iPad mini-4

Movies, music and books

When it comes to the iPad mini, it's clear Apple is doing what it has always done and made it into a multimedia hub for the 'modern user on the go'... which in today's terms is the same as every tablet out there.

However, very few can cope with the raw power and breadth of offering available in the iTunes library, which brings a smorgasbord of music, video and books to the device - and that's before you even get into the subject of using third party apps to extend the experience.

TV and Movies

The iPad mini suffers from the same thing that all the other iPads do: namely that the 16GB version, which is the poster child of the new cut-size range, is too small to really pack with the movies and apps that you want.

With the release of the Retina-imbued new iPad, the size of apps like iMovie has soared, so combine that with a whole series of HD video or your favourite movies and you can see why it makes sense to pay a fair bit more to get more storage on your tablet.

It's a pretty big issue that plagued the first 'new' iPad, and although the lower-res display of the mini doesn't need as many pixels, the sizes for download are still the same.

Comparing a TV show download from the iTunes app in SD and HD quality should't be that different - or so you'd think. In reality, the HD quality videos are much more impressive on the iPad mini, meaning you'll always be tempted to fork out a little more to get the extra sharpness.

And there's another problem: the cost of downloading things through the iPad mini. An HD TV series can be purchased for around £35, but in 'real life' (as in, on the shop shelves or Amazon) it can be over half that for a Blu-ray version of the same episodes.

It's not just Apple that charges these high prices, but in reality it's a real issue - you want to power up your new tablet with loads of video, and unless you want to find a way to get access to files without heading through the iTunes store, which many won't, we can see many new iPad users being frustrated by this limiting access.

There's the other issue here: the lack of file compatibility. The iPad mini will play .mp4 files fairly easily, but if you fancy chucking on a DivX or AVI option then that's out of the question. There are third party applications you can use, but these can be extremely buggy and cost extra to put on your tablet.

But that's the griping out of the way - as a video player, the iPad mini is very good. It's just the right size and weight to hold two-handed in landscape mode, and if you're OK with it not feeling as secure in one hand, a decent heft to hold with a single set of digits.

The headphone jack is also well-placed - holding it with the Home Button to the right will keep it completely palm free, and if you choose the other direction you'll find it's just clear enough to not get in the way all the time.

The screen is far too glossy though, meaning if you've got any kind of light source behind your head, you'll be seeing more of that than what's on screen. The standalone video app isn't great for non-iTunes content, meaning if you've lobbed on a few videos of your own you'll have no idea which one you were watching last or how far you are through it.

There's also a weird issue watching anything over Bluetooth headphones, but we'll get to that in the connectivity section of the review.

We will admit that not being able to hold it in one hand securely will be an issue for some, and Apple shouldn't be pretending that it will be a comfortable experience for many, but the wider screen is so much better than on the Nexus 7 or Kindle Fire HD that we can't really be annoyed too much.

The ability to fine tune how you slide through the video to get to the section you want, the ease with which you can jump in and out of episodes or movies or the simple one-touch option to fire the movie out to a bigger screen through AirPlay is all intuitive and impressive. There might be an issue getting what you want on the iPad mini, but once it's there it's one of our favourite devices to use for video.

Music

Music is also well-placed on the iPad mini, with a simple to use interface and a much better price range for new songs should you want to keep up to date with the latest and greatest of the hit parade.

Before the first iPad made its debut we wondered how Apple would increase the size of the interface to make use of all the space on the screen, and while it's a little expansive on the larger version, the iPad mini revels in the larger amount of room to show albums and tracks but also makes it much easier to hit the buttons on the screen.

Like with the video option, the AirPlay function is easily accessible, but only when available, which makes it a much easier system to use if you want to pump your tunes around the house.

The sound quality through headphones is, as ever, excellent, although when playing it through the speakers the fact they're chucked down one end of the device does mean the sound quality isn't as good, especially if it's placed with the connector facing downwards (obviously).

The sound is rich enough to get away with should your DJ be taken ill an hour before the party, but it's not going to win any audio quality contests.

