Panasonic Lumix TZ40 Camera Review

Introduction

Panasonic’s TZ range has long held top position in the ‘travel’ compact area. It’s a field that has proved increasingly popular with those looking for a compact camera with a more advanced feature set than a smartphone. Top of the list is including large optical zoom while maintaining a compact body.

The Panasonic Lumix TZ40 is the latest addition to this series, and it arrives with an improved specification and a host of new features. Wi-Fi functionality and Near Field Communication (NFC) gain top billing. They allow for simple transmission of photos between various devices, such as smartphones and tablets. The question is; has the addition of these features improved on what was already an excellent travel compact?

Panasonic Lumix TZ40 - Features

Those looking for a compact camera that can provide a step up from their smartphone want a specification that offers a marked improvement. One area that marks the TZ series out in this regard is its large optical zoom, which the Panasonic Lumix TZ40 has.

The TZ40 features a 20x optical zoom that covers an attractive focal range of 24-480mm in 35mm equivalent terms. The lens itself is supported by Panasonic’s proprietary Hybrid O.I.S. stabilisation system, which offers 5-axis image stabilisation in both stills and video capture.



The Panasonic Lumix TZ40 features a newly developed high-sensitivity MOS sensor with a resolution of 18.1MP, making it the highest resolution sensor found on any TZ model thus far. The physical size of the sensor remains the same, which raises concern over noise control. This is something Panasonic is clearly aware of, as it has introduction a new ‘Wavelet’ noise reduction technology that, in conjunction with Panasonic’s Venus image processor, promises an improved level of image noise reduction. The ISO range itself runs from ISO 100 to 6400 – a whole stop improvement on its predecessor.

Another TZ40 upgrade is found on the rear of the camera. The 3in touchscreen now features a resolution of 920k-dots – as opposed to the 460k dots on the TZ30 – bringing it firmly in line with the competition. The touchscreen also now features tap-to-focus – by simply pressing the LCD screen you can assign the AF point desired, resulting in a tactile shooting experience.

The focus system itself is Panasonic’s ‘Light Speed AF’ set-up, promising focus acquisition in less than 0.1 seconds – a speed so fast that any delay is barely discernable. Speed is also in evidence when burst shooting, as the TZ40 offers a maximum burst shooting speed of 10fps, or 6fps with AF tracking deployed. Unfortunately this burst only lasts for around six frames, however this should be ample to capture most short bursts of action. Completing the impressive specification is full HD video capture at a resolution of 1,920 x 1,080 pixels, and videos can be stored in either AVCHD or MP4 format.

One disappointing missing element of the Panasonic TZ40’s specification is Raw capture. Previous models in the TZ series have been broadly criticised for the exclusion of Raw file compatibility, and once again this is the case with the TZ40, which is a disappointment.

Panasonic Lumix TZ40 - Design

Previous generations of the TZ series offered little with regards to development in their design. This approach has been altered with the Panasonic Lumix TZ40, as the latest compact features several noticeable design tweaks. The TZ40’s body has a pronounced rubberised handgrip that offers a much more secure grip of the camera. The introduction of a new On/Off switch and playback button both benefit the ease of operation too.

The Panasonic TZ40’s menu system has also been redesigned, now featuring five intelligently selected sub-categories that offer quick access most of the camera’s functions. That includes wireless connectivity and GPS functionality, which need to be easy to use to be worthwhile.

While it’s generally a positive picture in terms of design, the Panasonic TZ40 isn’t completely without flaw. Unfortunately the buttons found of the rear of the camera are a touch on the small side, and as a result can prove problematic to press while shooting. One benefit of the small buttons is the TZ40 maintains a slim profile an aspect which is also aided by the completely retractable lens.

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Philips 55PFL7008 TV Review

Introduction

Having been exceptionally late to the 2012 TV party, only delivering sets in force from August/September, Philips isn’t about to make the same mistake again this year. In fact, the first of Philips’ 2013 TVs is sat atop our test benches at this very moment.

The Philips 55PFL7008 is a high-end model, too. It sits just one notch below the PFL8008 series that’s going to be Philips’ flagship new range for most of the year. It lives up to this high-end status thanks to an exceptionally slender, polished steel frame and Philips’ Ambilight system, which casts coloured pools of light out from the TV’s edges.

Philips 55PFL7008 - Design

This colour ‘halo’ can be set to match the colour content of the image you’re watching, or it can be set to output just one colour. There’s even an ISF Ambilight setting, designed in conjunction with the independent Imaging Science Foundation group, to provide the optimal light Ambilight tone for serious film watching. This should silence AV enthusiasts who still wrongly think Ambilight is nothing but a gaudy gimmick.

The Philips 55PFL7008’s bottom edge is a bit wider than the other three edges, but there’s an excellent practical reason for its extra size as it lets Philips build a camera into the TV. This doesn’t support any of the gesture controls you get with Samsung’s TVs, but it does let you use Skype without an external camera. There’s a mic tucked away next to the camera, too.

You can turn the camera off if you’re worried about the eyes of prying hackers invading your room, though the mic is always active.

Philips 55PFL7008 - Connections

The Philips 55PFL7008’s connections are as extensive as you would hope of a relatively high-end TV. Four HDMIs are on hand for digital video connection duties – including 3D sources – and intriguingly there’s a satellite input as well as the expected Freeview HD RF input. However, this satellite port isn’t compatible with Freesat, so it's of limited interest to UK users.

Multimedia features are supported by a VGA PC port, three USBs, a LAN port, and built-in Wi-Fi. The set even supports Miracast, so you can mirror your Android 4.2 (or later) mobile device to the TV’s screen without needing a router.

The USBs and network options can play video, photo or music files stored on USB devices or DLNA-capable computers, while the network options can also let you go online with the latest iteration of Philips’ Smart TV platform.



The Philips 55PFL7008’s remote control has a full QWERTY keyboard on its rear to aid inputting text into the built-in Web browser or social media apps. Also, rather handily, it supports a Nintendo Wii-style technology whereby you can simply point it at the screen to select your desired onscreen options.

A revamped MyRemote app for iOS and Android device, meanwhile, permits you to stream footage from the digital tuners to your smart device, send multimedia on your smart device to the TV screen, and control your TV – including inputting text – via your smart devices’ touchscreen interfaces.

Philips 55PFL7008 - Smart TV features

Philips has also tweaked the interface for its Smart TV platform, including, most significantly, introducing a ‘learning’ system whereby the TV will recommend on-demand film titles based on your previous viewing tendencies.

The recommendations system is metadata based and uses both your household's TV viewing and your on-demand viewing to build up your recommendations At present, however, this 'learning' feature only works on the Acetrax film service. Even worse, neither LoveFilm nor Netflix are available. Netflix is due to arrive towards the end of May/early June, thankfully, and LoveFilm too is apparently incoming, though no firm date is available for that yet. Hopefully when they do arrive they too will be supported by the Recommendations engine.

Acetrax is joined by BBC iPlayer, YouTube and Blinkbox, while other apps include Twitter, Facebook, Picasa, Absolute Radio plus, as noted before, Skype. But this is still a short list compared with what’s some rivals offer - Samsung TVs, such as the Editor's Choice Samsung UE40F8000, have all four terrestrial catch-up TV services, Netflix and LoveFilm - read our Samsung Smart TV 2013 review.

The interface is rather sluggish, too – painfully so, at times. This suggests that it’s stretching the 55PFL7008’s dual-core processing to its limit. Some of Samsung and Panasonic’s latest smart TVs have moved to quad-core to avoid such frustrating delays.

As we’ve done with Samsung and Panasonic’s latest interfaces, we’ll be doing a separate feature on the full ins and outs of the new Philips SmartTV platform in the coming days.

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Facebook Home hits the US Google Play Store for select Samsung and HTC phones

As expected, Facebook has today released its new Facebook Home Android user interface for a limited number of handsets.

US-based owners of the Samsung Galaxy S3, Samsung Galaxy Note II, HTC One X and HTC One X plus can now download the new Android skin.

The download is free for those States-based users from the Google Play store, while those purchasing the HTC One and Samsung Galaxy S4 will also receive access to the service in due course.

Facebook has said the limited roll-out is to ensure it works as advertised on the first run of phones, but has confirmed more devices, including tablets, will be part of a wider roll out in the coming weeks and months.

Facebook is yet to confirm when Home will be available internationally, but it is not expected to be too long before it arrives on UK shores.

The launch also comes on the day the HTC First, which has Facebook Home built-in, arrives in the United States. That particular handset is expected to be an EE exclusive when it arrives on UK shores this summer.

