| In Depth: The 5 phones that made Nokia worth buying Sep 3rd 2013, 12:21, by David Nield 
It's official — as long as shareholders and regulators approve, Microsoft is buying Nokia's phone and services division for £3.2 billion, taking on the development of its Windows Phone series and giving the company a stronger foothold in the fight against Google and Apple in the mobile marketplace. While Nokia's star may have waned in recent years (though the latest batch of Lumias have made at least a few sit up and take notice again), this is a company responsible for a galaxy of classic handsets — so we've looked back and picked the devices, past and present, gave Nokia the power and momentum that saw it manage to stagger on through some tricky times, and expertise that Microsoft couldn't resist getting its hands on. 1. Nokia 3310
Cast your mind back to late 2000: Bush and Gore were battling for the keys to the White House, and Nokia replaced its hugely successful 3210 with the 3310, which went on to scale even greater heights. Not everyone had a mobile phone in the early 2000s, but if you did, chances were it was a 3310 or its immediate predecessor. It made Snake II the most popular game of the age, came in a variety of colours and all-encompassing cases, let you customise the ringtone and even let you send texts above the 160-character limit. It was one of the first phones to match the blueprint for any successful handset: powerful, versatile, and a pleasure to use. 2. Nokia N95Get into a conversation with anyone who once owned an N95 and you won't have to do much prodding to get them singing its praises. This was the most feature-packed feature phone in existence before the iPhone turned up, offering cutting-edge capabilities such as GPS and online mapping, an MP3 player, Wi-Fi and 3G support (something the first iPhone lacked), and a 5 megapixel camera that was ahead of its time (recording both images and video). It had a big, bright, colourful screen and a slide-out design that meant you could hide away the keypad when you didn't need it – in short, it was everything that the iPhone wasn't and caused throngs of users to fly all over the globe to pick it up. Sadly, it was also the start of the downward trend for Nokia, as the brand failed to recognise that consumers would become less interested in power, and more about ease of use… but it still remains an iconic phone nonetheless. 3. Nokia 1110
The Nokia 1110 remains the company's best-selling phone of all time. In fact, at 250 million units shifted, it's the best-selling handset in history (unless you want to lump all the editions of the iPhone together), so keep that in mind for your next pub quiz trip. Like most of the classic Nokias, it was user-friendly and simple to operate, and it helped the company expand worldwide into developing countries that it previously hadn't touched. You didn't get much besides the basic functions with the 1110, and it ran out of juice after five hours or so, but it remains one of Nokia's most important devices in terms of spreading the company's influence and getting its name recognised across the globe. 4. Nokia N9
The N9 wasn't the most successful mobile phone handset that Nokia ever launched — its chassis was stolen from it in the UK market to be used for the Windows Phone-powered Lumia 800 — but it provided evidence that the company could still innovate and provide fresh ideas of its own given half a chance. The MeeGo mobile OS appeared just as Nokia switched focus to Windows Phone and actually had a lot going for it (including intelligent multi-tasking, a really slick UI, decent Web browsing and a combined notifications system), and it was all wrapped in a stylish-looking chassis that gave a few nods to where Nokia would be heading next (from the brightly coloured casing to the high-spec Carl Zeiss integrated camera). We doubt Microsoft is going to ever want to fragment its mobile phones operations at all, but at least is shows that Nokia knew how to make a decent OS, and that's going to be gold dust when it looks to polish Windows Phone. 5. Nokia Lumia 925
Back to the present day, and while Nokia has been caught out by the explosion of iOS and Android devices, the Lumia range — and the Nokia Lumia 925 in particular — shows clear signs that Nokia is ready to fight back. Impressive build quality, a great camera and a top-notch suite of integrated apps (particularly for managing your contacts and social media accounts) makes it the best Nokia phone of the moment. The only piece of the puzzle missing is third-party app support, and if Microsoft can solve that problem, then hardware like the Lumia 925 and its successors should give it more than half a chance of making Windows Phone a mainstream mobile operating system.        |  | Shops gearing up for two new iPhone deliveries as 5S and 5C expected Sep 3rd 2013, 09:52, by Kate Solomon 
It's tough to get excited about how shops visually merchandise phones, but we'll give it a stab: Phone sellers have reportedly been told to clear space to display three iPhones, instead of just the two they currently showcase (iPhone 5 and iPhone 4S). Three iPhones, eh? What, like, the iPhone 5S, iPhone 5 and iPhone 4S? Perhaps, but the same retail sources say they've also been told to prepare for two separate deliveries. So could it be that shops are gearing up to showcase the iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C alongside the iPhone 5? Leak cityWell, it sure seems likely since the leaks this year have centred around the two separate iPhone handsets where they usually just focus on the minutiae of one. Of course, the shadowy 'retail sources' could just be making stuff up for a laugh, so let's not get carried away. There's been no word from the Apple camp about a launch event just yet, but we're all expecting Cupertino's invites to land in inboxes on Wednesday just as a Samsung exec opens his mouth to announce the Samsung Galaxy Gear smartwatch. - Get all the iPhone 5S rumours and updates you could ever possibly want or need here.
