with the iPhone 3G in July 2008, the iPhone 3GS in June 2009, the iPhone 4 in June 2010, the iPhone 4S in October 2011 and the iPhone 5 in September 2012. The iPhone represents more than half of Apple's revenues. 

The Chisel 5 Dock Will Hold Your iPhone Snugly

 The iPhone 5 (read our iPhone 5 review) is a smartphone from Apple. It was launched on Sept 12 2012 and features a 4" display, 4G LTE, a thinner chassis and a faster A6 processor. At the time of its launch, it was obviously the best iPhone yet, but a large number of customers and observers came out very divided about its feature set. The lack of large screen was a main point of friction and many wished that there was a larger iPhone 5. FB Survey: are you impressed by the iPhone 5? Tell the world. 

We’ve seen many iPhone docks in the past, although in this case, the Chisel 5 Bamboo iPhone dock is probably one of the more unique ones we’ve seen to date. So far docks for the iPhone usually include a base of sorts, but with the Chisel 5, it actually features a board made from bamboo with cutouts where your iPhone and the Lightning cable will fit in rather snugly. It is designed by iSkelter and is made out of renewable bamboo, so for those who are particular about whether their purchases are “green”, you can rest assured with the Chisel 5. It is compatible with both the iPhone 5 and fith-gen iPod touch although there are models where the iPhone 4/4S are supported as well. Priced at $39 you can pick one up for yourself via iSkelter’s website.

Samsung Galaxy S4 Launching April With S Pen (rumor}

We caught a glimpse of a Samsung Galaxy S4 concept video earlier this morning, but let’s return from the land of make-believe for a minute to take care of some real Samsung business, shall we? We know many of you, like us, are highly anticipating the reveal and release of the next Samsung Galaxy S device, which may be coming in nearly four months from now and may pack a little surprise if a recent rumor turns out to be true.

According to Korean website Enuri, Samsung plans to launch its Galaxy S4 in April 2013 that sports a 5-inch 1080p AMOLED display, a quad-core Exynos 5440 chip, 13-megapixel rear auto-focus camera and an S Pen, which previously was only made available for Samsung’s Galaxy Note line of smartphones and tablet.

Seeing how Samsung is going to be a total buzzkill and not announce the Galaxy S4 at CES next week, we’ll just need to sit back and wait until they decide to officially unveil their next Galaxy S phone, which if it’s launching in April, may be sometime next Spring.

 Samsung is a South-Korean conglomerate which counts many subsidiaries like Samsung Electronics, which you probably know very well, but also Samsung Heavy Industries which builds ships, or Samsung Life Insurance, Samsung Securities and many more. Samsung is responsible for an amazing 20% of South Korea's exports. In the consumer electronics world, Samsung has gone from being a company with a reputation for cheap products to becoming one of the most respected companies in the world. 

South Korea Looking To Filter Swear Words And Pornography On Teenagers’ Smartphones

With today’s society, we’re sure that most parents will be appalled by the things their teens say when they text their friends, what with all the abbreviations, acronyms and swearing involved. While it is debatable as to whether it is right to invade the privacy of your teen, the South Korean government is hoping to do that for parents by installing software on the smartphones of teenagers that will block “illegal” and “harmful” information which includes swear words, slang and access to internet pornography. We’re not sure how exactly this will work out and how this software will be installed, but it definitely sounds like an interesting plan.

South Korea has been known for taking rather proactive steps when it comes to their youths, implementing curfews for gaming, such as the banning of gaming after midnight for underaged gamers, as well as curbing the number of consecutive hours underaged gamers are allowed to play online games. The government is hoping that with all of this, young children will learn to do more “positive” things that don’t necessarily involve staying at home glued to the computer screen for long hours.

5 main reasons I always carry an Android phone

Many of you already know that I'm not a one platform man. Each and every day, I leave my apartment with at least two mobile devices in my pockets. I carry at least two smartphones with me almost everywhere I go, and while I'm not crazy about the additional bulk of a second smartphone, I'm a huge fan of choice.

The ability to switch mobile platforms on the fly is one of the many advantages of dual-wielding smartphones that I've become very familiar with. I explained in the past how I use iOS and Android together to create a better experience for myself. But I'm not against switching it up every now and then. When I do, though, I generally substitute a new phone for the iPhone or my Android device.