Facebook Home is the social network's effort to dominate the user's mobile experience. The UI is dominated by the Coverfeed which constantly refreshes with full-screen photos, posts and status updates from friends.

It is also seeking to take over messaging with the Chat Heads feature, which allows users to respond to messages inline without disrupting other activities too much.

The feature has also rolled out to the Android version of Facebook Messenger today, if you cannot wait to get full-fat Facebook Home.

The Facebook Home suite also features an app launcher that showcases some non Facebook-centric essential apps like Google Maps, Spotify, Dropbox, Chrome and more.

Users can customise that experience, while they can also post status updates, photos and check ins directly from the launcher.

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Twitter Music site goes live, but it's 'Invite Only'

The long-awaited Twitter Music service is now online, but you have to be in a very exclusive club to get past the log-in page.

Following rumours that the service was scheduled to launch this weekend, the social network has set the music.twitter.com page live, with an enticing sign-in page.

However, when we tried to log in, we were taken to an invite-only page and could get no further.

As reported earlier today, Twitter is restricting access to a host of celebrity "influencers," like American Idol host Ryan Seacrest who has been tweeting up a storm about his experiences using the service.

AllThingsD reports that the great unwashed may get access to the service in around a week's time.

As such, we can't bring you any confirmation about the features sitting within the new streaming service.

Just last night the company confirmed it had purchased the WeTheHunted streaming service, which earned its crust as a means of finding popular and emerging artists from across the globe.

Rumours have also suggested that feeds will be pulled in from SoundCloud, with track previews also available from iTunes.

Music videos will also be offered through Vevo according to speculation in recent weeks.

The celebrity endorsements which are sure to follow in the coming days should allow us to glean more official details before Twitter invites us all to play along.

It'll also give the company a change to build a little buzz and anticipation for the public launch, whenever that may be.

Via: CNET

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Nokia tablet rumoured by patent

Nokia has filed a patent with the US Patent and Trade Organisation outlining a keyboard and cover device for a tablet.

Looking very similar to the Microsoft Surface, Nokia’s tablet could incorporate a keyboard cover that also functions as a stand and can hold a stylus.

The “apparatus cover with keyboard” is said to be “pivotally connected” to a “display”, better known as a tablet. Including a kickstand feature and a stylus holder, the cover could also be folded in a number of ways for various uses and viewing angles.

The patent application was actually filed in October 2011, so the pictured tablet wouldn’t have been conceived as a Windows RT slate.

According to a variety of Nokia executives, the Finnish company has been exploring ways of getting into the tablet market. Nokia has been working on a Windows 8 tablet for some time in fact, but its state of development is still unknown.

In February, an image of a Nokia Lumia tablet appeared on screen at a Nokia Lumia 620 event in Pakistan. The tablet popped up briefly in between the entry-level handset and a desktop running Windows 8.

The tablet sported the same design features as the Nokia Lumia 620 including the bright yellow finish and thin bezel. In comparison to the 3.8-inch Nokia Lumia 620, the tablet could wield a screen size of somewhere between the 7.9-inch iPad mini and 10-inch Google Nexus 10.

Nokia’s design chief Marko Ahtisaari has said he was spending a third of time developing tablets in an interview, but Nokia has not commented further on its plan to create a Windows 8 or Windows RT tablet.

Some expected Nokia to launch a Nokia Lumia tablet at Mobile World Congress, the Barcelona-based mobile conference, back in February, but no such device ever appeared.



Via: Engadget

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Win an iPhone 5 via the new TrustedReviews competition section

Following the recent launch of the new TrustedReviews competition section, we have got our hands on a great new prize, giving you the chance to win an iPhone 5.

Having recently given away a Google Nexus 4, we are continuing our run of offering up leading smartphones to lucky winners, with a black 16GB iPhone 5 currently up for grabs.

Launching late last year, the iPhone 5 has risen to become a dominant force of the handset scene, and is set to tussle it out with the Samsung Galaxy S4 in the coming weeks for overall smartphone supremacy.

A revamped follow-on to the much loved iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S, the iPhone 5 has seen Apple introduce an all new design and form factor, making the jump to a new 4-inch Retina display, up from a 3.5-inch screen on all past Apple handsets.

Lining up at a mere 7.6mm thick and just 112g in weight, the aluminium clad iPhone 5 pairs its brushed metal back with an 8-megapixel rear-mounted camera and an A6 dual-core processor. Running the latest iOS operating system, Apple’s latest handset offering is further enhanced by an 8 hour talk time batter life and a boxed pair of the company’s new EarPod headphones.

To be in with a chance to win an iPhone 5, simply follow the link and answer the easy multiple choice question that follows.

What’s more, don’t forget to bookmark the competitions page and follow us on Facebook and Twitter to keep up to date on all the latest TrustedReviews competition giveaways.

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Bing more malicious than Google

According to a new study, Bing searches deliver five times as many malicious website links than a Google search for the same phrase.

An 18-month study by a German independent testing lab called AV-Test has shown that Bing searches are five times more likely to offer links to malicious websites than Google searches, despite both sites working to suppress such results.

The study analysed nearly 40 million websites delivered by seven different search engines globally, with Google and Bing accounting for around 10 million results each. Approximately 13 million sites came from Russian search engine Yandex, whilst the remaining results were emitted from Faroo, Teoma, Baidu and Blekko.

Only 5,000 malicious sites emerged from the 40 million checked, but of these Google delivered the least with 272 dangerous sites. Bing returned 1,285 malicious results, with Yandex having the most malicious sites cropping up in searches with 3,330. Blekko had 203 sites out of 3 million come up as containing harmful content.

Like the majority of bloggers and corporations, cybercriminals use Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) tactics to move their sites to the top of search engine results.

The AV-Test study showed that the malware creators “first create a multitude of small websites and blogs before selecting the most frequently used search terms for top news stories and using backlinks to optimise these terms for search engines.”

However, the study did warn search engine users to be wary. Although the number of malicious sites found in both Bing and Google searches are small, the odds of hitting a malicious site are repeated billions of times daily due to the sheer amount of searches carried out on the sites.

“[It] is important to remember that Google alone deals with a phenomenal total of 2 to 3 billion search requests worldwide every day,” reads the study. “If this total is factored into the calculations, the total number of websites containing malware found by the search engine is enough to make your head spin!”

In 2009, Google said it handled around 320 million searches a day in the US alone and 2 billion globally, but with the rise of smartphones and tablets this is bound to be far more.

Via: PC Mag

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British smartphone owners fear using their devices in public

Many British smartphone and tablet owners do not feel safe using their devices in public, a new study has revealed.

According to research carried out by specialist tech insurer Protect Your Bubble, 82 per cent of the UK’s tablet owners and 44 per cent of mobile owners never use their devices in public. What’s more, a staggeringly high 24 per cent of Brits suggested that they do not feel safe carrying any portable gadgets around at all.

Although claims data from the past year showed Brighton and Manchester were 2012’s hotspots for mobile phone thefts, followed by Leicester, Belfast and London, the study has revealed that those living in the West Midlands feel the least safe. In contrast, residents in the South West of England feel the safest brandishing their pricey tech in public.

The survey, which questioned 1,000 British gadget owners, also revealed that 40 per cent of Brits regularly hide their gadgets whilst in public, as they are scared of being targeted by thieves. A further one in ten say the reason they hide their electronic belongings is because they've had their gadgets stolen before and do not want to be victims again.

“Handheld devices like mobile phones and tablets are easy pickings for gadget thieves because they’re conveniently small and victims are likely to be distracted.” Stephen Ebbett, director of Protect Your Bubble said. “If you need to make a phone call, do it in a place where you can see what’s going on around you - preferably with your back to a wall.

He added: “When your phone isn’t being used, keep it safe and out of sight in a zipped-up pocket or bag.”

In order to overcome gadget theft the majority of people surveyed (25 per cent) believe not using portable gadgets in public altogether would prevent the problem, whilst another 8 per cent think that people should only buy cheap gadgets. Although, 13 per cent of people would like to see harsher sentences for gadget thieves and another 13 per cent believe an increase of police officers on the streets would decrease gadget theft.

Brits have also been turning to more in-built tracking software, as 15 per cent suggested services such as 'Find My iPhone' are a potential answer to gadget crime, whilst 20 per cent of those surveyed would like have the ability to remotely render gadgets completely and permanently useless to thieves.

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BlackBerry Z10 launch reportedly knocked by mass returns

Tipped as the company’s saviour, the BlackBerry Z10 has failed to ignite excitement as expected with latest reports suggesting the handset’s recent US launch has been followed by 50 per c ent return rates.

