iOS 7 video shows off concept designs of Apple’s next mobile OS

A new iOS 7 concept video has been unveiled, with the potential of Apple’s upcoming mobile operating system refresh shown off.

Highlighting a number of possible inclusions for the software refresh, the iOS 7 video has looked at what is expected from the Android rival ahead of Apple’s formal unveiling of the next-generating operating system next month.

Widely expected to be showcased at WWDC 2013 in early June, iOS 7 will be the first Apple operating system to benefit from the design input of Jony Ive, the man widely responsible for the aesthetical appeal of the iPad mini, iPhone 5 and iMac.

With recent iOS 7 rumours suggesting the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch powering software will be “black, white and flat all over”, concept artist Christian Lue of ChanluChannel has mocked up what he believes the new, ‘flatter’ iOS 7 will look like based on leaks, reports and rumours.

Tipped to support a drastically improved rendition of Apple’s voice commanded Siri personal assistant, the latest iOS 7 concept video has predicted the revised Siri will support more location based and local business integration, with compatibility with third party apps such as Flickr also on the way.

Expected to feature app icon cover images for folders, iOS 7 has also been rumoured to support quick reply messages, with the concept video showing off the ability to respond to incoming texts direct from the iPhone or iPad’s homescreen in a mini pop-up window.

Further iOS 7 features teased by the latest concept art include Panorama Backgrounds, akin to Windows Phone 8 handsets, and more detailed settings menus that offers improved handset customisation for users.

Although far from an official confirmation of what iOS 7 will offer, the new iOS 7 concept video provides an indication of potential features we will see hitting Apple handsets and tablets in the near future.

Read on: iPad 4 review

Via: Ubergizmo

readmore »»  

Pure Connect app arrives on Android

Pure has announced that its Pure Connect app is now available for Android devices from today via the Google Play store.

Android users can now download the Pure Connect app for free from the Google Play store in order to take control of their Jongo multiroom music system.

As well as turning the user’s Android device into a streaming remote for the Jongo speakers, Pure Connect offers access to the Pure Music subscription service.

Like Spotify, Bloom and other music streaming services, Pure Music provides access to on-demand radio shows, podcasts, internet radio stations, and the albums, artists and songs contained within the Pure Music library.

Pure says Pure Music now offers access to a 15 million track strong library, with over 20,000 radio stations and 200,000 on-demand radio programmes and podcasts.

The app has a new Discover section that recommends artists, songs and albums according to the user’s listening history, or the user can simply search for a specific artist or album, similar to the other streaming services.

Users can subscribe to Pure Music for £4.99, but a new £9.99 subscription tier will be added soon that allows caching. Anyone a little curious about the Pure Music service can opt in for a free 30 day trial.

All of the Pure Music content can be streamed directly to the Jongo speakers which utilise a Wi-Fi connection to stream audio within a single room or throughout the whole house. The Bluetooth connection allows connectivity with the Pure Connect app to stream Pure Music audio, locally stored music or other streaming services.

Currently, the only Jongo speaker available is the Pure Jongo S3, a portable, wireless and rechargeable speaker that retails for around £169.99.

The wireless hi-fi adapter the Jongo A2 and the Jongo T6, a wireless stereo speaker are due to launch later this year.

The app can be downloaded for free now from the Google Play store. It has been optimised for Android smartphones, but can also be used on tablets. Pure will release a special Android tablet app soon.

Get the most our of your Nexus with our handy Google Nexus 4 tips and tricks.

readmore »»  

Google Nexus 5 not in production says LG

LG has revealed that it won’t be making a Nexus 5 handset upgrade to the Google Nexus 4 and is looking to move away from stock Android devices.

Kim Wong, Vice President of LG Mobile in Europe, has said in an interview with Dutch website that the company is not working on a Nexus 5 handset, despite plenty of online rumours.

The South Korean company is looking to move away from stock Android devices in order to promote its own Optimus UI, especially after Samsung announced a stock Android edition of the Samsung Galaxy S4.

“The Nexus 4 was a great success despite the production problems for us and Google”, said Wong. “However, we do not need such a marketing success again.”