This afternoon, Ars Technica ran a poll asking, "Which feature would entice you to ditch your iPhone for Android?" For me, this poll just doesn't cover all the bases. I already carry an Android phone and an iPhone, so it would be a bit silly to dwell on this poll for too long. But it did bring an interesting thought to mind: I rarely ever switch away from Android. When I swap phones around, I almost always do so in a way I keep an Android phone active and switch the iPhone out for something new.

Not unlike Ars Technica's poll, there are many reasons I prefer to keep Android around. There are certain features Android offers that its counterparts don't. Here are the main reasons I always keep Android around:

 Had I written this piece six months ago, display size would have been a heavily weighted argument. The competition is closing in, however, and more Windows Phone devices are coming with giant, high-res displays, too. And the iPhone 5 just launched last month with a noticeably larger (only taller, really) display. So not the size vs. density argument is all but out the window.

Still, Android devices have the edge. There is more choice in size, display technology and resolution. And no other platform has a smartphone of quite the caliber I'm looking for. I may not currently own a phablet (I sold my original Galaxy Note just a few weeks ago), but I've been on standby, waiting for the Galaxy Note II to take the U.S. market by storm.

But the other half of the argument is interface design because nothing compliments a giant, beautiful and vibrant display quite like a beautiful user interface. Between Android, iOS and Windows Phone, my preference in interface is Android, hands-down. Widgets allow me to change settings directly from the home screen on the fly and the new Holo theme is gorgeous and clea

My life is largely enveloped by Google Apps. I use Google Calendar to keep track of all important dates, reminders and deadlines. I have about six different Gmail accounts and two Google Apps for business accounts, and I actively use Drive from four different accounts.

The various Google Apps can be accessed via Web from any mobile platform. And many of the services are offered via third-party apps on iOS. Still, Google has no reason to put as much effort or polish into the apps for its largest competitor's platform. Side by side, the Gmail app on Android is in an entirely different league as the iOS app. The same can be said for Drive, Calendar, Voice, Talk or YouTube.

More so than anything else, this is why I keep Android around … all the time. Google Voice, Gmail and Google Talk are my primary means of communication. I can use them on other platforms, but being Google services, you can't expect a better experience with Google services than on Android.

 I tend to use my phones in ways I don't imagine many others do. I am constantly uploading and downloading files to and from Dropbox and transferring files between my phone and computer. A big problem with iOS and Windows Phone for me is that only a specific set of file types are accessible from the operating systems (without jailbreaking, of course). I routinely use ZIP, TAR, PDF and EPUB files. From Android, I can simply use a file explorer to use another third-party app to open any of these files and more. On iOS and Windows Phone, there are very few applications that will allow you to use and manipulate all of these file types.

For many cases, Dropbox serves all of my needs. But there are certain instances where Dropbox is too slow and cumbersome, especially when I'm moving a lot of files to and from my computer. For that, I am grateful there are applications like WiFi File Explorer Pro, which uses a local network to transfer files between and Android device and any other device with a browser.

More than once, I've relied on application backups I have made and sent to Dropbox. If I need to re-install multiple applications, I can simply download a ZIP from my Dropbox account, unzip it and install. It saves time and data. From any other mobile OS, this isn't a possibility (though using Wi-Fi will also save data).

Meizu MX2 leaked ahead of its official announcement on November 27

The soon-to-be-launched Meizu MX2 has been leaked 10 days before it gets officially unveiled in China. The device does look promising and this time round we hope to see it hitting store shelves in the Western hemisphere (though we can’t really tell whether that will actually happen).

Alongside the “caught in the wild” photos, we also get to see how the launch event invite box looks like and we love it. Local journalists who will attend the MX2 launch got an empty box with a transparent piece of plastic (or glass) that has the new phone’s shape. As you can see from the few images below, Meizu’s baby will sport an edge-to-edge display which will likely be able to “handle” 1080p resolution. Heck, even if it’s a 720p screen, we’ll like it.

Meizu’s problem is that it can’t escape from the iClone stigma that surrounds it ever since unveiling its first product, which was a clear copy of Apple’s smartphone design. As the time goes by many of the new phones look alike and in that sense we think the MX2 may actually hit some markets other than China. We’ll see…

Nokia Lumia 920 Yellow

Quick Summary

During a Windows Phone event in New York City, Nokia announced the 920.  A smartphone offering a 4.5" PureMotion HD+ display, NFC, A-GPS plus GLONASS, and 1.5GH dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor.  The hottest feature comes in the form of a 8.7MP camera PureView camera with floating lens technology and a camera app called City Lens that is used hto elp you find the way around your current location.