Having fallen slightly under the radar since its late January UK arrival, the BlackBerry Z10, the first device to come pre-installed with the Canadian manufacturer’s BB10 operating system, hit US markets in recent weeks with analysts since describing early sales as “anaemic.”

More worryingly for BlackBerry than reported low sales, however, will be the claimed return rates with some even suggesting that returns are now outstripping sales.

“We believe key retail partners have seen a significant increase in Z10 returns to the point where, in several cases, returns are now exceeding sales, a phenomenon we have never seen before,” Detwiler Fenton analyst Jeff Johnston stated in a recent report.

Suggesting that BlackBerry Z10 sales are “in line-to marginally ahead of anaemic sales” of ailing, pre-BB10 BlackBerry handsets, fellow analyst Joe Fersedi of ITG has stated the handset “started poorly and weakened significantly as the days passed.”

With BlackBerry, formally known as RIM, having revealed in a recent earnings call that more than one million BlackBerry Z10 handsets had been sold prior to the device hitting US shores, the company was keen to dismiss reports of heightened return rates.

“BlackBerry wishes to respond to media coverage today regarding speculation that there have been abnormally high levels of returns of BlackBerry Z10 devices,” an official spokesperson said. “This is absolutely false. Our data shows that return rates for BlackBerry Z10 devices both in the U.S. and on a global basis are in line with or better than our expectations and are consistent with return rates for other premium smartphones in the market today.”

Building on its currently limited BB10 offerings, BlackBerry has confirmed that that the first physical QWERTY keyboard hosting BB10 handset will hit the UK later this month, in the form of the BlackBerry Q10.

Via: WSJ

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Nintendo Wii to lose selected Wii Channels and online services from June

Nintendo is closing down a selection of Wii Channels and online services for the Nintendo Wii console from June, the company has officially announced.

The Nintendo Channel, News Channel, Everybody Votes Channel, Mii Contest Channel and Forecast Channel will be among the Wii Channels to be axed.

Nintendo Wii users will also lose the ability to send and receive messages using the Wii Message board.

“We at Nintendo sincerely thank you for your continued patronage of our company’s products,” said a Nintendo spokesperson to Eurogamer, curiously named Mario. “We apologise to those of you currently using these services, and ask you for your understanding.”

“The above services will no longer be available even if they are started up from the Wii Menu. However, services other than those mentioned above, such as the Wii Shop Channel and ‘Today’s Accomplishments’ on the Wii Message board, will remain available.”

The Wii Channels and the messaging board service will be closed down from June 28, but the Wii Shop will remain open.

Such closures could be an indication that Nintendo is preparing to put the Nintendo Wii out to pasture that was originally launched in December 2006 in the UK. Nintendo recently launched the Nintendo Wii Mini, a reduced size Nintendo Wii console lacking internet support and backwards compatibility.

The Nintendo Wii has now been replaced by the Nintendo Wii U, released in December last year. Unfortunately the Nintendo Wii U has been plagued by low sales since launch, forcing Nintendo to drop its annual sales forecast for the console to 4 million units from 5.5 million.

Retailers have dropped their prices for the dual-screen console in recent months in an attempt to boost sales figures. Amazon UK, Asda and ShopTo all exercised an unofficial price drop, cutting at least £50 off the RRP of the Nintendo Wii U Basic and Premium console bundles.

However, at the beginning of the month Wii U sales reportedly rose by 125 per cent in the UK due to new game releases like Lego City Undercover and Capcom’s Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate. The shooter actually attributed to almost half the revenue generated by Wii U software during its launch week.

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Apple iRadio service coming soon say sources

An Apple iRadio service could be imminent, with the iPhone manufacturer reportedly signing its first internet radio licensing agreement within the week.

According to multiple sources “with knowledge of the talks”, Universal Music Group and Warner Music are both close to reaching the final stages of negotiations with Apple over an iRadio service.

Provided Apple can sign agreements with the two aforementioned record companies and Sony Music Entertainment, Apple iRadio is expected to be very similar to the Pandora web radio service, which offers increasingly personalised radio stations according to a selected artist or genre.

Talks with Sony Music Entertainment are said to have not progressed as far as those with Warner Music and Universal Music Group.

The Apple iRadio title is only an unofficial name attributed to the service by the media until the service is announced, but could well be the name the radio service eventually adorns.

According to a financial story published in the New York Post last month, Apple will not receive huge discounts for all three labels’ music as it originally thought. Instead, Apple will pay rates similar to those currently forked out by Pandora.

The two services will be fairly similar, but to set itself apart from Pandora, iRadio is said to features more “on-demand” services. As yet, we’re not quite sure what this will entail.

The Apple iTunes store has been the top music store in the UK since 2008, with the company announcing in February that 25 billion songs had been downloaded from the site. However, the store has faced increasing competition from streaming services like Spotify and Bloom in the past year.

Pandora claims to have 200 million users enjoying its radio service, but if Apple iRadio does launch it will be a very strong threat and rival.

Via: The Verge

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Need for Speed Underground remake rumoured and rubbished

The next instalment of the annual and longstanding Need for Speed franchise will reportedly see a remake of Need for Speed Underground launch, latest reports have suggested.

With a claimed image of the rumoured Need for Speed Underground logo having recently hit the web, it has been suggested that like last year’s Need for Speed Most Wanted offering, 2013 will see Criterion pump out another remake of a NFS classic.

Citing “an anonymous source,” EGM leaked the claimed new NFS Underground logo, suggesting that the reportedly upcoming title will be located in a rebooted rendition of the Bayview setting used in the original title.

Hinting at a potential global feel to the game’s upcoming content, the teased logo incorporates a number of iconic sites including London’s Big Ben, the Coliseum in Rome and a statue of a Chinese dragon.

Despite the leak, EA has hit out at the speculative reports, suggesting that despite recent Hot Pursuit and Most Wanted reboots, it has now moved its much loved Need for Speed franchise away from rehashed renditions of previously successful titles.

“Totally fake. Remakes and Reboots? #movedon,” Criterion’s Creative Director Alex Ward declared via Twitter just hours after the claimed leaks appeared.

Although EA has yet to confirm what form the next NFS offering will take, it is believed the reins have been handed to the publisher’s Ghost studio, with the Frostbite 3 engine sitting at the game’s heart. It is not yet know whether or not the next Need for Speed will be compatible with the upcoming PS4.

TrustedReviews has contacted a source with experience working on the Need for Speed franchise and will update this post as and when we get word on the Underground claims.

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Rockstar adds GTA radio stations to Spotify and iTunes

Some of the best parts of the GTA games is the tunes players can blast through the radio whilst driving around the vast cities, so Rockstar Games has now added all of radio stations from every GTA game to Spotify and iTunes.

All anyone has to do to enjoy the huge range of GTA radio stations is follow the “rockstargames” Spotify profile, which will give free desktop access to the hundreds of stations featured in GTA games from Grand Theft Auto Vice City, Grand Theft Auto San Andreas and Grand Theft Auto 4 among others.

To gain access to the stations on tablets or smartphones using the Spotify service, users will have to sign up for a Premium Spotify account, which costs £9.99 per month.

Rockstar Games has also added all of the radio stations from the Grand Theft Auto games to iTunes, where the songs can be purchased in easy album bundles.

Any songs that appear on the GTA radio stations that aren’t currently on iTunes and Spotify will be added by Rockstar as they appear on the services.



Grand Theft Auto 5

Rockstar Games recently unveiled the box art for Grand Theft Auto 5, picturing the game’s three main characters Franklin, Michael and Trevor.

The eagerly-awaited GTA 5 release date is set for September 17, around four months later than originally planned. Rockstar Games believes that, although the delay may have angered gamers, GTA 5 will be well worth the wait.

“GTA V is a massively ambitious and complex game and it simply needs a little more polish to be of the standard we and, more importantly, you require,” said the game developer in a statement. “We are doing all we can to help ensure it will meet if not exceed your expectations come September – we thank you for your support and patience.”



Via: Rockstar Games

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JVC DLA-X35 Projector Review

Introduction

Even by JVC’s usually extremely high projector standards, the JVC DLA-X55 we tested recently was an astonishing bit of kit. The latest version of JVC’s ‘e-shift’ technology, with its ability to give normal HD pictures a 4K-like pixel density, worked exceedingly well on the X55, making its £4,999 price look a serious bargain in the process.

With this in mind, we can’t help but feel a twinge of disappointment that JVC’s entry-level 2013 projector, the DLA-X35, doesn’t have e-Shift. However, this disappointment is hardly fair considering that the X35 can be had for just £2,600 – more than £2,000 less than the X55. So let’s quickly put our unfair whingeing behind us and get down to finding out how the X35 shapes up in the context of its strikingly affordable (by JVC standards) price point.