Wong confirmed that LG has a strong relationship with Google and wouldn’t turn down an opportunity to work with the search engine giant for future projects, but a Nexus 5 isn’t something the company wants to produce right now.

LG is instead looking to strengthen its own smartphone offerings, believing that a Nexus 5 would only detract from that line.

The company recently sent out press invitations to a launch event on May 30 that could be used to launch the next smartphone in the Optimus G lineup, the reportedly ultra-thin LG Optimus G2.

The super-slim LG Optimus G2 could feature a 5-inch Full 1080p HD IPS LCD display, and would lack any physical buttons due to the smartphone razor thin proportions.

Running Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, the LG Optimus G2 could pack 13-megapixels into a slightly protruding rear camera, pictured in the LG event invite. Powered by a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor, LG has already confirmed that the Optimus G2 will make an appearance in Q3 2013.

“G2 is going to be something different, something unique and we have needed to be very creative,” said Won Kim, Head of Mobile Communication for Europe at LG speaking to TrustedReviews in Korea last month.

Disappointed about the Nexus 5? Read our LG Optimus G Pro hands-on for a taste of what’s to come from LG this year.

Via: PhoneArena

readmore »»  

iPhone 5S screen to double the resolution of iPhone 5 Retina offering?

The iPhone 5S could soon make the iPhone 5 look obsolete

The iPhone 5S screen could feature twice the resolution as the iPhone 5, with a staggering 1.5 million pixels rumoured to be crammed into the next-generation 4-inch Retina offering.

As well as playing host to a new, eye-watering display, it has been suggested that the iPhone 5S will adopt a new form factor, with the next-gen handset tipped to sport a narrower bezel akin to that of the iPad mini.

Originating from the Chinese supply chain, the latest iPhone 5S rumours have claimed that although retaining the same 4-inch size as the current iPhone 5, the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S4 rival will take things to new realms of realism and detail, doubling the screen’s number of pixels.

Making the jump from 730,000 pixels across a 4-inch form to 1.5 million pixels on the same amount of display real estate, the iPhone 5S screen will reportedly eclipse the image quality of any current smartphone powerhouse, including the HTC One and Google Nexus 4.

We must stress, however, that these reports are far from confirmed and go against the belief that the iPhone 5S will be little more than an incremental upgrade on the way to a dramatically overhauled iPhone 6.

iPhone 5S Rumours

With many iPhone 5S rumours having done the rounds in the recent weeks and months, latest reports have suggested that Apple’s next-generation handset will be made available in ‘6-8 colours’, with leaks having shown the device will land in blue, orange and grey colour schemes among others.

Tipped as a gradual progression over the iPhone 5, the iPhone 5S has been rumoured as featuring a speedier quad-core processor than its predecessor, with improved camera optics also reportedly on the cards.

Expected to feature a similar form factor to the current model, an iPhone 5S release date has been mooted for September, with launch stock of the eagerly awaited device expected to enter production next month.

Can’t decide which handset’s for you, read our iPhone 5 vs Samsung Galaxy S4 head-to-head for guidance.

Via: UnwiredView

readmore »»  

Sony agrees to sell Xperia SP without a charger as part of O2 scheme

Sony has announced it will be taking part in O2’s Charger out of the Box sustainability scheme, selling its Sony Xperia SP handset without a charger from launch this month.

The Sony Xperia SP will only come with the USB to micro-USB cable needed to charge the phone, so customers can utilise an existing main adapter or charge their phone via a computer. If customers wish to buy the mains adaptor they can do at a discounted price from O2.

O2 launched the Charger out of the Box initiative in an attempt to reduce environmental waste caused by the unnecessary sale of chargers each year.

The UK network provider estimates that 24 million fewer chargers could be sold each year if the scheme is adopted industry-wide.

“As an industry, we have a duty to our customers to behave in a way that is environmentally responsible, making our business leaders in sustainability,” said Ronan Dunne, CEO of O2. “Taking chargers out of the box is a small change that has a huge environmental benefit – cutting down not just on waste, but also the environmental costs of transport, storage and component manufacture.”

Two HTC handsets launched as part of the scheme, including the flagship HTC One , have already shown it to be successful. When it launched in January, more than four out of five customers chose to buy the HTC One without the charger, opting to use existing equipment instead.