• Data: Edge, 4G, LTE
• Design: Bar
• Keyboard/Buttons: Touchscreen
• Type: Smartphone
• Talk Time: 9 hours (540 minutes)
• Touch Screen: Yes - capacitive - Super Sensitive Touch
• Camera Features: 1080p HD video capture with optical stabilization, 1.2MP front-facing camera, image stability, City Lens
• Bluetooth: Yes, v3.1 Supported Profiles: HFP 1.5, OPP, PBA, A2DP 1.2, AVRC 1.4
• Operating System: Windows Phone
• Wi-Fi: Yes

Nokia Lumia 820 Cyan

Quick Summary

The Nokia Lumia 820 also announced during the Windows Phone event in New York offers consumers a 4.3" ClearBlack OLED tech and an 800x480 resolution, 8MP Carl Zeiss optics camera, dual LED flash, NFC, A-GPS plus GLONASS, and 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor.

• Data: Edge, 4G
• Design: Bar
• Keyboard/Buttons: Touchscreen
• Type: Smartphone
• Talk Time: 7.5 hours (450 minutes)
• Touch Screen: Yes - capacitive - Super Sensitive Touch
• Camera Features: 1080p Video capture, VGA front-facing camera, Carl Zeiss optics
• Bluetooth: Yes, v3.0 Supported Profiles: A2DP 1.2, AVRCP 1.4, GAVDP 1.2, GOEP, HFP 1.5, HSP 1.1, OPP 1.1, PBAP 1.0
• Operating System: Windows Phone
• Wi-Fi: Yes

Nokia Lumia 920 Matte Cyan

Quick Summary

The Nokia Lumia 920 is a smartphone offering a 4.5" PureMotion HD+ display, NFC, A-GPS plus GLONASS, and 1.5GH dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor. The hottest feature comes in the form of a 8.7MP camera PureView camera with floating lens technology and a camera app called City Lens that is used hto elp you find the way around your current location.

• Data: Edge, 4G, LTE
• Design: Bar
• Keyboard/Buttons: Touchscreen
• Type: Smartphone
• Talk Time: 9 hours (540 minutes)
• Touch Screen: Yes - capacitive - Super Sensitive Touch
• Camera Features: 1080p HD video capture with optical stabilization, 1.2MP front-facing camera, image stability, City Lens
• Bluetooth: Yes, v3.1 Supported Profiles: HFP 1.5, OPP, PBA, A2DP 1.2, AVRC 1.4
• Operating System: Windows Phone
• Wi-Fi: Yes

  The most innovative smartphone."

  1. The screen: PuremotionHD+ seems to be an umbrella term for a few technologies. The main one is the fact that the pixel refresh rate is the fastest and so the transition of anything on the screen is much better. It is the first device to be able to fully show 60fps without motion blur. It is 5.4x as fast as the IPhone 5 and 2.4x as fast as the Galaxy S3. Next is the fact that it uses Synaptic technology which means you can use it consistently, and perfectly accurately

Nokia Lumia 920 Review 

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Aaron goes in-depth with the Nokia Lumia 920 .  Featuring a 1.5 GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor, 4.5-inch PureMotion HD (720p) display, 8-megapixel shooter with 1080p HD recording, 2,000 mAh battery, and 4G LTE .  It can be had at AT&T for $99.99, and available color options include white, black, red, yellow, and blue.  It's priced incredibly well, but it's joining a myriad of other Android and Windows Phone 8 devices this mo

Nokia Lumia 920 High Gloss Red

Quick Summary

The Nokia Lumia 920 is a smartphone offering a 4.5" PureMotion HD+ display, NFC, A-GPS plus GLONASS, and 1.5GH dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor. The hottest feature comes in the form of a 8.7MP camera PureView camera with floating lens technology and a camera app called City Lens that is used hto elp you find the way around your current location.

• Data: Edge, 4G, LTE
• Design: Bar
• Keyboard/Buttons: Touchscreen
• Type: Smartphone
• Talk Time: 9 hours (540 minutes)
• Touch Screen: Yes - capacitive - Super Sensitive Touch
• Camera Features: 1080p HD video capture with optical stabilization, 1.2MP front-facing camera, image stability, City Lens
• Bluetooth: Yes, v3.1 Supported Profiles: HFP 1.5, OPP, PBA, A2DP 1.2, AVRC 1.4
• Operating System: Windows Phone
• Wi-Fi: Yes

  The most innovative smartphone."