JVC DLA-X35 - Design

You certainly get a lot of projector for your money. The JVC X35’s black or white body is as large as those of JVC’s higher-end models this year, and it’s also reassuringly heavy, raising hopes of some seriously high-quality innards. These hopes encouraged by the strikingly big lens for such an affordable projector.

There’s no sign of any manual zoom/focus rings around this lens, and nor are there any clumsy knobs or wheels for horizontal and vertical image shifting. Not because the X35 doesn’t carry such features, though; it does. The reason they’re not visible on the projector’s chassis is because the X35 lets you access all these key setup tools via the backlit remote control, using a motorised lens array. Such set-up sophistication really is a great find at the X35’s price point, and it’s underlined by both the range of adjustment of the zoom and shift features, and the finesse with which you can make your adjustments.

JVC DLA-X35 - Connections

Tucked away on the X35’s rear, meanwhile, is a solid set of connections. You don’t get a D-Sub PC port, but you do find two HDMIs, a component video port, a 12V trigger port (which you could use, say, for automatically firing up a motorised screen), an RS-232 control port, and a sync port to which you need to attach JVC’s 3D transmitter dongle if you want to take advantage of the X35’s 3D capabilities.



Neither this transmitter nor any 3D are included for the £2,560 price, though. A 3D kit including the transmitter and two pairs of glasses will cost £250-£300 extra depending on your retailer. Even with this cost added in, however, the X35 hardly looks expensive for the level of spec it offers.

JVC DLA-X35 - Specification

This spec includes, most startlingly of all, a claimed contrast ratio of 50,000:1 – an already-high figure that’s made even more startling by the fact that it’s a NATIVE figure. In other words, unlike most projectors, which derive their often rather fanciful contrast ratios by using dynamic iris systems to vary the light a projector lets through its lens, the JVC X35 can deliver its 50,000:1 contrast at all times. It doesn’t have to reduce light output during dark scenes and boost them again for bright scenes in order to record its contrast ratio figure.

This fact has profound implications for the potential dynamism and stability of the X35’s handling of dark scenes – potential which experience of previous JVC D-ILA projectors suggests the X35 will deliver on.

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Black Diamond iPhone 5 will set you back £10m

If you thought £600 for a Samsung Galaxy S4 was expensive then you might want to avoid the latest handset to come from serial tech tweaker Stuart Hughes, the £10 million iPhone 5 Black Diamond.

Festooned with all manner of glitz and glamour, the Black Diamond iPhone 5 is a one-of-a-kind custom crafted smartphone from British designer Stuart Hughes, a man who is also responsible for customising past iPhone devices with real dinosaur bones and rock from meteorites.

Taking the mantle of ‘the world’s most expensive smartphone, the £10m iPhone 5 was commissioned by a Chinese businessman who already owned the hefty 26ct flawless black diamond that has replaced the handset’s customary home button and given the device its name.

Building around this showpiece focal point, Hughes has further added to the grandeur of the Black Diamond iPhone 5 with a solid, 24ct gold chassis that took the designer nine weeks to craft by hand.

If that wasn’t enough, 600 flawless white diamonds have been embedded in the frame of the handset, adding a little bling, whilst the iconic Apple logo has been recreated on the handset’s rear in solid gold and a further 53 precision cut diamonds.

Finishing off the device with an extra, albeit less noticeable flourish, Hughes has replaced the Apple smartphone’s standard glass touchscreen display with a crystal clear, expensive Sapphire glass offering.

Beneath the multi-million pound, slightly gaudy extravagance, the Black Diamond iPhone 5 features the same 4-inch Retina display panel, 64GB of internal storage, 8-megaixel rear-mounted camera and dual-core processor as its store bought siblings.

What we want to know, however, is what happens when the iPhone 6 release date rolls around and phone envy starts to kick in again?



Via: MacWorld

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Asus Qube Google TV box to launch April 23

The Google TV set top box, Asus Qube, looks set to launch on April 23, a month after the Taiwanese company’s Q1 2013 projection.

First seen at CES 2013, Asus has confirmed with GTV Source that the Asus Qube will officially launch on April 23 sporting a $129 (£84) price tag in the US.

The Asus Qube is the first Google TV set top box to be produced by the company, but with the only other Google TV player taking the form of the Sony NSZ-GS7 Internet Player, the little box doesn’t have much competition.

From what was seen at CES, the square-shaped Asus Qube has speedy custom interface with quick content loading times. The UI mimics the Qube’s design, presenting everything on screen via a rotating cube of content that users can navigate using the complex remote control.

Users can opt to download the Asus Qube software soon to become available via the Google Play Store for the Google Nexus 7 instead of using the remote control. The remote has a full QWERTY keyboard on the back, a microphone for voice control, a trackpad area that functions as a mouse-like controller and a selection of playback buttons including a dedicated Netflix button. Also sporting a built-in accelerometer, the remote also supports motion control.

Sporting Google TV 3.0, under the hood the Asus Qube is powered by an Armada 1500 processor with 1GB of RAM and 4GB of internal Flash storage. The Google TV set top box also has two USB sockets and an HDMI port for TV connectivity.

Asus will also provide Asus Qube owners with 50GB cloud storage through its WebStorage service alongside the internal 4GB.

Launching on April 23 in the US, there hasn’t been any word on an eventual UK availability or pricing announced by Asus for the Asus Qube.



Via: PHAndroid

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Xbox 720 Twitter tirade loses Adam Orth his job at Microsoft

After a Twitter tirade about the rumoured “always on” connectivity of the Xbox 720, Microsoft Creative Direct Adam Orth no longer works at Microsoft.

The currently unannounced Xbox 720 has been widely debated online with several sources suggesting the next-gen console will feature an “always on” internet connection.

Orth was seen publicly defending this unconfirmed functionality of his company’s as yet unannounced console, with the Creative Director even using the hastag #dealwithit.

“Sorry, I don’t get the drama around having an ‘always on’ console,” read Orth’s tweet. “Everydevice now is ‘always on’. That’s the world we live in. #dealwithit.”

Game Informer has discovered that Orth is actually now no longer with Microsoft, learning the news from “sources close to the matter” and later confirming with the main switchboard at Microsoft.

Although the sources are claiming that Orth has resigned in the wake of the Twitter comments, it is currently unknown whether the resignation is voluntary or enforced.

His Twitter comments triggered a huge online debate about the “always on” internet connection of the highly-rumoured Xbox 720 console. The problem was that his comments were part of a sarcastic interchange with his friend Manveer Heir, a senior game designer at game developer BioWare. The two are close and were making fun of each other in the original comments made, but then Orth started replying to angry fans about the remarks he made.

In the US and other countries worldwide, internet connectivity varies hugely and such an “always on” connection would just not be possible in some locations.

Microsoft then issued a very carefully worded statement about the Twitter incident, managing to avoid any reference to its as yet unconfirmed Xbox 720 console, tipped for a May 21 launch event.

“We apologise for the inappropriate comments made by an employee on Twitter yesterday,” Microsoft said in a statement. “This person is not a spokesperson for Microsoft, and his personal views do not reflect the customer-centric approach we take to our products or how we would communicate directly with our loyal consumers.”

“We are very sorry if this offended everyone, however we have not made any announcement about our product roadmap, and have no further comment on this matter.”

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O2 Refresh tariff unveiled offering new phones at anytime

O2 Refresh, a new tariff from the leading UK network provider, has been officially announced, promising customers the ability to get a new phone at any point during their contract.

With the smartphone market continuing to evolve at a rapid pace leaving many with handset envy well before their lengthy two year deals are up, O2 Refresh looks set to offer faster access to new devices, with the plan seeing users pay for separate handset and airtime plans simultaneously.

Allowing customers to buy a new handset on O2 Refresh and tie it in with a trio of airtime plans, the new tariff will see those taking up the deal pay off the smartphone fee in monthly instalments. Those wanting to upgrade to a new handset can simply pay off their existing handset balance whilst maintaining the same airtime deal.

“Mobile phone technology continues to advance at a rapid pace, yet the way phones are sold has remained largely static,” Feilim Mackle, Sales and Service Director at Telefónica UK said. “Increasingly our customers are telling us that they don’t want to be tied to the same phone for two years and, with 4G coming to O2 this summer, we want to make it easier for our customers to benefit from the latest technology.”

He added: “For the first time in the UK, O2 Refresh will make it possible to get a new phone part way through a pay monthly contract, at any time – quickly, easily and cost-effectively.”