       | | Reaction: TechRadar Reacts: What will the Nokia buy mean for Microsoft? Sep 3rd 2013, 09:47, by TechRadar 
You may have heard, there's been some kind of big news today - Microsoft is buying Nokia's phone and services division. It's a big move for Microsoft, and it's looking more likely that ever that Elop will replace Ballmer as CEO. Of course, none of this has really come as much of a surprise. But what do we think this move will mean for the future of Microsoft in the phone space? Gareth - Phones and Tablets Editor (UK) While this deal's been mooted for a while, it's still come as something of a shock - but without the support of the Redmond-based firm there's little doubt Nokia would never have survived as a phone manufacturer. Although Nokia will still retain the rights to most of the technology it developed make no mistake: this is the end of Nokia as we know it. It will never be the same brand that brought us the 3310 or the N95. Here's hoping Windows Phone really gets the kick it needs by bringing the hardware in house… Google, Apple and Samsung could do with more competition at the sharp end. Follow Gareth on Twitter Kate Solomon - News Editor (UK)We've basically been waiting for this since Elop took over at Nokia, right? The last three years have been nothing but a charade, Elop and his cronies killing time with not-bad-but-not-great Windows Phones, chuckling together at the audaciousness of their plan over Dalmore 62 Single Highland Malt Scotch Mathesons after every Microsoft-flavoured phone launch until Nokia could legitimately sell up and get out. I'd like be impressed with the Hollywood sheen of this particular tech storyline but I'm just exhausted by the whole desperate affair. Follow Kate on Twitter James Rivington - Reviews Editor (UK)It makes perfect sense, doesn't it? Microsoft has a better chance of making Windows Phone work with complete control over software and hardware. It's typical Microsoft – an unexciting company buying another unexciting company that makes unexciting products in order to make unexciting money. That's what Microsoft is – a successful no-thrills money making machine. So while I wish them good luck, I'm not going to invest, so I'm out. Follow James on Twitter Kane Fulton - Staff Writer, TechRadar Pro (UK)The expertise Microsoft will gain from the acquisition could help position Windows Phone as a serious contender to Android and iOS. By providing the hardware, software and managing the underlying infrastructure, Microsoft and Nokia could also see off BlackBerry in the enterprise for good. Secure email, Office, security and mobile device management are just some areas the two could combine, and it will be interesting to see what surfaces over the next few years. Follow Kane on Twitter Hugh Langley - Staff Writer (UK)I'm sad to see the end of the Nokia we've come to know but equally interested to see what Microsoft decides to do now. Will it go full Apple and bring hardware and software together straight away, or does it have a different strategy for absorbing this significant section of the Finnish firm? The news that Nokia's lead designer Marko Ahtisaari is leaving Nokia isn't great news to go alongside this, but I still see a better future for the platform. And I know one thing for sure: I wouldn't want to be a BlackBerry investor today. Follow Hugh on Twitter Marc Chacksfield - Deputy Editor (UK)It will be interesting to see how Nokia and its people fit into Microsoft - in fact, the whole thing raises questions rather than giving us answers to the future of Microsoft. Will it be like Google's buyout of Motorola Mobility, where the two entities work separately or will we see the hardware and software divisions working harmoniously together? This is what's happening at Apple at the moment and I think this is how Microsoft should use Nokia too. Microsoft needs to make phones for the mass market and this can only truly happen when both teams sit down in the same room and communicate. But then is there the other question: what will happen with the third-party phones that currently use Windows Phone? Steve Ballmer has promised that Windows Phone is an eco-system that won't be locked to Nokia, but for how long? Follow Marc on Twitter Catch up on all of TechRadar's coverage of the story so far:        | | Opinion: Elop is Microsoft's new crown prince, but is he really the best choice? Sep 3rd 2013, 09:01, by Patrick Goss 