  1. The screen: PuremotionHD+ seems to be an umbrella term for a few technologies. The main one is the fact that the pixel refresh rate is the fastest and so the transition of anything on the screen is much better. It is the first device to be able to fully show 60fps without motion blur. It is 5.4x as fast as the IPhone 5 and 2.4x as fast as the Galaxy S3. Next is the fact that it uses Synaptic technology which means you can use it consistently, and perfectly accurately, with gloves on or with.

Nokia Lumia 920 Blac

Quick Summary

During a Windows Phone event in New York City, Nokia announced the 920. A smartphone offering a 4.5" PureMotion HD+ display, NFC, A-GPS plus GLONASS, and 1.5GH dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor. The hottest feature comes in the form of a 8.7MP camera PureView camera with floating lens technology and a camera app called City Lens that is used hto elp you find the way around your current location.

• Data: Edge, 4G, LTE
• Design: Bar
• Keyboard/Buttons: Touchscreen
• Type: Smartphone
• Talk Time: 9 hours (540 minutes)
• Touch Screen: Yes - capacitive - Super Sensitive Touch
• Camera Features: 1080p HD video capture with optical stabilization, 1.2MP front-facing camera, image stability, City Lens
• Bluetooth: Yes, v3.1 Supported Profiles: HFP 1.5, OPP, PBA, A2DP 1.2, AVRC 1.4
• Operating System: Windows Phone

Wi-Fi: Yes
Aaron goes in-depth with the Nokia Lumia 920.  Featuring a 1.5 GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor, 4.5-inch PureMotion HD (720p) display, 8-megapixel shooter with 1080p HD recording, 2,000 mAh battery, and 4G LTE.  It can be had at AT&T for $99.99, and available color options include white, black, red, yellow, and blue.  It's priced incredibly well, but it's joining a myriad of other Android and Windows Phone 8 devices this month.  Can it go head to head with the other flagship smartphones on the market?

Top 5 Smartphone Features of 2012

This year’s smartphone headlines have been shared out across a variety of subjects, from Samsung’s rise to power, to the revamp of Windows Phoneand Android’s inexorable march.In between the big stories there were plenty of minor developments along the way with processors getting faster, screens getting bigger and new apps coming along that do things we never even imagined possible. Here we take a look at ten of the best smartphone features that were introduced during 2012.

 1.Chrome

Chrome has taken the desktop world by storm, with figures form web-based research firm StatCounter showing it to be the world’s most popular web browser.

While its mobile counterpart hasn’t had quite the same impact yet, the smartphone browser’s performance cannot be beaten. Forming a link between your computer and mobile, tabs can be synced between devices along with a whole host of other features only looks set grow over time.

2. Windows Phone 8 Live Tiles Interface

There are lots of interesting features in Windows Phone 8, other than those introduced by the handsets which run the platform, but the most striking is the reworking of the Live Tiles interface.

Live Tiles looked great on Windows Phone 7 but Microsoft’s design team has pulled out all the stops for its new platform, allowing users to resize the tiles and fit even more of them on the homescreen.

With the UI now also expanding to fit the entire width of the display, Windows Phone 8 has possibly the best looking user interface in the mobile world, with an incredible amount of information accomodated without any of it looking squeezed or squashed.

3. 3000mAh+ Batteries

Motorola’s revamp of its RAZR handset, the RAZR Maxx, saw an excellent upgrade which fattened out the previously slim device and filled the resulting space with a 3000mAh battery.

The manufacturer claims that the power source provides up to 17 hours of talk time and while this is hard to test we have no reason to doubt it, judging by the way the handset performed in our tests.

Samsung hasn’t stood idly by while this went on, moving to include a even bigger 3100mAh battery in the Galaxy Note II.

While the Korean manufacturer claims a slightly less impressive 16 hours of talk time for its handset, the fact that such powerful batteries are becoming more common can only be a good thing for mobile users frustrated with smartphones that won’t last a day on one charge

4. Google Now

Google’s mobile services have taken a huge leap forward with Google Now, introduced alongside the latest version its mobile platform, Android Jelly Bean.