Set to launch across O2 stores from next Tuesday, April 16, the new O2 Refresh tariff will incorporate a selection of leading handsets, with the likes of the HTC One, Samsung Galaxy S3 and iPhone 5 all available. With the Sony Xperia Z and BlackBerry Z10 also up for grabs, the network provider has confirmed it will add the Samsung Galaxy S4 to the O2 Refresh scheme in the near future.

With three O2 Refresh airtime plans up for grabs, those making use of the offer will be able to tether their new handset to either a £12, £17 or £22 per month contracts.

With those opting for the £12 deal gaining 600 inclusive monthly minutes, unlimited texts and 750MB of data, those plumping for £17 per month will add unlimited minutes and a 1GB total data allowance. For £22 per month the data allowance is bumped to 2GB.

“O2 highlighting just how much consumers can waste by staying on the same plan once their contracts have ended may be a wake-up call to mobile customers,” Ernest Doku, a telecoms expert with uSwitch said of the new plans. “Those on O2 Refresh will be able to benefit from an automatic reduction in their monthly bills, but others can use the competitive market to shop around for a new deal when their contract is up.”

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Freemium games could be unlawful says Office of Fair Trading

The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) is investigating freemium web-based games and apps aimed at children to determine whether they are misleading, unfair and entirely lawful.

Speaking to a number of currently unnamed companies, the OFT is undertaking a major new investigation to determine whether freemium and free-to-play games are putting undue pressure on children and their parents to fork out for additional content.

“As part of the investigation, the OFT has written to companies offering free web or app-based games, seeking information on in-game marketing to children,” said the OFT in a statement.

“In particular, the OFT is looking into whether these games include ‘direct exhortations’ to children – a strong encouragement to make a purchase, or to do something that will necessitate making a purchase, or to persuade their parents or other adults to make a purchase for them.”

Many of the apps and games currently offered for free require or ask players to pay for in-game content allowing them to progress through levels more quickly or unlock further levels.

Part of the OFT’s investigation will include determining whether these games are “misleading, commercially aggressive or otherwise unfair.” What the OFT calls a “direct exhortation” is something that could include the direct “Buy Now” option for freemium content offered by free-to-play games, which could be interpreted as “unlawful under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations Act of 2008.”

Although the OFT has the power to remove freemium elements from games if they are found to be in violation of the law, it has also said it “is not seeking to ban in-game purchases.”

“We are concerned that children and their parents could be subject to unfair pressure to purchase when they are playing games they thought were free, but which can actually run up substantial costs,” said Cavendish Elithorn, Senior Director for Goods and Consumer at the OFT. “The game industry must ensure it is complying with the relevant regulations so that children are protected. We are speaking to the industry and will take enforcement action if necessary.”

The investigation has been the result of several media reports telling of children accidently running up huge bills from in-app content, including five-year-old Danny Kitchen who racked up a £1,700 iTunes fee playing the free Zombies v Ninjas game on his parents’ iPad.

Via: CVG

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Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11S Laptop Review

Introduction

As metaphors go, last year's Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 13, a 13-inch touchscreen laptop with a hinge that let the display flip all the way around to meet its rear, was easy to understand. But now Lenovo has come up with a lighter, altogether more nimble model in the Lenovo Ideapad Yoga 11S, the 11-inch edition.

Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11S – Design

The Lenovo Yoga 11S is undoubtedly one of Lenovo’s better-looking laptops. It has the Thinkpad-style keyboard, with its respectable travel, firm action and overall good typing experience – especially for its diminutive size – but has none of the geeky crust of something like the ThinkPad X1 Carbon.



It has a colourful lid, orange in the model we saw, and underside. To offset this, the inside of the Lenovo Yoga 11S is plain, immaculate and tasteful. The keyboard surround is matt - rather than glossy - textured for a tactile finish, and bereft of colour.

In common with many Lenovo laptops, the Yoga 11S has a slightly chunky book-like design when closed, rather than attempting to make a small section of the laptop super-slim for the sake of an attention-grabbing feature bullet point. It’s a smart, well-made laptop, and one that’s super-portable thanks to its petite dimensions and reasonably light 1.4kg weight.

Of course, the folding non-removable screen naturally consigns this device to a niche.

Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11S – Screen

The unqiue selling point of the Yoga series is the rotating screen. It flips around a smooth, free hinge – think a normal laptop hinge, but one that moves through nearly 360 degrees rather than the standard 120-odd.



Like the original 13-inch Yoga, the keyboard disables itself when the screen is flipped over, so you don’t accidentally press keys while using the laptop like a tablet. If anything, the Yoga 11S’s unusual screen felt more natural in this smaller version, where holding it like a tablet doesn’t feel quite so alien. However, it remains much heavier than a dedicated tablet, which would usually weigh at least 500g less.

Of course, there are more than just two use scenarios for the screen – you can prop the Lenovo Yoga 11S up like a picture frame, for example. This comes in handy if you want to watch a movie. The interesting screen mechanics help to hide a fairly unremarkable screen.

It’s a 1366 x 768 pixel resolution display, using an IPS panel. Next to some tablet screens this is a little low-res, but by laptop standards this is a high-end screen. Viewing angles are great, image quality is good. You only miss out on a shade of pixel-packedness.

Lenovo Yoga 11S – Specs

The Yoga 11S’s stand-out flip-over design feature will undoubtedly cause some to dismiss the Lenovo Yoga 11S as a bit of a gimmick, but this is a powerful laptop. It runs the full version of Windows 8, and uses the Intel Core i series of processors. The exact spec will depend on your configuration. It’s a whole lot more powerful than the Windows RT Yoga 11.



CPU aside, the Lenovo Yoga 11S will be available with up to 8GB of RAM and 256GB of SSD-based storage. Naturally, in a device of this size optical drives and dedicated graphics cards are struck off the invite list immediately.

Lenovo says the battery will last for around six hours off a charge – respectable for a small laptop but not quite long enough for day-long usage.

Lenovo Yoga 11S – Connectivity

As with any Ultrabook-style device, one of the Lenovo Yoga 11S’s most obvious compromises is in its connectivity. You get an HDMI and USB port on one edge and a USB 3.0 port on the other. There is also an SD memory card slot.

Bluetooth and Wi-Fi are, of course, on-board. 3G is not included as standard, however.

First Impressions

The Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11S is an oddball laptop if you focus too much on its unusual hinge. Think of it as a side feature, however, and the truth is revealed. This is an attractive, versatile and thoroughly practical laptop. It’s best thought-of as a laptop first and a tablet second, as it’s a bit too heavy to carry for long periods and having a keyboard on the rear is not always desirable. But it’s a well-made, good-looking, powerful hybrid.

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iPad 5 to slim down through smaller backlight components

It's being claimed that the iPad 5 will slim down from the somewhat tubby iPad 4 through a revised backlighting system.

NPD DisplaySearch has informed CNet that Apple will use an all-new LED backlight apparatus that will make the device considerably thinner.

Analyst Paul Semenza revealed that "it's likely that part of the thinner/lighter design will be reducing the size of the LED backlight, partly by making the display more efficient and partly by using more efficient LEDs."

He's also expecting "a shift to a film-based touch sensor," which will shave yet more weight and thickness from the final iPad 5 unit.

It's not yet known whether Apple will switch to a new display technology for this coming generation of tablets. It's long been rumoured that Apple was looking into Sharp's IGZO technology, going back before the launch of the iPad 3.

iPad 5 and IGZO

IGZO allows for extremely pixel-dense displays that are nonetheless relatively easy on battery life. This would obviously have a knock-on positive effect on unit size and weight.

However, NPD DisplaySearch is uncertain whether Apple will finally adopt the technology for the iPad 5.

So how thin and light will the iPad 5 be, exactly? Those expecting an iPad mini-style reduction in thickness and weight may be in for a disappointment - despite reports of a similar fascia design. It's more likely to represent a return the size of the iPad 2, according to the report.

Both the iPad 3 and the iPad 4 added 6mm around the waist and around 50 grams in weight over the second generation Apple tablet, thanks to the introduction of Retina display technology. A return to that noticeably more svelte form factor would be welcome.

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Twitter music app rumoured to launch this weekend

Twitter is to launch its much rumoured music app this weekend, according to the latest reports.

Over at All Things D, the usual "sources familiar with the matter" are claiming that Twitter will launch a "standalone music application" over the next few days, though these sources are in disagreement over the precise timing.

One source believes that the app will launch today, while another believes it will launch at the Coachella festival in California later this weekend.

The Twitter music app itself will apparently recommend artists and tracks to users based on such factors as the other Twitter accounts they follow through the service. It will be possible to listen to music clips within the app through third party services like iTunes and Soundcloud.