Overall though, and especially with wireless headphones, the iPad mini is great for tunes, in terms of being able to choose new songs through the store from the Music app to high-res album art playing on the lock screen - as well as the aforementioned widget controls it gets from the multitasking menu.

Books

With the smaller screen size, you'd be forgiven for thinking that this may be an e-reader above all else – well, no, as the iPad mini is no better for e-books than its larger brother.

It's superior in terms of portability and ease of holding, but the main advantage dedicated e-readers like the Kindle PaperWhite have is the fact the display is passive, and therefore doesn't cause as much eye strain.

The iBooks app is decent enough, with a fun bookshelf layout and an easy to use interface that means you can swipe or tap to head through the tomes. However, given many people now have Kindle accounts, the dedicated app from Amazon is superior in our view.

It seems odd that iBooks isn't actually pre-installed on the iPad mini, as it seems to be a core feature of the device at the screen size, but you'll be prompted to download it when you head into the App Store for the first time.

The reading experience is fine, but as with many LCD screen-based e-readers longer sessions aren't as pleasurable as they are on the e-ink devices, simply because the screen quality causes more strain on the eyes. The lower resolution means that words aren't displayed as sharply on the screen, which is a shame, but it's not the end of the world… just another area where the cost savings have been met.

Gaming

The gaming prowess of the iPad mini has been called into question slightly, as the onboard chip certainly isn't the most powerful Apple has ever cranked out.

That worry was confirmed when firing up some higher-power games, such as Sky Gamblers: Air Supremacy, which looks phenomenal on both the iPad 3 and new iPad 4.

Graphics were much blockier, although the gameplay was smooth enough and the three-axis gyro made playing shooting games a little more fun – this coupled with the smaller dimensions of the device but with a larger screen made some games a heap more playable than before.

Apple has crafted the iPad mini to attract the casual gamer; while others will work fine on the device, don't expect to be wowed by the gaming prowess.

iPad mini -3

Interface and performance

When it comes to the interface on the iPad mini, it's not going to be a shock to any long-time Apple users, with the same iOS 6 method of displaying icons still as prevalent as ever.

This means the transition to the smaller size of device will be easy for most, as although the iPad layout, with more space between the icons on the home screen, is prevalent once more, it shrinks down nicely.

Holding the iPad mini in portrait mode is easy enough thanks to the weight, and prodding the icons on screen isn't too difficult nor does it feel like you're going to push the tablet out of your hands and onto the floor, waiting for that heart-stopping moment when you see a crack slide across the display like demon fingers reaching into your wallet.

The iOS interface is simplicity itself, so any users not familiar with Apple's mobile operating system will pick it up in no time at all. The icons are laid out in a 4 by 3 grid, and unlike on the iPhone they will rotate when you move the tablet into landscape format.

The ability to place icons in the bottom dock means you can have the apps you want pervading around the home screen, while dragging and dropping said apps on top of one another will allow you to create folders with ease, which you can rename anything you want.

As we expected with a device running iOS 6 there are no widgets to speak of, which means the only app you can really control from the home screen is the music player, which can be accessed by double tapping the home button (which activates the list of recently-used apps) and swiping left for access to the music controls.

What is also nice here is you can alter the brightness of the iPad mini from the same screen, as well as change the speaker output if you're using AirPlay... little things but the direction Apple needs to take to make iOS a little more modern. It's nothing new, but it works very well on the smaller tablet.

The lock screen is a slightly different matter; for those au fait with iOS on the iPad, this will be old news, but for the newcomers: if you double tap the home button here you'll be presented with access to your music controls again, along with album art displaying when you're listening to music.

And there's also the option to have the lock screen as a slide show of all your favourite pictures, which is started up by pressing the photo icon at the bottom - it's these little tweaks that have brought joy to so many Apple users over the years, and we're still impressed by them today.

However, this is still iOS 6 running, and that's becoming something of a problem in our eyes. Not so much at the moment, as there's enough simplicity and function on offer to not make us too worried, but it's a system that is starting to show its age.