Stephen Elop's return to Microsoft as part of the deal to buy Nokia's mobile phone business has made him the new front-runner to take over Steve Ballmer's CEO role when he leaves. But he won't be everybody's choice of appointment following his time at the Finnish phone giant. Elop's move to Nokia always had a whiff of Microsoft scheming about it. Elop was always billed as a potential Ballmer successor, after leading the company's business division, and his move to Nokia certainly never had the ring of a successful exec turning his back on his former colleagues. Indeed, the special relationship between Microsoft and Nokia has led to the company's being aligned in such a way that Elop's most important relationships remained firmly rooted in Redmond. Elop now returns as a direct report to Ballmer, heading up the devices division that will now include Nokia phones as well as the likes of Surface and, of course, the Xbox division. 
The speculation about who will replace Ballmer when he steps away from a company he has led in his own inimitable fashion has now been replaced with an overwhelming suggestion that Elop will now be the man. Well-worn processMicrosoft and Ballmer, as you would expect, are still playing their cards close to their chest. In an interview with The Verge, the current CEO was predictably cautious. "Our board is going through a process open to internal and external candidates. It's a process that they wanted well-known so they could consider everybody internal and external," he said. "Stephen Elop happens to be going from external to internal but our board will consider everybody. They will do it in private - that's the right way for the board to conduct its business." Elop was always likely to be on a very short list of people being considered for the role; his track-record at Microsoft, his experience at taking charge of a large company that needed a significant shift of focus and his relationship with Ballmer all pointed to him as a serious candidate. But don't for a second doubt that there will be many dissenting voices should Elop take on the top job. Elop, it seems, represents a safe choice for the Microsoft board - and many, myself included, believe that this is a company that simply cannot afford to spend the next few years in its comfort zone. 
Windows Phone has become a significant third player in the mobile phone market, largely due to some increasingly decent Nokia phones that use the company's OS - but it needs desperately to compete harder with Android if it is to avoid fading into obscurity. Xbox One's launch has been far from ideal for Microsoft, with the Sony PS4 managing to edge ahead by simply taking the safest route to market. And, perhaps most critically, Windows 8 has been a damp squib - bringing the necessary touchscreen love, but not giving enough of the existing market a reason to upgrade, at a time when Apple and Google are offering alternatives to Microsoft's most famous product. Rare chanceBallmer has been far from a failure at Microsoft during his tenure, but the end of his time at the helm represents a rare chance for Microsoft to make some major changes necessary to align the company's ambition with the future. Elop's time at Nokia - whether as a Trojan horse or not - has done little to suggest that he is a man that will make drastic changes. And the Brave New World of Microsoft could well look very similar to the crumbling empire that has come before.        | | Gary Marshall: Microsoft and Nokia? Steve Jobs would be snickering Sep 3rd 2013, 08:25, by Gary Marshall 
So much for the Trojan Horse theory. You might recall that when Stephen Elop moved to Nokia from Microsoft, some observers suggested that he was a Trojan Horse: he'd bring Nokia to its knees so Microsoft would end up buying its phone business. Today, Microsoft bought Nokia's phone business - for considerably less than it paid for Skype - and Elop is being tipped as the next Microsoft CEO. This is a very different acquisition to Microsoft's earlier phone firm buyout, which resulted in the ill-fated Kin. This is much bigger, and much more significant: it's Microsoft admitting that its business model, in the consumer space, is broken. If Steve Jobs were still around, he'd be chuckling today. Microsoft's magic money machineMicrosoft's business model has always been pretty simple. Other people make hardware and Microsoft makes the software that runs on that hardware. There have been a few exceptions - Microsoft mice, for example, and of course the Xbox - but for Microsoft the big money has always been in software. The margins on software are massive, because once you've written the code the cost of duplicating it is effectively zero. Once you've covered your basic costs - development, marketing and so on - selling software is effectively a magic money machine. That only works