There's also a hook up with Vevo, which allows you to watch music videos from within the Twitter music app.



Twitter and We Are Hunted

Perhaps not coincidentally, yesterday saw the official confirmation (via Twitter, of course) that music search company We Are Hunted had been acquired by Twitter - something that has been pretty much known (albeit unofficially) since last year.

As we reported last month, it's long been rumoured this technology would be applied to a Twitter music app, which seems increasingly certain going into this weekend.

Would you be interested in yet another music recommendation service if it hooked directly into your Twitter feed? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.

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Apple job listing hunts for ‘flexible display’ engineer, iPhone 6 and iWatch mooted

A new Apple job listing for a ‘flexible display’ engineer has emerged; further hinting that the Cupertino based company will launch a curved screened iPhone 6 and Apple iWatch.

The job listing, which first emerged on April 1 before being hastily removed earlier this week, has suggested that the Samsung and Sony rival could be about to introduced its first flexible display hosting devices, a feature previously rumoured to appear on its future smartphones.

With iPhone 6 concept designs appearing in recent days showcasing a curved, edge-to-edge flexible display hosting handset, as highlighted by recently filed Apple patents, further reports have hinted that the heavily mooted Apple iWatch will also support a flexible screen.

“Apple Inc. is looking for a Display Specialist to lead the investigation on emerging display technologies such as high optical efficiency LCD, AMOLED and flexible display to improve overall display optical performance,” Apple’s job listing read.

Whilst the references to flexible display technologies is sure to excite, mention of experience with AMOLED screens hints that the inbound “Senior Optical Engineer” could also work on the repeatedly rumoured Apple iTV, a device previously tipped to sport AMOLED screen.

Despite these reports, Apple CEO Tim Cook recently went on record as an AMOLED hater, stating that such screens are below par and not in Apple’s future plans.

“Some people use OLED displays, the colour saturation is awful,” Cook said in a recent interview. “The Retina display is twice as bright as an OLED display. I only bring these points up to say there are many attributes to the display, and what Apple does is sweat every detail. We care about all of them and we want the best display.”

Whilst talk of an iPhone 6 has generated much consumer interest, the expected Apple iWatch has also caught the eye of many, with what is rumoured to be Apple’s first wearable gadget expected to spark a new trend in high-profile techy wristwear.

According to further Apple patents, the Apple iWatch could be a “wearable accessory device” that features a “bi-stable spring with flexible display.” What’s more, the manufacturer mused that the gadget could potential play host to a “kinetic energy-gathering component” that will allow users to generate their own battery power through movement and use.

Via: AppleInsider

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Facebook and Twitter addicts actually get withdrawal says study

A study undertaken by researchers at the University of Winchester has shown that people addicted to their Facebook and Twitter accounts do feel withdrawal systems if they stop using them.

Ten self-confessed addicted Facebook users and ten people who just can’t stop tweeting took part in the study, which asked them to stop using their accounts for four weeks.

Many of those users quickly felt distinct feelings of withdrawal from the social media sites, including feeling “cut off from the world”.

“So much of my life was organised via Facebook,” said one female participant from Yorkshire. “I haven’t communicated with my family all week.”

“I’ve felt alone and cut off from the world,” said another study partaker. “My fingers seem to be programmed to seek out the Facebook app every time I pick up my phone.”

Leading the study was Dr David Giles, a reader in media psychology at the University of Winchester, who said the use of social media, even in cases of extremely heavy usage, was not harmful to our minds or our health.

“Some people would argue this addition to social media is eating away at people’s lives, but what most of these so-called addicts are doing online is profoundly social,” said Dr Giles. “The average internet user today is not the bedroom hermit of the 1990s but a savvy individual with a smartphone who openly manages his or her entire social life and personal relationships online.”

However, Dr Giles did suggest that moderation should be exercised when it comes to social media use, due to the fact that some users experienced such withdrawal symptoms. Others did find that being forced not to use their Facebook accounts meant spending more time with their families or catching up on household chores.

The study also took ten people with inactive social media accounts and another bunch of ten people who had never ventured onto the social networks, asking them to regularly post and tweet to Facebook and Twitter.

“I thought I would find using Facebook every day dull and pointless, but I’m finding that I’m quite enjoying it,” said one participant of the study. “I’m actually seeing my friends more now.”

Anyone who doesn’t embrace social media sites like Twitter and Facebook will soon be forced to, believes Dr. Giles. People who do not have email accounts or access to social media profiles are branded as “vagrants of the digital age”, he said.

Via: Telegraph

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Draw Something gameshow picked up by Channel 4

Draw Something, the hugely popular Pictionary inspired drawing game app from developer Zynga, will soon be turned into a Channel 4 gameshow.

Channel 4 will soon be launching Draw It!, a gameshow to be aired on Friday nights, developed in conjunction with Sony Pictures Television’s Victory Television, best known for making Who Wants to be a Millionaire.

Draw It! will work by having two teams made up of a contestant and a celebrity work through three rounds of drawing challenges, earning gold coins and possible cash prizes. Whoever makes it to the final round will be aided by the two celebrities to defeat a time sensitive challenge.

“There’s a creative side to everyone, sometimes more obvious than others, and the show will really tap into that with a race against the clock and plenty of humour,” said Victoria Ashbourne, Victory Television’s Managing Director.

Expected to air in a 5pm tea-time slot, Channel 4 is expected to expand the gameshow into a multi-platform experience, allowing viewers to play along with the show, akin to the format offered by The Million Pound Drop.

The Draw Something app was released in March last year, with creator OMGPOP acquired by Zynga for a reported $180 million (£117 million) just six weeks after the game launched. In those six weeks, Draw Something had already been downloaded more than 35 million times.

American TV network CBS ordered a pilot of a Draw Something gameshow for US audiences last year, but has chosen not to carry the show through to a full series.

Draw It! has the potential to be a tea-time show success, similar to Noel Edmonds' Deal or No Deal Channel 4 gameshow.

Angry Birds developer Rovio has already extended the Angry Birds franchise to a number of different product lines, including merchandise and product placement. Rovio recently launched Angry Birds Toons, a cartoon series version of the popular games via a dedicated channel within the existing apps.

A Draw Something 2 release date has been confirmed as "coming soon", tipped to provide a new range of sketching and connectivity options.

Via: Marketing Week

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iPhone 5 vs Samsung Galaxy S3

Samsung Galaxy S3 or iPhone 5? It's a tough question with vocal advocates and detractors on both sides of the Apple/Android divide. The Galaxy S3 and iPhone 5 were the two most successful phones of 2012 and are still the hottest mobiles in the world, but which should you buy?

We've now spent several months with both these phones and understand what it's like living with them and using them day to day. We’ve also compared their specs, screens, software, apps and media skills to give you an expert and impartial assessment and help you decide whether the iPhone 5 or Samsung Galaxy S3 is right for you.

There's even more to choice now. Make sure you also read our Samsung Galaxy S4 vs iPhone 5 comparison.

iPhone 5 vs Samsung Galaxy S3 - Video Comparison

If you want a detailed analysis of the Samsung Galaxy S3 and iPhone 5, you should read on below but you can also see the both phones in action and next to each other in our video review.

iPhone 5 vs Samsung Galaxy S3 - Design

iPhone 5 - 7.6mm thick, metal casing, non-removable battery

Samsung Galaxy S3 - 8.6mm thick, plastic casing, removable battery

A case of metal versus plastic, and hard lines against smoother curves, the iPhone 5 and Samsung Galaxy S3 have quite different approaches to handset design. The two iPhone models released prior to the iPhone 5 featured glass panels on the front and rear, which gave the phone’s a hard, solid feel. However, rear glass plate has now been replaced with metal - aluminium.



This marks an even greater shift in design than a simple switch of glass for metal, as the previous iPhone 4S used steel for its metallic parts, rather than aluminium. Steel is harder, but also heavier. The use of aluminium is what lets the iPhone 5 slim down to 112g and 7.6 thick. It’s a very slim and lightweight phone.

The Samsung Galaxy S3 has slightly less of an obsession with being small and thin, and it’s structurally closer to its forebears than the iPhone 5 is. It’s a plastic-bodied phone – another design choice that help keeps weight down – with a removable rear battery cover.



Much of the criticism the Samsung Galaxy S3 has received since its launch in May 2012 is down to this plastic battery cover. It’s perilously thin, which becomes especially noticeable when you take the thing off to access the phone’s battery or microSD memory card slot.

Real-world testing of the ruggedness shows that there’s nothing wrong with the Samsung Galaxy S3’s construction, though.

A few months ago, Android Authority produced a neat little video showing the torture of these two phones. You can see the results below.