For instance, one of our main bugbears is through controlling settings - this is still only really possible through the main 'Settings' app, which means if you want to tweak mail settings, music or apps themselves you'll need to jump out of whatever you're doing and head into another menu from the home screen just to make a small alteration.

However, Apple is still catering for the iPad owners with some handy gestures to make things easier to move around. Instead of double tapping the home button to switch apps, touching the screen with all five fingers and swiping left and right will move you through the most recently-used apps, and pinching all digits together will return you to the home screen.

This is really helpful when using the tablet on the move, as it means you don't need to shuffle the palm around to hit the home button - and it's really cool too. It's an even more intuitive system on the iPad mini than the iPad 'proper', as it somehow fits the screen size better.

We still like the Facebook and Twitter integration – being able to post thoughts directly from the notification centre (available anywhere by dragging from the top of the screen)

Apple might be criticised for bringing last year's technology to the iPad mini, as the A5 chip with 512MB of RAM doesn't sound like a lot when you can buy the quad core Google Nexus 4 smartphone with 2GB of RAM for the same price as the mini, and with the same amount of storage too.

However, in practice it's really rather hard to fault Apple's interface performance when using the device in day to day use. It's definitely not got the grunt of the larger new iPad 4, as when we were setting up the device and downloading all manner of music and settings the whole thing melted down and wouldn't let us move around menus or see what was going on with other apps.

But that was a rare situation, as only apps getting snarled up and shutting themselves down caused us any consternation in day to day use. This isn't a regular occurrence, and to be fair happens a lot less on iOS than it does on Android, as Apple's quality control is a tad higher when allowing apps into its marketplace.

And let's not forget about real world use - we tested this side by side with a number of other tablets, including the quad core competition, and when it came to browsing speed we were impressed to see the iPad mini coming up trumps in the speed stakes on a number of occasions. Benchmarks confirm that it can ripple along as well as the competition, and validates Apple's decision to stick with the older processor to keep 'costs down' (or margins up)...

The only real gripe, and it's one you'll hear time and again from us throughout this iPad mini review, is the fact that the screen is too low-res. It simply saddens us to see menus we're used to on both iPads and iPhones not having the same sharpness as before... and we're certainly not used to seeing Apple take a step back in quality.

If you've never used a top end smartphone or tablet, this won't be an issue as the display is fine, and technically still HD in terms of pixel count. But it's definitely the trick Apple is holding up its sleeve for the iPad mini 2 - that Tim Cook is a sneaky one, isn't he?

iPad mini -2

Features and design

This is pretty much a lie

The iPad mini is one of those devices that exists because the market started to dictate its presence…but that doesn't mean Apple doesn't want to put its own spin on things.

To that end, the screen is larger at 7.9 inches, the design is completely different to the likes of the new iPad or the Google Nexus 7, and the whole ethos has been created from the ground up partly under the stewardship of Sir Jony Ive, according to Apple.

None of that matters though – what is important is the fact it's a superbly-designed device that at least gives a measure of why it costs so much more than the likes of the Kindle Fire HD.

The aluminium chassis shares the same colouring as the iPhone 5, with the darker black slate and white silver options both bringing a touch of class to proceedings.

At 308g it's twice the weight and then some of the iPhone 5, but compared to other tablets on the market (and combined with the aluminium chassis) it gives a very lightweight feeling the hand.

The screen is something of a worry though – with the 1024 x 768 resolution in the expansive display we're only getting a sharpness akin to the iPhone 3GS. While the display is better than that, thanks to improved IPS LCD technology, its still light years behind the Retina display on the bigger brother new iPad.

If you own a modern iPad, you'll notice the difference straight away. But then again, if you have one of these, then you won't want to buy the iPad mini.

Where the tablet will struggle to impress is when users who own an iPhone are checking it out, as it certainly doesn't have the wow factor of other devices.

In a side by side test of the same movie running on the iPad mini, theNexus 7 and the Kindle Fire HD, the iPad looked the least impressive (although the contrast ratio was certainly more than decent in our eyes).

Then there's the issue of holding the actual tablet. As Apple says, it's as light as pad of legal paper, and there's definitely no notion of this causing undue wrist strain. However, there is an issue with actually holding it, as the iPad mini doesn't really lend itself that well to any manner of grip.

