| MHL 3.0 for smartphones strides into view with 4K video support Aug 21st 2013, 11:18, by John McCann 
Good news for those of you who love hooking your smartphone up to TVs or monitors to watch a movie or play a game on a big screen: MHL 3.0 has been announced complete with 4K (Ultra HD) resolution capabilities. For those of you who are unsure what MHL is, in its most basic form it allows you to plug your smartphone or tablet into an HDMI port in your TV via the handset's microUSB port. Nokia, Samsung, Sony and Toshiba make up the MHL Consortium that governs the standard and the latest update in the form of version 3.0 will be available from next month. More sound, screens and peripheralsThe 4K upgrade means the bandwidth for the service has been doubled over MHL 2.0, and alongside the visual update version 3.0 also offers 7.1 surround sound support for better a better audio experience. For those of you who like dabbling with more than one screen at a time MHL 3.0 also supports multiple displays as well as input devices such as keyboards and mice. Of course you're only going to fully benefit from this upgrade if you a) own an MHL enabled device (of which we're told there are over 330 million in the world) and b) own a 4K monitor or television, which are still very expensive at this point in time. However, as the mobile phone or tablet increasingly becomes part of the connected home, the ability to stream 7.1 surround sound will be key for online video services, or content you've downloaded to your device. We can see a time when such enhancements can be charged extra for, enabling new content streams for media providers. The price of 4K technology will also drop over the next few years, and it's good to see that at least our wired connections between mobile devices and large displays will be ready for the mass uptake - now on to 4K wireless streaming.        |  | Unbreakable flexible smartphone concepts to arrive this year? Aug 21st 2013, 10:43, by John McCann 
Chances of a smartphone sporting a flexible display arriving before the year's end are slim, but we're hearing that we may at least see concept devices before 2014 rolls around. According to Korean site ETNews the two major manufacturers of flexible displays - Samsung and LG - will start shipping the screens this November with a couple of concept smartphones in the pipeline. This is all coming from unspecified "industry analysis", so we're taking it with a heavy dose of salt, but the source goes on to claim the concept handsets will be billed as 'unbreakable and light' and used as pilots to gauge market response. Flex your muscleBoth Samsung and LG have a lot of work to do if the market reaction is positive however, with both firms needing to increasing their flexible panel production lines to cope with a mass market device. That means will probably have to wait several months into 2014 before the first real, flexible smartphones possibly hit shop shelves. Samsung is really pushing the flexible display envelope, as it recently set up a competition encouraging people to come up with ideas surrounding the technology with a prize of $10,000 (about £6,400, AU$10,900) up for grabs. It's not just smartphones that are being groomed for flexible displays, with tablets and wearable tech such as smartwatches also heavily tipped to benefit from the bendy screens.        | | LG creates world's first Blu-ray quality smartphone display Aug 21st 2013, 09:44, by John McCann 
LG has announced that it's developed the world's first, and highest resolution, Quad HD AH-IPS LCD display for smartphones capable of giving an incredible pixel density of 538ppi. The 5.5-inch panel sports a 2560 x 1440 resolution, considerably sharper than the screens on the Samsung Galaxy S4 (441ppi), HTC One (469ppi) and LG G2 (424ppi) which all boast still splendid - yet smaller - 1080 x 1920 displays. While questions might be raised over the need for such a high density display on such a small surface area LG claims its new screen will allow users to enjoy Blu-ray quality movies and view desktop versions of websites without image distortion on their smartphones. Now that's great for the average Joe consumer, but LG's screen tech breakthrough with improved contrast, more delicate colours and life-like images could see it excel in various fields such as medicine and military scenarios where greater detail is required. Slim JimIf that retina-popping resolution wasn't enough, LG is claiming that its fancy new display is also the world's thinnest at 1.21mm in depth - which could see our top end smartphones get even thinner than the already svelte 7.9mm Xperia Z and Galaxy S4. This is still some way off the 4K resolution we're beginning to see on televisions, and while 3840 x 2160 on such a small display is not really necessary - with questions raised over what the human eye can distinguish - it's surely only a matter of time before we're carrying round a 4K screen in our pocket. It's not clear when we'll see LG's fancy new screen actually make its way into a handset, although it's quite possible we'll get treated to it sometime next year.        | | Optus joins the roaming push with simpler, cheaper prices Aug 21st 2013, 04:36, by Farrha Khan 