The iPhone 5 survives a little better, but it’s the glass screen covering of the Samsung Galaxy S3 that takes more of a pounding than the plastic frame. Both phones use toughened glass as their front armour. The Samsung Galaxy S3 uses Corning Gorilla Glass II, the iPhone 5 a comparable form of toughened glass.

Both phones are tough, despite feeling lightweight (iPhone 5) and a touch plasticky (Samsung Galaxy S3) in-hand.

The shapes of the phones are quite different, though. With a more widescreen-aspect display, the iPhone 5 is a good deal less wide - 58.6mm against the Samsung Galaxy S3’s 70.6mm. This is one of the most compelling design reasons to choose a Galaxy S3 over the iPhone 5 for people with smaller hands.

Sheer size means that most people will have to stretch to reach from one side of the Galaxy S3 screen to the other, one-handed. And it gets surprisingly annoying.

The Samsung Galaxy S3 wins a point back for its fairly wide choice of finishes. The iPhone 5 is only available in two colours, black and white. The Galaxy S3 comes in white, black, blue, red, grey and brown.

iPhone 5 vs Samsung Galaxy S3 - Price and Deals

iPhone 5 – From £529 SIM-free, or £36 a month on contract

Samsung Galaxy S3 – From £391 SIM-free, or £30 a month on contract

Now that both the Samsung Galaxy S3 and iPhone 5 are at least a few months old, the benefits of not buying Apple have become very clear. The price of the Samsung Galaxy S3 has steadily dropped since May, but in most places the iPhone 5 has maintained its initial high cost.

SIM-free the 16GB iPhone 5 costs £529, while the 16GB Samsung Galaxy S3 sells at around £390-400. Slightly better deals are commonly available online if you search around too, letting you save a few quid extra with a bit of effort.

The price difference continues in contract deals. One of our favourite deals available at present for the Samsung galaxy S3 is the Tesco £30-a-month contract. It gets you the phone for free, 500 minutes, 5000 texts and 1GB of data a month. Comparable deals are available from the other main carriers too.

Similar deals on the iPhone 5 tend to cost around £5 more a month. It’s not a wallet-sucking extra expense, but do consider how much this might add up to over a two-year contract - £120. That’s almost exactly the price difference between the SIM-free cost of the phones.

iPhone 5 vs Samsung Galaxy S3 - Screen

iPhone 5 - 4in IPS, 1,136 x 640 resolution

Samsung Galaxy S3 - 4.8in Super AMOLED, 1,280 x 720 resolution

Cards on the table time – both the iPhone 5 and Samsung Galaxy S3 have excellent screens. However, they’re about as different as top-end smartphone screens get.

The iPhone 5’s is more widescreen, letting the display expand without making the phone any wider than the iPhone 4S. Less concerned with keeping the phone palm-friendly, the 720p 4.8-inch monster screen of the Samsung Galaxy S3 does not compromise on size.



What’s more important from a comparison perspective is the screen technology working underneath. The iPhone 5 uses an IPS (in-plane switching) screen, the Samsung Galaxy S3 a Super AMOLED panel.

Each excels at different things. The Samsung Galaxy S3 is the king of contrast. In a dark room, the black areas on the phone’s screen will look much more convincing than the iPhone 5’s, which will take on a slightly grey-ish hue. Rich colours and deep blacks are what characterise the Samsung Galaxy S3’s screen.

However, the IPS screen of the iPhone 5’s maximum brightness is more dazzling, which is handy if you want to use the phone outdoors. Its surface is a little less reflective to boot and colours appear more natural, as Super AMOLED displays often oversaturate colours to show off what they’re capable of.

Sharpness is slightly better in the iPhone 5 too. Although the pixel densities of the displays are comparable, 306dpi for the Samsung Galaxy S3 and 326dpi for the iPhone 5, the Samsung Galaxy S3 uses a PenTile pixel construction. This is an uneven subpixel array that makes text look slightly fuzzy.

Samsung claims that a PenTile-style display increases the lifespan of screens, but as it ironed-out the problem in the Samsung Galaxy Note 2, it clearly sees there is an issue here. The Note 2 has a full-RGB subpixel structure, avoiding the PenTile sharpness problem.

iPhone 5 vs Samsung Galaxy S3 - Software

iPhone 5 - iOS 6

Samsung Galaxy S3 – Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, w/ TouchWiz

Whether or not you want iOS or Android is just as important as the picking between the hardware of the Samsung Galaxy S3 and iPhone 5. The cleanest distillation of their differences is that iOS is simple but a little restricted, Android is harder to get to grips with, but more flexible and feature-packed.

The iPhone 5 runs iOS version 6. Although the system is known for its streamlined, largely bug-free nature, Apple's iOS 6 was a fraught launch. It saw Apple replace Google Maps with its own mapping solution, single-handedly making the iPhone 5 a bit useless as a navigation tool. Apple’s maps are not good, packed full of out-of-date and plain wrong information. However, now that Google Maps has been released as a separate app for iPhones, iOS is back on track.



Other than its simple, app icon based home screens, iOS doesn’t offer quite as many features as the Samsung Galaxy S3’s Android, though. The Samsung phone has more bells and whistles than a fleet of old-timey steam trains, including gesture navigation, face unlock, gesture typing, an FM tuner, AllShare video streaming, NFC sharing, video multitasking and more.

Some of these are added through TouchWiz, the interface Samsung has laid upon basic Android in the Galaxy S3. For the full run-down of neat features, check out our list of the top 50 Galaxy S3 tips and tricks.

The iPhone 5’s list of extra features is much shorter, and they’re mirrored in the Galaxy S3 anyway. Siri is the voice assistant that lets you search the internet, check movie times and run apps without touching the screen. However, the Samsung Galaxy S3’s S Voice can perform similar feats.

iOS 6 also offers Passbook, which is a repository for things like online vouchers, virtual cinema tickets and so on, but it’s virtually useless in the UK at present and NFC-enabled apps for the Samsung Galaxy S3 have a great deal more potential.

Things aren’t looking too hot for iOS. However, for simple day-to-day use it remains an excellent, easy and quick system. And many of the Samsung Galaxy S3’s extra frills can feel unnecessary. For those relatively new to technology, we recommend iOS over Android.

iPhone 5 vs Samsung Galaxy S3 - Apps and Games

iPhone 5 – App Store, 700,000 apps

Samsung Galaxy S3 – Google Play, 700,000 apps

The Google Play store is rapidly catching up with the Apple App Store in terms of sheer volume of apps and games. In late 2012, both stores revealed that the number of apps available had hit the 700,000 mark. However, quality is much more important than quality in this field, and here the Apple App Store still has a clear lead.

The wealth of creativity apps available on the Apple App Store in particular is worth a mention. Music creation tools like the official Korg iKaossilator and Apple’s own Garageband do not have worth alternatives on Android, and it’s unlikely a top dev will fork out to fill this gap any time soon.

Games trail behind on Android too. Developers tend to use iPhone editions as their lead SKUs – the version that is developed first – because the iPhone gaming market is simply much more valuable commercially than Android’s. Android games are often effectively copies, known as ports, of iPhone originals.

There is an app advantage to using an Android device, though. You can manually install apps using their respective APK installer files – this is called side-loading. Download them with a computer, pop them on a microSD card, put it in the Samsung Galaxy S3 and you can load them from the phone's file explorer app. With an iPhone 5, you can only install apps from the official App Store unless you hack the phone.

Side-loading of apps lets you circumvent the restrictions applied on official app stores, each of which has a set of guidelines that often means apps are pulled or not allowed on the store’s shelves in the first place. However, this also circumvents the light security checks that go on at the Google Play store (apps with dodgy malware are quickly removed, in theory) and you could easily end up with an Android virus.

iPhone 5 vs Samsung Galaxy S3 - Power

iPhone 5 – Apple A6 1.2GHz dual-core CPU, triple-core PowerVR SGX 543MP3 GPU, 1GB RAM

Samsung Galaxy S3 – Exynos 4412 1.4GHz Quad-core CPU, Mali-400MP GPU, 1GB RAM

When thinking about processing power, there are two sides to consider. You can assess raw power through benchmarks, and how well developers have put the power to good use.

Starting with raw power, in the Geekbench benchmarking tool, the Exynos 4412 processor of the Samsung Galaxy S3 beats the iPhone 5. It scores 1720 points against the iPhone 5’s 1660. Geekbench is designed to comprehensively test a device’s processing power.