The most comfortable and safe-feeling way to hold a tablet is to grip right around the back – something Apple thinks you can do easily according to its promotional materials.

Well, you're wrong there, Cupertino-gadget-people. It's just too far to stretch around comfortably for those with average-sized hands, so you're forced to hold it in the corner, covering part of the screen. It's good that Apple has chucked some technology in there so this doesn't register as a touch, but it's not the most comfortable way to browse.

In landscape with two hands, the iPad mini is a much nicer device to hold, with the aluminium covering giving it a really lovely back. However, the covering in aluminium in the same way as the iPhone 5 has led to another design problem: scratching.

The handsets have been getting criticism for exposing the silver metal below with minimal scratching, and this has begun to happen within a day on the iPad mini – which is all the more confusing seeing as it doesn't live in the pocket with keys and coins.

It's something we hope Apple would have changed in the manufacturing process already, and means you'll need to keep a real eye on how you look after the tablet.

The top and the bottom of the bezel are also wide enough here to rest your hands comfortably, and the likes of landscape web browsing and accelerometer-based gaming are excellent.

The rest of the design is predictably ergonomic when it comes to tapping the minimal level of buttons. The volume rocker keys are close to, but not too near, the mute switch on the top right-hand side.

This is near the power button, which is intuitively placed to always be easy to hit when you want to reactivate the iPad mini… although many will just hit the home button to achieve the same thing.

That traditional Apple home key is predictably here again, and it's shrunken somewhat to fit into the smaller chassis. However, during our testing we found it just as easy as ever to hit, despite the dinkier dimensions.

It's interesting that Apple has popped the headphone jack at the top of the iPad mini, given it's put so much effort in chucking it down at the bottom of the iPhone 5... but we do love it staying above the screen.

The speakers are at the bottom of the iPad mini, flanking the Lightning connector, which offers faster speeds of data transfer and can be connected either way round that you fancy, which is handy when charging before bed and can't be bothered to put the light on.

The speakers provide decent enough sound, but in landscape mode really create a distorted sense of audio, thanks to it firing quite mono-directionally.

The processor being last generation, in the shape of the Apple A5 effort, may worry some but it's likely to be enough for most actions, coupled with 512MB of RAM. It's miles away from the raw grunt of the Google Nexus 7 or the new iPad with its A6X processor, but Apple reckons it helps it hit a sweet spot in terms of price.

iPad mini review

Small is now beautiful to Apple - but is it too stripped down?

Apple has gone where we never thought it would, with the iPad mini bringing the Apple tablet experience to a brave new budget world.

The new tablet comes in at a wallet-friendly £279 for the basic version, with 16GB of storage on offer for the Wi-Fi version. You can supplement the mini-slate with up to 64GB of space to chuck movies and music, as well as 4G LTE connectivity, but that will set you back an eye-watering £529 for the top model.

But then again, the iPad mini release isn't about the top end specs with a whopping price tag – it's about beating the likes of the Google Nexus 7and Amazon Kindle Fire HD in the budget stakes.

The two competitors have been getting many column inches so far thanks to the super cheap prices and the impressive specs on board – although with both only offering a 7-inch screen compared to Apple's 7.9-inch offering, the Cupertino board is confident its device will win the day when it comes to capturing consumers' hearts.

However, the more frugal shopper, and especially one buying for a loved one, may not agree with this idea, as the Nexus 7 or Kindle Fire HD costs around 40% less and when faced with a choice between the three might opt for the familiar Amazon brand or the sheer power of the Nexus 7, with its mightily impressive spec list and legions of Google apps.

That said, Apple fans need not worry too much when it comes to whether the iPad mini is a worthy addition to the iBrand, as it comes with enough power and reams of Ive-inspired design to make it a worthwhile addition to the range – this isn't a shrunken down iPad, it's a whole new product again.

Be it the larger screen size, the impressively low weight or the alternative design compared to the competition there's a lot to chew over with the iPad mini – but is it worth spending your hard-earned when more cash will get you a fully-fledged version of Apple's tablet?