Nokia has also confirmed that its Nokia Lumia 925 will be sold without the mains adaptor via O2 when it launches, sold just with the micro-USB to USB cable.

“Sony backing our campaign is a major step towards making chargers out of the box the norm in the UK and I very much hope that we will see others joining us over the course of this year,” added Dunne.

O2 research suggests there are already 100 million mains adaptors lying unused in the UK that are either duplicates or from older handsets. This equates to 18,700 tonnes, the same weight as 1,000 London buses.

“There is a clear willingness amongst customers to listen to the environmental message, so from our perspective pilots like this are essential to reducing environmental waste,” said Marketing Director for North West Europe at Sony, Catherine Cherry. “Networks and handset manufacturers have to take a lead on this area and so we were eager to run a trial with one of our leading smartphones. If it works well, we will obviously consider rolling this out more widely.”



Next, read our pick of the best mobile phones of 2013.

readmore »»  

Samsung Galaxy Note 3 camera to feature optical image stabilisation?

New Samsung Galaxy Note 3 rumours have suggested the heavily mooted handset will land later this year with optical image stabilisation in tow.

Long the thing of rumour and speculation, latest Samsung Galaxy Note 3 rumours have claimed the eagerly awaited addition to the smartphone turn tablet hybrid family will line up with an integrated snapper to top that on the Samsung Galaxy S4.

Seemingly set to feature a 13-megapixel rear-mounted camera, latest reports out of Samsung’s native Korea have claimed that the Note 3 will be the company’s first smartphone snapper to benefit from optical image stabilisation among other improvements. Not the first handset to bring OIS into the mix, a selection of Nokia’s Lumia devices have already gone down that camera improving route.

Previously tipped to support a 3x optical zoom bragging snapper, the latest Samsung Galaxy Note 3 rumours have hinted that such additions have been dropped due to issues keeping the handset’s form factor at a suitably slim level.

Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Rumours

One of the most widely tipped devices yet to make it to the realms of reality, the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 has been rumoured to hit the market with all manner of high-end innards and revolutionary advancements.

While claims of a flexible, unbreakable display appearing on the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 have been widely rubbished, the handset is expected to sport the eight-core Exynos 5 processor afforded to Samsung Galaxy S4 owners in certain markets.

With a Samsung Galaxy Note 3 release date having been long rumoured for IFA 2013 this autumn, an official Samsung event being held on June 20 has since cast a shadow on these predictions.

Promising the arrival of new Android powered Galaxy and Windows Phone powered Ativ branded devices, the upcoming Samsung launch event will be held in London.

Further Reading: Samsung Galaxy S4 vs iPhone 5

Via: UnwiredView

readmore »»  

LG officially announces Nexus 4 White

After numerous rumours and leaks, LG has finally announced the launch of the Nexus 4 White.

Evidence of a white version of Google's current flagship Android smartphone first appeared back in January with a couple of leaked images.

Google I/O 2013 came and went earlier in May, but suggestions of a June launch for the pure white Nexus 4 persisted. Now an official LG news release has confirmed those suspicions.

In actual fact, the so-called Nexus 4 White only partly lives up to its name. Whilst the rear section is indeed pure as snow, the front panel is the same black as the original.

Unsurprisingly, the Nexus 4 White will be identical to the regular black Google Nexus 4 in all but colour. This means that it will feature a 4.7-inch 720p IPS Plus display and a 1.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon S4 CPU backed by 2GB of RAM.

The Nexus 4 also comes with either 8 or 16GB of internal storage and an 8-megapixel camera.

Of course, the single defining feature of the Nexus 4 is that it runs the very latest version of the Android OS, 4.2.2 Jelly Bean, precisely as Google intended it. That means no clunky custom UI or tacked-on software spoiling the pure Android goodness.

The Nexus 4 White will hit Hong Kong on May 29 before rolling out to select markets in Asia, North America, Europe and the Middle East in the following weeks. So, that earlier June prediction appears to be right on the money.

Catch up on all of the announcements at Google's recent bash in our Google I/O 2013 round-up.

readmore »»