if you're actually selling software, though, and in mobile Microsoft isn't. If it weren't for Surface RT, most of the planet wouldn't even know what Windows RT was. Windows 8 tablets aren't doing brilliantly. And if it weren't for Nokia, Windows Phone wouldn't have significant market share either: manufacturers such as HTC and Samsung are merely paying lip service to the idea of supporting Microsoft's OS. They're much more interested in Android (and in Samsung's case, Tizen) and likely to become more so now that Microsoft is a competitor as well as a licensor. MicromobileMicrosoft wants to make a bigger impact in mobile, and it has decided that the best way to do that is to do what Apple does: going vertical, making not just the hardware but the software and services that hardware runs. Microsoft, quite sensibly, wants to make the forty-dollar margin Nokia gets on its handsets, not the ten dollars Microsoft makes from selling an operating system license. It wants to sell you the hardware, provide the OS and operate the app store, just like Apple does. The big question is whether it'll work. Microsoft's track record in mobile isn't superb - Windows Phone was desperately overdue when it finally launched and the aforementioned Danger acquisition was an utter disaster - and Nokia's smartphones haven't been doing as well as Microsoft had hoped. Microsoft may be hoping to emulate Apple here, but Apple isn't the only example of vertical integration in the smartphone business: there's another famous firm that makes the hardware, makes the OS and runs the App Store - a firm that isn't doing nearly as well as Apple. And by "isn't doing nearly as well", I mean "is currently circling the drain". Its name, of course, is BlackBerry.        | | HTC Desire 300 handset arrives to take on rest of Android army Sep 3rd 2013, 07:01, by Marc Chacksfield 
After wowing us all with the HTC One, HTC has done some more number crunching and come up with a new numeral-namesake, the Desire 300. As we all know (well, everyone except Kanye West), the number 300 is synonymous with the Battle of Thermopylae, where a small Spartan (note: not Roman) army took out a Greek army of thousands. And this is precisely what HTC is hoping to do with this handset - knock the big guys out with what is a pretty simple, no frills device. Makes SenseThe 4.3-inch handset comes with a dual core 1GHz Snapdragon processor and, well, it will also offer Blinkfeed as well, so you can keep up with all your social networks in one place. And it will be packing Android slathered in HTC Sense. The HTC Desire 300 weighs in at just 120g and measures 131.78 x 66.23 x 10.12mm in size. It has 4GB of on-board storage, as well as a microSD slot for those who like to expand. There's also a 5MP camera with autofocus, a VGA front camera and video recording. So, more sparse than Spartan but it is aimed directly at the entry level crowd. The HTC Desire 300 will be available in select markets from October 2013.        | | HTC Desire 601 honours its forefathers with good looks, middling specs Sep 3rd 2013, 07:01, by Kate Solomon 
Once synonymous with the high end, HTC's Desire brand now speaks of the mid range with handsets the new HTC Desire 601 which hopes to bridge the gap between feature- and smartphone with aplomb. It comes with high-end bits and bobs like LTE connectivity and a 4.5-inch screen coupled with mid-range display quality (qHD), RAM (1GB) and processing (a Snapdragon 400 dual-core 1.4GHz affair). HTC has packed its latest in-house features into the Desire 601 too, including the three-second HTC Zoe video maker and the excellently-named BoomSound audio set-up, which basically means it has dual front-facing bass-friendly speakers. It also features Beats audio enhancement, thanks Dre. It's all gone a bit 601Storage-wise we're looking at 8GB on board plus microSD support, which is just as well since the 5MP camera can shoot 1080p video and that takes up a fair bit of space. The 4.5-inch device weighs a fairly standard (for this level) 130g, which is about the same weight as the Samsung Galaxy S4. HTC Desire 601 pricing is yet to be revealed but we're HTC is pushing it as "affordable" so it shouldn't be too harsh on the bank balance, particularly on network deals. The handset will be released in Europe in September, with US and Australian availability yet to be confirmed.        | | Microsoft buys Nokia's phone and services division Sep 3rd 2013, 04:26, by Nick Broughall 