The search engine can now learn about you, your habits and tastes and direct information to you automatically. With a level of accuracy that can even be a little unsettling, Google Now will tell you what the traffic is like on your route to work, what the weather is doing in your area, and whether or not your team is losing as a match takes place.

It’s a brilliant innovation which is indicative of the tech giant’s move away from its traditional web-based search services. No doubt Google Now will only expand upon this, bringing even more personalisation and information in the future.

5. Samsung Galaxy Note II’s 5.5-inch Display

Measuring only half an inch smaller than a Kindle, Samsung’s latest Galaxy Notedevice is an incredibly powerful phone that pushes the limits of smartphone design in more ways than just its size.

However, perhaps the most interesting aspect of the device is the effect it has had on the smartphone world – what was once termed a ‘phablet’ is now thought of by many as just a regular smartphone. Whereas devices with displays larger than 5-inches were once freakish and unusual they are now accepted as the norm.

Super High-Spec ZTE Nubia Z5

ZTE has announced not only a new phone, but a new brand name to go along with it – the Nubia Z5. The phone is the latest addition to the growing range of tablet/smartphone hybrids with 5-inch, 1080p displays, a form factor which has suddenly exploded in popularity – mainly with manufacturers it seems – and is likely to be one of the biggest mobile trends in 2013.

The screen is listed as being made by Sharp and boasts a 443ppi pixel density, while powering the massive, high resolution screen is a 1.5GHz, Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro quad-core processor with 2GB of RAM. There’s also 32GB of internal memory, but no mention of a microSD card slot to expand this figure.

The next large number on the Nubia Z5′s spec sheet is the 13 megapixel camera with a Konica Minolta lens, plus a 2 megapixel forward facing video call camera too, however there are two important figures which are lower than one may expect – the 126 gram weight and the 7.6mm chassis thickness. Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean is installed and a 2300mAh battery runs the show.

ZTE’s new Nubia range is reserved for high-end smartphones and its circular logo has been used on the phone to pinpoint a button below the screen. It’s only for the Chinese market at the moment, but has a GSM, CDMA and China-specific WCDMA compatible radio. This means an international release is likely, and it could be coming at CES 2012, when ZTE unveils the Grand S – the possible international name for the Nubia Z5.

It’s an exciting phone with an amazing specification, and if the price is as competitive as ZTE’s other phones, it could have a real winner on its hands.

Sony Xperia T Receives Android 4.1.2 - Update

Users of the Sony Xperia T can now access a new maintenance and performance firmware update that brings a range of improvements to the handset.

There are three key new features to come with the software update, which is now rolling out to handsets across the UK, including:

• Extended standby mode – which will be increased up to four times over the standard performance.
• Screen Mirroring – allowing the sharing of pictures, videos, games and much more with enabled TVs.
• Sony United update – the first stage of uniting Sony devices with a range of handsets and tablets running Google’s Android software, so that the OS and icons look the same no matter what device is being used.

Other tweaks have also been made to improve the microphone sensitivity whilst recording videos, advanced GPS settings, proximity sensor improvements and more accurate battery monitoring.

All Xperia smartphones released from 2012 onwards will be supported by the update and customers no longer need to download and install additional software, as the update can be run directly from www.sonymobile.com, accessed by clicking on the software tab.

"IPhone", "iPod" and "iPads" comes "AjVoch"

"IPhone", "iPod" and "iPads" American company "Apple" works and creating smart clock "AjVoch", the U.S. business portal "Business insider".

Portal stating "Apple" work with "Intel" development VOCs clock. Sources of supply procurement company for Chinese blog "Tech163.com" confirmed that the clock will have a "bluetooth" and sporting OLED screen of 1.5 inches.

Smart clock "AjVoch" should be presented in the first half of next year.

Jen Munster analyst believes that "Apple" could enter the line of computers that carry hand.

"The Next Web" states that through "kikstart" campaign has raised over $ 10 million from investors who are confident in the future of smart watches.

Portal "Business insider" says that, although the information coming from the blog and in phase rumors, smart watches are another area in which "Apple" could find a serious interest and demand.

iPad 5 will be even thinner

Sipas burimeve të lajmeve në Taivan, DigiTimes pohon se Apple po punon për gjeneratën e re të iPad-ve, iPad 5, i cili do të jetë akoma më i hollë se modelet aktualë.