Samsung Galaxy S4 release date-what can we expect

Galaxy S4

Rumors are running strong on Galaxy S4. As per Samsung’s routine, we can expect release of the device at the Mobile World Congress 2013. But, can’t we? Rumor mills suggest that we are much near to the next version of its flagship Android phone. What will be the Galaxy S4? Here we take a roundup of rumors about the handset.

1080p Display: It is almost certain that the Galaxy S4 would come out with a 1080p FullHD Super AMOLED display. Samsung is rumored to roll out its rival to the 1080p FullHD LCD display from Sharp and others. As per sources, the Korean tech firm will uncover its innovative display at CES 2013 and Galaxy S4 – the first handset to mount the 4.99-in panel – will be on display at MWC 2013.

The Galaxy S4 display will have a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels at a whopping pixel density of 441-ppi. It is also said that the company will use flexible OLED panels instead of the typical glass panels. Anyway, with a 5-in display, the handset will be a stiff rival to the likes of HTC DROID DNA (Deluxe DLX) and other similar phones from Sony, LG and Sharp.

Processor: The new Galaxy S phone is to pack a new dual quad core Exynos chipset. Samsung is almost likely to introduce the new chipset at the International Solid-Stat Circuits Conference in February 2013. The System-on-Chip (SoC), which is based on 28nm process, can clock at 1.8GHz and support the new ARM A15 Cortex.

Many analysts think that Samsung would introduce this new chipset in Galaxy S4. The new processor can provide great performance for the handset in all major aspects. You can watch video and play games quite smoothly on this machine. “The A7 cores should be capable of handling most [smartphone] tasks, with the A15 cores only required for maximum performance needs, like video games,” says Kevin Krewell.

Galaxy S III is already a phone with immense processor performance. Added with 2GB RAM and a high-profile graphical processing unit, the device will be a super phone for next year. Well, it will take on the rivals like HTC DROID DNA and a set of other phones with 1080p FullHD displays.

Camera: We all hoped that Galaxy S III or Galaxy Note II would have a 13MP rear camera. But, they did not get it and Samsung integrated the same 8MP camera of Galaxy S II on both the devices. Now it looks that we could expect a 13MP or better than 8MP camera on the fourth gen Galaxy S phone. Yes, 8MP camera is quite common now and so Samsung may think differently. It may not also go on to introduce the same cam on three versions in a row.

“The Galaxy S4 will feature a 13-megapixel Sony Exmore RS sensor, according to multiple sources, which, if true, means we could finally be getting a Samsung device with a truly high-end camera built into it,” says Know Your Mobile. If rumors are true, S4 would be an ideal phone for photography enthusiasts out there.

Storage: The Galaxy S III is already available in three essential memory options; 16GB, 32GB and 64GB. The same options will be available with the new Galaxy S phone. But, the premium model may have the new 10nm 64GB eMMC memory chip, which Samsung recently unveiled. The new memory chip is boasted to become 20 percent smaller and more than 30 percent faster than the present NAND standards. So we can certainly expect the handsets in 16GB, 32GB and 64GB versions as well.

Release Date: Samsung used to introduce new variants to its Galaxy S phones at MWC. This time also, it may come in the same technology trade show, most rumors suggest. The device will go for sales in April or May 2013.

Nokia Lumia 920-iPhone 5-Samsung Galaxy S3-among 5 best smart phones

Nokia Lumia 920, iPhone 5, Samsung Galaxy S3 are definitely among 5 best smart phones

Smart phones are in the highest demand right now and shoppers had never had it so good before. Earlier the choice was very limited and people had not many options. Some five years ago, there was only one choice if you were looking forward to get great smart-phone experience, there was BlackBerry. There was practically no alternative to it. Then came iPhone that eclipsed BlackBerry and made it look like obsolete.

But five years after the launch of first generation iPhone, things have changed completely as far as smart-phone market is concerned. Apple is no longer the only player in the market and the competition has intensified. Though Apple is trying to kill the competition by filing so many cases of patent infringements against its competitors, but it is not going to impact the dynamics of the market that has vertically changed.