With Vodafone all set to unveil its $5-cap "Roam Like Home" plans next week, Optus has today revealed its own international roaming changes. While Voda's option will currently only include New Zealand, the UK and US, Optus' new roaming price cuts, starting from September, will effect 182 countries. Now to be split into just two zones rather than the current five, Zone 1 will include Asia, Canada, Europe, New Zealand, the Pacific Islands, the UK and the US, while Zone 2 will include Africa, Latin America and the Middle East. Available to both prepaid and post-paid customers, the structure of pricing for roaming has also been simplified. From mid-September, Zone 1 usage will cost 50 cents per text, $1 per minute per call, and 50 cents per 1MB of data used. Zone 2 will cost $1 per text, $2 per minute per call and $1 per 1MB of data. From November, post-paid customers will also be able to add on a $10 a day Optus Travel Pack to their plan, which will get you unlimited texts, unlimited calls and 30MB of data per day in Zone 1. Travel plan battleThough Vodafone, Optus and Telstra have all been touting their own 4G networks in Australia over the last few months, the new battle looks to be forming on the global roaming stage. "We want our customers to feel confident in using their phones overseas and know that they don't have to worry about their phone bill when they return," said Vicki Brady, Managing Director for Customer at Optus. "Just as we launched Optus My Plan to tackle bill shock in the domestic market, Optus Travel will ensure our customers don't live in fear of huge bills when they come back from their holiday," she added. Though it seems like travellers to UK, US and New Zealand may be better off with Vodafone's $5 cap, a proper comparison will have to wait until next week when the telco reveals pricing for plans eligible for its Roam Like Home option. Still, both Optus and Vodafone has competition from the likes of Globalgig's Jetsetter plan for those more concerned about data usage.        | | Multitasking made easy in latest YouTube iOS update Aug 20th 2013, 23:25, by Matt Swider 
Google may be the algorithmic brains behind Android, but the company is playing fair with Apple devices by updating its YouTube iOS app at the same time as the Android version we demoed yesterday. That's good news for multitasking iPhone and iPad owners who find that watching just one video isn't enough sometimes. The big change here is that users can minimize a video while searching for content they want to play next. This functionality arrived on Android at the same time today, though we were able to report on the Android version yesterday thanks to an early APK that was made available outside of the Google Play store. Where's the dividing line?The differences between the YouTube iOS and Android app updates? There are none, according to Google. "The iOS has the same features and design as the Android update this morning (they launched at the same time), save for small platform design differences," a Google spokesperson told TechRadar. That's good news because it means the in-app multitasking and new ability to search public playlists makes the YouTube viewing experience easier no matter which platform you're on. Oh, unless that platform happens to be Windows Phone in which the app is blocked.        | | Sony Xperia Z1 could usurp Xperia i1 and Honami as flagship's moniker Aug 20th 2013, 15:43, by John McCann 
We've been hearing a lot about the Xperia i1/Honami in recent weeks, but now the phone tipped to be Sony's next flagship offering will apparently break cover as the Sony Xperia Z1. The name was flaunted in the XDA Developers forum, a hotbed for various leaks, by a well established member going by the name "DooMLoRD" - scary stuff. According to the user, he's heard the Honami may be called the Xperia Z1 (Z One) when it's launched - potentially on September 4. While it's worth taking the news with a decent dosage of salt, it's worth noting that the Xperia Z1 name has been given another endorsement, this time by twitter user @stagueve who's editor of French site NowhereElse. Caught in the actAnd if that's not enough Honami/Xperiai1/Xperia Z1 news for you then you're in luck, as some alleged press images of the handset have snuck online via Chinese site ePrice. 
From the looks of it, the Xperia Z1 (or is that i1?) could well sport black, purple and white body colours - perfect for women, flowers and horses if you want to take the press images literally. We're still erring on the side of caution with the name and we wouldn't be surprised if there's another twist in the tale before September 4. What's your money on, i1, Z1 or something else? FutTv : 339o9auT131SR       | | Opinion: How Apple could change the world again with the iPhone 5S Aug 20th 2013, 14:20, by Gareth Beavis 
While the iPhone rumor mill is one of the most confusing things in the world to pick through, the idea that the iPhone 5S will come with a biometric fingerprint scanner is one that won't go away. Apple has spent a fortune buying AuthenTec, a company that specialises in this technology, has multiple patents in the biometric space for the mobile phone and tablet - and, crucially, needs to have something to crow about when it launches the iPhone 5 again and pretends it's an all-new beast. This sparked a bit of a debate in the TechRadar office. A couple of members of the team couldn't see the point of having such a piece of technology on a phone. "Sounds like another gimmick that we don't need," she said. No, no and no. If Apple does bring out an iPhone 5S complete with a fingerprint scanner on the home button, then it won't be another 'Smart Pause' moment (seriously, Samsung, what were you thinking?) No, this will be a moment that heralds a shift in the way we use phones forever. 