Gjithashtu thuhet se Apple do të reduktojë peshën e gjeneratës së ardhshme 9.7-inç të iPad-ve duke bërë kalimin nga teknologjia Dual LED Light Bar në një Led Light Bar të vetëm. Kjo do të ndihmojë në zvogëlimin e peshës dhe trashësisë së përgjithshme të pajisjes.

Teknologjia Dual LED Light Bar u prezantua fillimisht te iPad 3, i cili ishte iPad-i i parë me ekran Retina. Kjo teknologji ndihmonte në rritjen e qartësisë së ekranit.

Me sa duket, Apple mund të ketë gjetur një tjetër mënyrë për të siguruar të njëjtin nivel qartësie vizuale me vetëm një LED Light Bar.

Heqja e njërit prej LED Light Bar do të ndihmojë pajisjen të konsumojë më pak energji, kështuqë Apple arrin me një goditje të ketë një iPad më të hollë, që peshon më pak, dhe që ka një bateri që zgjat 10 orë.

Kjo do të ishte një lëvizje e shkëlqyer e Apple. Pritet që Apple ta prezantojë iPad 5 në 2013 me një kasë më të hollë dhe stil të ngjashëm me iPad mini-n aktual.

Ndërsa iPad mini 2 pritet që t’i shtohet ekrani Retina.

Possible iPhone 5S image leaked, said to hit production in Q1 2013

An image said to show the casing from Apple’s iPhone 5S has leaked online, revealing a different internal configuration to the one used on 2012’s iPhone 5. Sources claim it’s the real deal but speculation suggests it may just be a clone. 

It appears to be the same size as the iPhone 5, suggesting Apple is not including a larger panel next time around, but the internal configuration is slightly different. 

Know Your Mobile has seen the standard of iPhone clone devices while traveling around Asia and while it’s certainly plausible that Apple is testing a new device, it’s more likely that this device is some kind of forgery. There’s plenty out there and some are actually quite impressive. 

A Chinese site in November claimed the firm was set to begin trial production of the new model this month, although has no details of what new features it may contain, reports the Daily Mail. 

No Apple rumour would be complete without some input from DigiTimes, and this instance is no exception. ‘Facing low yield rates in the production of iPhone 5, Apple has accelerated the certification processes for related parts and components for the iPhone 5S,’ said the supply chain blog. 

The report also claims that Apple’s iPhone 5S will hit ‘volume production in Q1 2013’ but could not say when the company would launch the device. Our best estimate, based on Apple’s historical release schedule, is a late-Q2 early-Q3 launch and release. 

That said, Apple could push out a minor update to the iPhone 5 significantly earlier, adding additional hardware, ramping up specs, and outfitting it with more widely supported LTE radios. 

Samsung out-sold the iPhone 5 with its Galaxy S3 handset in Q3 2012, indicating that Apple has finally lost control of the UK smartphone space. 

It took Samsung a good few years but it now seems to be a done deal: the Galaxy S-brand is the new power-player in town. And with the release of the Galaxy S4 scheduled for sometime in early Q2 2013, you can expect Samsung’s stake in the space to keep on growing. 

Apple’s next big step is reinventing iOS. The company's UI needs a massive facelift, having looked more or less the same since it first launched way back in 2007. 

In our opinion that's a much more pressing issue than releasing a mild update to the iPhone 5, which the iPhone 5S will no doubt be. 

More news as we get it. 

iPhone 5 Review

iPhone 5 was announced just a few weeks ago and fell into users hands last Friday.  I’ve spent a few days reviewing the iPhone 5 and I will say it feels solid and is noticeably quicker.  I used the device as my daily driver, and, for the most part, I like the new iteration of the iPhone 5 and iOS 6, but there are some items I’d like to see resolved. Check out my thoughts on the iPhone 5 in my review below.

Call quality, overall, has been outstanding.  The calls are clear and there is very little disruptive noise heard on the other line, I believe the 3 mics add for additional clarity and, while the microphones are not visually noticeable, it makes the call quality remarkably better.  I experienced no dropped calls, and the iPhone 5 appears to have a great antenna.  Reception doesn’t seem to fluctuate regardless of how or where you hold the phone.  One oddity is some calls appear to have a one second delay between when I answer the phone and when the caller can hear me. I’m not sure if this can be attributed to a software or hardware issue, but honestly, it doesn’t seem to happen too frequently and most users will probably not notice it.