Samsung has become a major player in the market posing tough challenge to Apple. Its numerous smart-phones of all size and for all segments have made it the largest vendor of smart-phones in the world. Its Galaxy S2, S3, Galaxy Note and then its latest iteration Note 2 have become so popular that they have been breaking one record after the other. On the other hand Nokia is trying to reinvent itself and has launched a very promising handset in Lumia 920, its first Windows Phone 8 handset.

A Taiwanese technology company HTC too has impressed tech mavens by launching many great handsets including its HTC One X and newly introduced Windows Phone 8 handset HTC 8X. Besides, Google is also increasingly becoming very effective in launching great smart-phones. Its recently introduced Nexus 4 went on to be sold out within half an hour of its launch in UK and USA. Here we take a look at top five smart-phones in the market.


Galaxy Note 2
Samsung’s Galaxy Note 2 has literally taken the market by storm. It is merely two months old and despite being a super sized phone with 5.5 inch display, five million units of the handsets have been sold. The Galaxy Note 2 comes with Samsung’s next-generation HD Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen technology, protected with Corning Gorilla Glass 2 to ensure the safety of your costly and great touchscreen. Though it comes with bigger display than its previous avatar, but this has not added to smart-phone or phablet’s size. Amazingly Korean technology giant has shifted from the original Note’s 16:10 aspect ratio to a 16:9 aspect ratio, which basically explains why the display resolution on the original Note is 800×1280 and the new one is 720×1280. It gives you three options when it comes to internal storage capacity. You can get a modest 16 GB model, a moderately sized 32 GB model, or a 64 GB model if you need hardcore storage for all your HD games, music, videos, and images. If that isn’t enough for you, the Note 2 allows for microSD card expansion for up to 64 GB. So, the total maximum space that you can slap onto your phone is a whopping 128 GB. It is among the best when it comes to power. The quad-core 1.6 GHz Samsung Exynos 4412 Cortex-A9 chipset and a Mali-400MP GPU power the Samsung Galaxy Note 2. Coupled with 2 GB of RAM and it is as powerful as many small laptops.

Nokia Lumia 920
Finnish technology company Nokia’s latest Windows Phone 8 is another great handset.  Since its launch earlier this month Nokia has already sold 2.5 million units of this wonderful phone. Nokia has launched the smart-phone with a hope to gain ground in smartphone market. The Finnish mobile firm, which has a shrinking market share for a while, looks to become a big player in smartphone market through its association with Microsoft. The Lumia 920 is the best ever Windows Phone Nokia has ever produced. The device is attention-grabbing due to a lot of great features such as 4.7-inch 1280×768- pixel display, 8.7MP PureView-based autofocus rear camera, 1.5GHz dual core Snapdragon S4 camera, 200mAh battery and more. Nokia comes with PureMotion HD+ display and PureView camera as the outstanding features of the handset.

Apple iPhone 5

Cupertino-based Apple’s iPhone have constantly been ranked as the kings of smart-phones. Its latest iteration is no exception. Apple’s latest iteration of iPhone being called iPhone 5 is a superb smart-phone that is being sold like hot-cake since its launch less than two months ago. Everyone is unanimous that Apple’s new iPhone 5 looks great and its 4 inch display isn’t really too big. The new machine has speedier innards, thanks to a new A6 chip designed by Apple. The chip is twice as fast in terms of CPU and graphics, he said. “Not only is it a jump forward in performance, it’s 22 percent smaller.” The roomier screen of the iPhone 5, which has 40 percent more colour saturation, can be used by apps makers to provide most accurate display in the industry. Its width is just right for navigating with one’s thumb, Schiller said, to make it easy to send text messages, swipe through pages and browse the Web. Thanks to iOS 6 it offers many improvements and while it may not have some of the latest technologies, such as NFC or wireless charging, it does so many things right that it has to be considered one of the top smartphones available in the market right now.