Galaxy S3 wins the Geekbench CPU test battle

The Galaxy S3 doesn’t win every benchmark challenge, though. In the Sunspider Java benchmark, which roughly judges web browsing speed, the iPhone 5 is significantly faster, completing the test in 915ms against the Samsung Galaxy S3’s 1143ms. Predictably, then, the iPhone 5 also beats the Samsung Galaxy S3 in the similar Browsermark test. It scored roughly 190,000 points, against the Galaxy S3’s 172,000.

Testing the GPUs of the phones, the iPhone 5 wins once more. In the GLBenchmark 2.5 fill test, the iPhone 5 trotted out an impressive 1797 MTexels/sec to the Galaxy S3's 781 MTexels/sec - not that much more than an iPhone 4S.



...but GLBenchmark's GPU tool is a solid win for iPhone 5 (M/texels/sec)

This power is put to better use in an iPhone too, because of a situation we already mentioned when discussing apps and games. As the iPhone gaming market is more lucrative than Android, games are often made for iPhones first, rather than Androids, and if a device’s full potential is to be realised, it’ll be the iPhone 5’s.

Of course, there’s an extent to which developers have to keep in mind the “limited” power reserves of the millions of iPhone 4s and iPhone 4Ss out there too. The iPhone 5 dev scene isn’t perfect, but it is healthy.

iPhone 5 vs Samsung Galaxy S3 - Connectivity

iPhone 5 – Lightning port, 3.5mm headphone jack, Wi-Fi, 3G/4G,

Samsung Galaxy S3 – microUSB port, MHL w/adapter, Wi-Fi, 3G (4G option available), Wi-FI Direct, NFC

Connectivity in these phones sums-up the differing approaches of Samsung and Apple. Apple’s connectivity is almost all proprietary. The new Apple Lightning port, the main connector of the iPhone 5, is used across most of Apple’s mobile devices these days, but you won’t find it elsewhere. The iPhone 5 has 3G and 4G connectivity, but while it has a form of Wi-Fi Direct, it’s not the standard type that’ll work with other devices.



But, hey, at least it has a 3.5mm headphone jack.

The Samsung Galaxy S3 has much better, more open connections. It uses the industry-standard microUSB port, with MHL compatibility. This lets you output video and audio from the phone to a TV, letting it function as a dinky little lounge media player.

Wireless connectivity is great too. AllShare lets you fire over music and video to Samsung TVs and Blu-ray players using your home Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct makes transferring files with other up-to-date devices quick and easy, and it has NFC too.



NFC is the latest darling of the wireless connectivity world. It stands for Near-Field Communication and can already be used to pay for some small items on the high street, without the use of a credit card or cash. We are talking about paying for cups of coffee at present, though.

This is an easy win for the “everything including the kitchen sink” Samsung Galaxy S3.

iPhone 5 vs Samsung Galaxy S3 - Storage

iPhone 5 – 16/32/64GB non-expandable

Samsung Galaxy S3 – 16/32GB (64GB exists but not widely available), expandable via microSD

Again, the Samsung Galaxy S3 wins on storage. The iPhone 5 offers a good range of options, 16GB, 32GB and 64GB of internal storage, but those extra gigabytes cost you a lot of extra cash. Want a 64GB iPhone? That’ll be £699.

There’s no way to increase the internal storage of an iPhone 5, either, so you’ll have to rely on cloud storage if you need more.

The Samsung Galaxy S3 comes in fewer storage flavours in the UK than elsewhere. Most retailers sell the 16GB edition, although a 32GB has also been available from Vodafone (it’s not available to buy at the time of writing). A 64GB edition of the Samsung Galaxy S3 has been produced, but there just isn’t the demand for one in the UK and consequently they are near-impossible to buy.

Why? It’s because expanding the memory with a microSD memory card is a good deal cheaper. Underneath the plastic battery cover of the phone is a microSD slot that’ll take cards up to 64GB. A class 10 64GB microSD card can be bought for around £40 these days – giving you an 80GB phone for less than the cost of a 16GB iPhone 5.

iPhone 5 vs Samsung Galaxy S3 - Cameras

iPhone 5 – 8MP, LED flash, user-facing camera

Samsung Galaxy S3 – 8MP, LED flash, user-facing camera

Specs-wise, the iPhone 5 and Galaxy S3 cameras are near-identical. Both have 8-megapixel sensors with an LED flash a piece. However, the approaches of their camera apps are completely different.

The iPhone 5 camera interface is stripped-back and simple. Your only control is over whether HDR mode is enabled, whether you want to take a panorama photo or not, and if the screen grid is enabled or not.



HDR melds two exposures to reveal more detail in photos taken in difficult lighting situations, panorama takes a full-resolution 240-degree view of your surroundings and grid is a preview overlay that lets you line-up your shot with the horizon.

The Samsung Galaxy S3 offers many, many more options – along with the panorama and HDR modes the iPhone 5 supplies. Many of these options are things that the iPhone does behind-the-scenes anyway, such as stabilisation and face detection. But not all are.

Useful extra features include burst mode and resolution settings.

In practice, the iPhone 5 wins out for pure photo quality. It grabs that bit more detail, has slightly more natural-looking colour and less invasive upping of contrast. The Samsung Galaxy S3 LED flash is more powerful, however.

Both phones offer a good-quality user-facing camera for video chat over Skype/FaceTime.

iPhone 5 vs Samsung Galaxy S3 - Media Skills

iPhone 5 – Limited codec support, restricted file transfers

Samsung Galaxy S3 – Excellent codec support, free file transfers

One of the clearest wins for the Samsung Galaxy S3 is media support. It can play a wide array of audio and video formats, including lossless FLAC tracks and MKV videos. Media fiends will be in heaven.

The iPhone 5 only handles a severely limited range of formats. Most videos downloaded from the net will need to be transcoded before the native video app will be able to play them.

Any limitations in video skills can usually be plugged-in with third-party apps, though, for both of these phones.

No matter which media app you use, transferring files is simpler with a Samsung Galaxy S3. Plug the phone into a computer and its internal memory will show up as a disk drive, letting you drag and drop files. With an iPhone, you need to hook up to iTunes.

iPhone 5 vs Samsung Galaxy S3 - Battery

iPhone 5 – 1440mAh, non-removable

Samsung Galaxy S3 – 2100mAh, removable

Battery stamina is a hard thing to measure in phones, because we use them for such a wide array of tasks. However, the pure numbers show that the Samsung Galaxy S3 undeniably has a much larger main unit than the iPhone 5, 2100mAh against the iPhone’s 1440mAh

Set to constant tasks, such as web browsing, the Samsung Galaxy S3 wins. Consumer advocate Which? Set the phones to web browse the web constantly until their batteries gave up. The Galaxy S3 lasted for 359 minutes, while the iPhone 5 conked out after a mere 200. Ouch.

In general use, the difference is less marked. With 3G engaged, you’ll need to charge the devices every other day, or every day with intense use.



An additional benefit of the Samsung Galaxy S3 is that you can carry around a charged spare if you’re going to be away from a power socket for a while. Official batteries are available for around £15, or third-party knock-offs can be bought from eBay for just a few pounds.

iPhone 5 vs Samsung Galaxy S3 - Accessories

iPhone 5 – Lightning connector, charger plug, EarPod headphones

Samsung Galaxy S3 – microUSB cable, charger plug, Samsung earphones

What else do you get in the box? The iPhone 5 and the Samsung Galaxy S3 offer almost identical accessories. They offer their respective cables, a plug to jam them into for charging, and a pair of earphones a piece.

The Samsung Galaxy S3 offers reasonable-quality IEM-style earphones – these use rubber tips to give you some degree of noise isolation from the outside world. Apple’s EarPods are a bit more interesting. They replace the earbuds Apple has offered with its phones and players for years, using a design that’s in-between an earbud and an IEM pair.



Apple EarPods

EarPods have hard plastic outer shells that roughly plug your ear canal, although not enough to isolate like Samsung’s IEM pair. They offer significantly improved audio quality over Apple’s previous models, though. For more on EarPods, check out our full Apple EarPods review.

Verdict

Choosing between an iPhone 5 and Samsung Galaxy S3 is a tough decision and – unlike some of the comparisons we do – there’s no clear overall winner. For those less interested in the tech, the iPhone 5 is much easier to use, easier to hold and is more robust. However, tech fans may well find the Samsung Galaxy S3 easier, thanks to its relative open-ness, micro-SD card slot and lack of restrictions.

For games, the iPhone 5 wins, as it does for its camera, by a whisker. However, the Samsung Galaxy S3 is a much better media player, with much greater codec support and more flexibility as to how it can bung video over to a television.

If money is an issue, though, the Samsung Galaxy S3 takes the lead, with at least £120 savings to be made.

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