Quality

As we’ve become accustomed to, Apple has built another piece of solid hardware.  If you watch the Apple PR videos of the manufacturing process you can see how the edges and corners are cut away to provide the sleek bezeled feel around the metallic casing of the device. The anodized aluminum back has been reported to show scratches, but so far it seems to have held up well.  The scratching issue is not something exclusive to the iPhone 5 and can probably be easily avoided with extra care, a case or some plastic adhesive protection.  Overall the iPhone 5 feels solid while remarkably light (3.96 ounces).

A6 Processor

Much has been said about the A6 processor and all those stories are true; it is definitely faster than the A4 and A5 processors.  The speed is particularly evident on boot-ups where the times are noticeably quicker.  I never thought any iPhones versions were slow, but the iPhone 5 feels faster.

Apps load quicker than ever before. I sampled this by running the same apps on an iPhone 4S against an iPhone 5 and the results show the latter loading them faster than the 4S. I didn’t go through and compare every app I had, but most loaded and ran faster without any issue.

From a processing standpoint, Safari load times are significantly faster, swiping/scrolling across pages is smooth and there is no lag.

In summary, the A6 processor is zippy and worth the upgrade. You wont be disappointed.

CDMA-Voice/Data

For CDMA networks, that is Sprint and Verizon subscribers, the iPhone 5 does not support concurrent voice and data usage.  If talking on your phone while using data is a priority, you may want to check out other smartphones or check-out AT&T’s services.

Display

The iPhone 5 display is the same quality as the 4S, just half an inch larger. The 4-inch Retina Display has pixel resolution of 640 x 1136 at 326 ppi.  The aspect ratio is 16:9, adds an extra row of apps/icons on your home screen(s), larger keyboard for typing and is great for viewing videos and pictures (less letterboxing for wide screen content).

But bigger isn’t always better; while most iPhone users may have become accustomed to the familiar iPhone dimensions, the new longer form factor may require a bit of adjustment for some users to acquaint themselves to the change.  Users with smaller hands may find it a bit awkward trying to power the device on or off.

Lightning Connector

The Lightning Connector is working its way to be the standard across all iOS, and possibly other, devices.  The new connector works as well as the previous 30-pin variation that has been a mainstay of the iOS line ever since the first iPod was released nearly a decade ago.  The reversible use of the Lightning port is nice; how many of us have tried in pain to attempt to plug in a connector (iPhone, micro USB, etc.) at night only to find ourselves plugging it in the wrong direction?  The connector charges and syncs as advertised.  However, $30 for an adapter is absurd.  Considering how iPod/iPhone docking in cars and various peripherals is in itself a huge industry, a lot of people have invested a lot of money in infrastructure for these devices.  I understand why the new connector is necessary (for visual and hardware needs), but Apple should have made it financially easier for convertees to obtain the dock.

LTE

LTE is fast and is a nice welcome for iPhone users.  LTE on AT&T’s network is nearly twice as fast as HSPA+, but it does appear to suffer from poor wall penetration compared to other networks.  This may be a result of the frequency AT&T’s network uses or due to AT&T’s younger network and may be resolved with additional network upgrades.  The device itself demonstrates fast network speeds. About 20 minutes outside of our Irvine HQ, we saw LTE download speeds exceeding 25 Mbps (Thanks Ryan).

Battery

While Apple claims battery life on the iPhone 5 is better than the 4S, the results from our own review show that it is not true.  With LTE on, I’m getting about 10 percent less battery life than with the iPhone 4S.  If you are an iPhone 4S user and you ended a full day with 10 percent of more battery life remaining you should not have to worry.  In the tests I ran, I did not attempt to do any battery saving measures (turning off features, turning down display lightning, etc.).  I received about 8 hours of talk time and so should you.

Camera

When comparing the iPhone 5 to the 4S, I noticed very little difference in the stills. Low light level photos seem to be slightly improved versus the iPhone 4S.  Which is always a plus, especially considering the alternative is a flash of bright LED light to compensate for darker situations.

In video however, the image stabilization was very helpful, so shaky hands no more. You will be able to capture all your favorite moments without giving your viewers motion sickness. The recorded audio in the iPhone 5 is much improved, probably a result of the additional (third) microphone.

The front camera received a nice upgrade and the quality difference between front and back-facing camera shots won’t be as noticeable. If you like taking self-portraits using the front-facing camera, you will enjoy making “duck-face” portraits as much as I do.