Samsung Galaxy S3
Korean tech company Samsung’s another handset that is top selling Android handset five months after being launched is Galaxy. In May this year, S3 was launched with a ‘huge’ 4.8 HD Super AMOLED display it seemed like an old design. But its specs, feature and light feel made people fall in love with it. The smart-phone comes with oe=ne of the most powerful processors ever installed in a smart-phone. It comes with 1.4GHz quad core Exynos SoC . Despite the fact that though Galaxy S3’s camera was not 12 MP camera as many had thought and came with merely 8MP, it has a new BIS sensor for low light shooting, which really helps to take fantastic shots in low light situations, – with no flash. Apart from these obvious changes, sticking to the 8MP camera makes everything seems quite normal. Then like other smart-phone it comes with 1GB of RAM, an overclocked Mali 400 GPU and that glorious 4.8 inch HD Super AMOLED screen. Enough good cannot be said of the 4.8 inch display on the Galaxy S3. This is so much impressive phone that it has already sold around 35 million units within a few months of its launch and demand has been going up.

HTC 8X
Many people have said that HTC’s latest HTC 8X is as good if not better than Nokia Lumia 920. Giving the competitor a run for its money, the HTC One X is a smartphone that goes beyond user expectations. The HTC 8X is HTC’s attempt at the Windows platform. The 8X has got good reviews, and many have praised it for its simplicity and smaller and lighter profile. The 8X is lighter and slightly thinner than Lumia 920. Even though it has none of the many enhancements that come with the 920, it is a very capable phone with top line specs, a great screen and superb construction. The 4.3-inch Super LCD 2 looks great with 720×1280 pixel resolution display. The Taiwanese Windows Phone 8 handset comes with many top features including Beats Audio with an additional amp on the headphone jack for the ultimate audio experience. I never thought much about front-facing cameras until my wife and daughters started to take lots of self-portraits to include on Facebook. HTC provides a wide angle 2.1 megapixel front-facing camera besides 8 mega pixel rear camera. So the smart-phone market is brimming with enthusiasm and competition that is certainly great for gadget fans.

8 Ways the iPhone 5 Beats the Samsung Galaxy Note 2

Apple just released the new iPhone 5 and already, the company has sold millions of devices around the world. However, it will face some stiff competition from Android phones like the Samsung Galaxy Note 2.

While the Galaxy Note 2 brings some exciting features to the smartphone table, the improvements that Apple made to the iPhone 5 makes it a better device than Samsung’s phablet in a number of different ways.

Read: 8 Ways the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 Beats the iPhone 5.

By no means is the iPhone 5 a perfect device, but there there are areas where Apple’s smartphone is going to beat the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 phablet. Those who are interested in picking up one of either device would be smart to take note of these differences before deciding which to buy.

Here are eight ways the iPhone 5 beats the Samsung Galaxy Note 2.

Build Quality

While the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 is built using a whole lot of plastic, just like its Galaxy brethren. The build quality of the Galaxy Note 2 isn’t terrible, but plastic just can’t compete with the gorgeous industrial design of the iPhone 5.

The Galaxy Note is still plastic.

With the iPhone 5, Apple ditched the glass back for a beautiful anodized aluminum back that is punctuated by two glass inlays at the top and the bottom of the device. Around the sides of the iPhone 5 is a metal band that holds it all together.

The iPhone 5 is comprised of aluminum, metal and glass.

All in all, the amazing build quality of the iPhone 5 is one of its core strengths and an area where it shines over the Galaxy Note 2.

Pocketability

The Galaxy Note 2 has a massive display which requires an absolutely massive footprint. In fact, the Galaxy Note 2′s display is 5.5-inches, up from the 5.3-inch display of the Galaxy Note. And while it’s thinner than its predecessor, it’s also a little bit heavier. The Galaxy Note 2 weighs about 180 grams which is fairly heavy for a smartphone.

And while the iPhone 5 received a bump in screen size to 4-inches, it didn’t get any wider, it only got taller. In addition, it also weighs a mere 112 grams. That being said, we feel like the the iPhone 5 is much more pocketable than the Galaxy Note 2, something that many people look for in a smartphone.