Think about it: adding biometric sensors to a phone makes perfect sense. Unlike tablets, phones do not need guest modes because they will almost never be used by anyone but their owner. A phone has your digital life stored on it, so a way to lock it only to you makes a huge amount of sense. We've already seen efforts to do this from the Google camp. Face Unlock is a standard feature of Android now and the new Moto X has a dedicated chip to listen out for your voice. Combine those with a fingerprint scanner and you'd have a robust system that makes the notion of using a passcode or pattern laughable. There's another benefit to a fingerprint scanner: speed. It would be as quick, if not quicker, to enter a fingerprint than to enter a few numbers, plus the finger wouldn't have to move so far - a bonus as phone displays grow ever larger. People who don't secure their phone do so simply because they can't be bothered with the extra step to unlock it time and again - they still care about their data. Another criticism leveled at today's fingerprint scanners is that the ones on PCs and laptops get about as much use Bermuda shorts in wintertime. True - but you don't open and close a traditional computer tens or hundreds of times a day. Business senseSpeaking of the laptop, Apple could be approaching the fingerprint scanner from another angle: business. The smartphone is increasingly replacing the business laptop in the office for certain tasks and especially on the go. As such, it is often filled with all kinds of sensitive information. BlackBerry and Samsung are both making a big deal about security on their phones and tablets, but imagine if there was no way the phone could be used by anyone else out there? You can watch someone enter a passcode but you can't very easily fake a fingerprint, making the life of a thief, even a diligent one, much harder than before. I'm not saying that an iPhone with a scanner will change everything instantly. If that was the case, then someone else (let's face it, Samsung or LG) would have done it already. But the foundations are there. The need is there too, as other manufacturers also seem to be following suit. There have been a number of high profile patents filed by Apple's competitors in this area, and there are rumors that HTC is going to be first out the blocks to do the same thing with the new One Max. I'm all for security, and if it can make my life easier (and, let's face it, cooler) then I'm all for it. Just remember that it doesn't mean a phone is dull when Apple goes on and on about how the iPhone 5S is 'The Most Securest iPhone ever'.        | | Updated: Galaxy Mega stomping into AT&T this week, other carriers will lug phablet too Aug 19th 2013, 18:24, by Michael Rougeau 
Update: The Galaxy Mega is also headed to U.S. Cellular, though the carrier isn't sharing pricing or availability details just yet. Original article... AT&T and Sprint sent out press releases today alerting the eager masses that both carriers will soon play host to the Samsung Galaxy Mega. The massive phone is coming first to AT&T though, and it's coming very soon indeed - how's this Friday sound? Sprint users will have to wait a bit longer, though it's unclear exactly how long it will be - the carrier's announcement says only that the Galaxy Mega will arrive "later this year." On AT&T, the Galaxy Mega will cost $24 per month with an AT&T Next plan or $149.99 on a two-year contract. Sprint offered no prices, instead vaguely touting the benefits of its unlimited LTE data plans. 'The ideal hybrid'The Galaxy Mega is the latest phablet in Samsung's ever-growing Galaxy family. It's one huge piece of work, measuring 6.3 inches and posing a fun challenge to anyone trying to shove it into their pants pockets. AT&T calls it "the ideal hybrid handset if you want to experience smartphone portability with the immersive experience of a tablet." Sprint, meanwhile, promised to keep us updated on pricing and availability as its release approaches. How big is too big?In TechRadar's hands-on Galaxy Mega review we pondered whether Samsung has finally gone too far when it comes to size - the Galaxy Note and Note 2 were manageable, but the Galaxy Mega is frankly gigantic. You can see just how large 6.3 inches really is in the above photo - that's the Galaxy S3, no pipsqueak itself, sitting on top of the Galaxy Mega. However, if phablets are your thing the 6.3-inch hybrid is definitely worth checking out. - If the Mega is just too Mega for you, there are plenty of other options coming soon - like the Galaxy Note 3 or the (rumored) HTC One Max.
  | | HTC One Mini maneuvers into AT&T this Friday for $99.99 Aug 19th 2013, 16:36, by JR Bookwalter 
HTC took a shrink ray to its most popular flagship Android smartphone, and now AT&T users can snap one up for just shy of a hundred bucks beginning this Friday. AT&T announced the launch of the HTC One Mini, a slimmer, junior-sized version of the Taiwanese smartphone maker's critically acclaimed flagship handset, the HTC One. Arriving online and retail stores this Friday, Aug. 23 for $99.99 with a two-year agreement, the HTC One Mini is an AT&T exclusive that attempts to deliver everything reviewers and users have raved about the full-sized model in a slimmer form and price. AT&T Next customers will be able to nab an HTC One Mini for only $21 per month, and the pocket-friendly handset retains the carrier's 4G LTE data connectivity from its full-featured sibling as well. Small but loadedThe HTC One Mini features the same aluminum body found on the HTC One, but reduces the form factor and weight with a 4.3-inch Super LCD 2 HD 720p display powered by a dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 1.4GHz processor. One thing HTC hasn't cut back on are features: AT&T's One Mini comes equipped with the same HTC BlinkFeed, Zoe and BoomSound for social highlights, advanced photo editing and great sound from the dual front-facing speakers. HTC One Mini buyers will also have the same great UltraPixel camera, which features a backside illuminated sensor the manufacturer claims captures 300% more than than competitors for great shots, day or night. With the arrival of the HTC One Mini on AT&T this Friday, Android fans will have smaller versions of both current flagship favorites, although it remains to see if this new arrival can compete with all the different variations of the Galaxy S4 that Samsung continues to pump out. - Don't forget to check out TechRadar's massive review of the Moto X!
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