Panorama as a feature on the iPhone 5 is neat, but a feature most past users have found an app to meet their needs.

Wi-Fi

Though Wi-Fi is a feature we do not normally disclose in phone reviews, there are some users reporting Wi-Fi connectivity issues, whether those are user-error or iPhone 5 hardware/software issues, I am not certain.  However, from my own experience, I am experiencing increased range and speed, even to be able to penetrate multiple concrete walls and still attain full connection and fast speeds.  The iPhone 5 has, what appears to becoming the industry standard, multiband support for 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz antennas.

Software

The Good

I’ve complained numerous times about the stale software, but before we jump into that, I’d like to start with what Apple got right in iOS 6.

First off, the app experience is great. The new A6 processor does a great job speeding up processing and it just feels so quick.  Letter boxing is a nice way to bridge the gap while developers play catch up to the new resolution.  Why most developers didn’t already pre-alter their apps in preparation for iPhone 5 is another discussion, but in due time we will see more apps take advantage of the larger screen size.

Siri has matured a bit and is faster. In fact, it is just about as fast as Google Search.  The personal digital assistant may have to contend with more network pressure than Google Search considering Jelly Bean implementation is not yet as wide spread through the Android community. That being said, the latest version of Siri has more capabilities than before (sports, movies, Yelp, OpenTable, open apps)  and feels more natural than previous versions.  Did Siri develop a southern accent? It sounds like her voice has changed a bit.

Facebook integration is really nice, anything to help cut down on the number of clicks to get to what I need is always a plus.  As much as Facebook has been beaten up in the past few months, this feature is a win for the social network.

We’ve written often on TechnoBuffalo regarding Apple’s biggest asset, the ecosystem.  iPhone’s biggest appeal is the way the ecosystem integrates across its devices and iCloud integration is a perfect example of that solid experience; being able to back up and recover devices over iCloud is a great case for the elimination of the home P.C.  Shared Photo Stream is a nice way to share photos with friends and family without the trouble of uploading, emailing, tagging, pinning, etc.

The Bad and The Ugly

Dialing from the Home screen is not as easy as it is from an Android device. I wish there were shortcuts that can be enabled to call my frequent called contacts.

Landscape viewing support is a bit lacking, for example take a look at typing in landscape then double-tap your home button to pull up multi-tasking, not very natural is it?

Siri needs to go back to school and learn some more tricks, I wish it was smart enough to turn my Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Airplane mode, etc.  If NFC is a missing option, at least create a workaround that makes me not need an NFC-like solution. Taking another hint from Android, I wish there was an easier way to view information, Android uses widgets and a more robust notification drop down menu.  iOS just doesn’t have a viable option without running to the arms of the Jailbreak community.

What can I say more about Maps that hasn’t already been stated by the staff at TechnoBuffalo, Maps needs help and it will get there, but there is a lot to for after the release of the current version of Maps.

YouTube too, lost its integration in this round of iOS 6, and has been replaced with a separate download from the App Store.  It’s not as elegant or as user friendly as the previous version.  Which is sad considering how well it synced with the rest of iOS.

Passbook, so far, is quite useless. Just a handful of developers/retails/service providers are taking advantage of this feature, with Starbucks coming on board later this month.  Passbook has a ton of potential and is supposed to make life a lot easier, but unless the micro-ecosystem that is passbook doesn’t gain traction this feature is dead where it stands.

Conclusion

Hands down iPhone 5 is the best iPhone yet.  If you have an iPhone 4 or earlier this is a worthy upgrade.  If you have an iPhone 4S, I would only upgrade if LTE and the larger screen are priorities for you.  Otherwise, all the features are available through an iOS upgrade (which can’t be said for other previous iPhones).

As usual, Apple comes in years ahead of the competition when it comes to design, materials and build quality.  The only competitor that comes remotely close to Apple is HTC, and it is a very distant second.

The iPhone 5 and iOS 6 aren’t bad, but both fall short of Apple’s trend of innovation pushing the bar with each new product release.  You can call it a result of their own success, but the iPhone 5 and iOS 6 doesn’t match the innovation improvements and joyous enhancements we’ve seen from previous iterations.

The iPhone is still a great buy for anyone looking for an iPhone or any smartphone.

I give the iPhone an editor’s choice rating of 9 out of 10, one point was deducted for some software shortcomings and the lack of concurrent voice/data on CDMA iPhone 5S.