Easier to Hold

Again, the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 is a monster. Below, you can see an image that depicts just how much larger the Galaxy Note 2 is than the iPhone 5.

The Galaxy Note 2 is a large device compared to the iPhone 5. Very large.

Besides being less pockatable, the shear size of the Galaxy Note 2 makes it difficult to hold. That was something that gave us pause with the original Galaxy Note as well as the LG Intuition because holding the devices with one hand was difficult.

Personally, I have huge hands and it’s still hard to feel comfortable clasping onto phablet devices like the Galaxy Note 2. Those with little hands will have a much easier time grasping the iPhone 5 with one hand to make a phone call or shoot a friend a text.

Camera

The Samsung Galaxy Note camera was good, but not the best, and unfortunately, Samsung decided not to upgrade the camera with the Galaxy Note 2. It will employ a similar camera as the original phablet which means it will shoot good but not amazing photos.

The iPhone consistently has the best camera in the game and thus far, it’s looking like the improved iPhone 5 camera (despite claims of a purple haze) is still the camera to beat.

A photo taken with the iPhone 5.

In its side-by-side comparison, PhoneArena points out that while the Galaxy Note 2′s camera is good, it can’t match the iPhone 5 when photos are taken in the sunlight. The Galaxy Note 2′s photos are a bit more washed out. There is also more contrast found in the shots taken with the iPhone 5′s camera.

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The same goes for video.

A Galaxy Note 2 sample image.

iOS 6 also brings the iPhone 5′s software up to speed with Android with Panorama mode and we also still have HDR lighting available, something that I use extensively to take fantastic photos.

In addition, pulling up the iPhone 5′s camera is still faster than trying to pull it up on an Android device, even one running Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. This ensures that you won’t miss important shots.

Price

Those looking to avoid breaking the bank with a new smartphone purchase are likely going to want to look more closely at the iPhone 5. That’s because the starting price of the Galaxy Note 2 is likely going to be $299.99 on-contract. That’s what Sprint will be selling it for and that’s what U.S. Cellular will be selling it for.

That price, at least at U.S. Cellular, is for the 16GB model which means that the Galaxy Note 2 with more storage will cost more, presumably $399.99 for a 32GB model and $499.99 for a 64GB model.

For many people, that’s an extremely expensive premium for a smartphone.

As for the iPhone 5, it starts at 16GB for $199.99 on-contract and moves up to $399.99 for a 64GB model, much cheaper than the Galaxy Note 2.

Apps

While the Google Play Store has closed the gap in terms of the number of applications it offers, developers still are opting to release their software first on Apple’s App Store and next on Google’s Google Play Store. For example, SEGA just released the popular game Crazy Taxi for the iPhone 5 and it’s no where to be found for Android. In fact, there isn’t even a release date.

This is not just limited to Crazy Taxi either, this is a more than regular occurrence. Compounding the problem is that when apps are finally released for Android, there is often a lack of compatibility.

While we expect the Galaxy Note 2 to support most apps at launch there is no telling which apps will and will not support it down the line, something that potential buyers should be weary of.

Software Updates

Speaking of software, another key area where Apple’s iPhone 5 will beat the Galaxy Note 2 is update speed. With Apple, you get a few iOS updates a year culminating with one big release that is often available for aging devices. For instance, iOS 6 is available for the iPhone 3GS even though its over three years old.

With the Galaxy Note 2, there is no telling how long it will take for its first bug update, its first major Android update, or how many major Android updates it will get after its launch.

The AT&T Galaxy Note took quite a long time to receive Ice Cream Sandwich and it’s still waiting on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, a piece of software that was released in July. In fact, it may not get that update until next year. And then, once it does, there is no telling if it will get any further updates.

This is an area where the iPhone 5 soundly beats the Galaxy Note 2.

Accessory Ecosystem

Apple dominates the accessory ecosystem. From cases, to docks, the iPhone 5 will never be in short supply of quality accessories.

The iPhone dominates the accessories landscape.

And while the Galaxy Note 2 will likely have its fair share because of its popularity, there won’t be as much of a variety which means choices will be limited for those looking to purchase add-ons for their smartphone.

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