Some may argue it was inevitable following the deal inked over two years ago that saw Nokia exclusively offer devices running the Windows Phone operating system, but Microsoft has just announced its intentions to purchase Nokia's devices and services divisions. The deal - which seemed doomed to fail back in June - also sees Microsoft license all of Nokia's patents as well as licensing and using Nokia's mapping services. Of course, that kind of acquisition doesn't come cheap. The deal is setting Microsoft back €3.79 billion ($US5 billion, £3.2 billion, AUD$5.6 billion) for the devices and services divisions, and €1.65 billion ($US2.18 billion, £1.4 billion, AUD$2.4 billion) to license Nokia's patents. The deal is expected to be finalised in the first quarter of 2014, provided Nokia's shareholders and industry regulators approve. The Steve and Stephen double teamMore than 32,000 Nokia employees from all around the world are expected to move to the Microsoft family as part of the acquisition, but according to the men who orchestrated the deal, the real advantage will be the accelerated growth of the company's mobile device offering. In the joint press release from Nokia and Microsoft, outgoing Redmond boss Steve Ballmer claims that "It's a bold step into the future – a win-win for employees, shareholders and consumers of both companies. Bringing these great teams together will accelerate Microsoft's share and profits in phones, and strengthen the overall opportunities for both Microsoft and our partners across our entire family of devices and services." Stephen Elop, who has moved from Nokia President and CEO to Nokia Executive Vice President of Devices & Services as part of the deal, echoed Ballmer's thoughts, saying: "Building on our successful partnership, we can now bring together the best of Microsoft's software engineering with the best of Nokia's product engineering, award-winning design, and global sales, marketing and manufacturing." Elop, along with four other Nokia directors, will transfer to Microsoft as part of the deal as well when it becomes finalised. Microsoft, the biggest phone brand?The acquisition of Nokia's devices division includes both the company's smart devices unit, meaning all the Lumia phones from the Lumia 520 to the Lumia 1020, and the mobile phones business unit. That latter division accounts for hundreds of millions of mobile phones sold every year around the world, with 53.7 million units sold in the second quarter of 2013 alone and also incorporates the Asha brand of phones. However, there aren't plans to kill off the Nokia phone brand just yet, with Microsoft licensing the Nokia brand for use with current Nokia mobile phone products. And speaking of licensing, the patent license agreement will last for 10 years from when the deal is finalised, and sees Nokia assigning its current licensing arrangements with Qualcomm to Microsoft. The Nokia HERE licensing arrangement is a little bit shorter at just four years, although the deal has been reciprocated for Nokia to use Microsoft patents in its HERE mapping services.        | | Spotify Connect gives your speakers Spotify smarts Sep 3rd 2013, 04:00, by Kate Solomon 
Spotify has made no secret of its plan for total home domination and it's just taken a big new step with Spotify Connect. A 'Connect' button, coming soon to Spotify apps, will allow you to play music from the service through external, internet-enabled speakers without having to stop and faff about with wires, other apps or docks. So you can be listening to music on your phone through headphones as you travel home, get home, hit the Connect button and have your Connect-friendly speakers pick up the song from the exactly the same place. 
Speaker streamBecause the speakers themselves stream the music rather than relying on your phone's internet connection, you can make phone calls and watch YouTube videos without interrupting playback while maintaining stable audio quality. Your phone and/or tablet becomes the remote control as Spotify seeks to banish the frustration of streaming audio around the home - "dropouts, below-par audio quality, signal range, phone restrictions, battery drainage - it's basically a hassle," Sten Garmark, Spotify's VP of product management, reckons. The speaker-based streaming will work through Connect-certified speakers or any other Spotify-toting internet-device you have docked - so you could switch from your phone to your docked tablet, for example. 
In what could be a blessing or a curse, anyone with the password to the Wi-Fi network your Connect-friendly speakers are on can play Spotify tunes from their handsets; if you don't want your guests to be able to hijack that lovingly crafted smooth jazz dinner party playlist with something gauche like Obie Trice, you'll have to keep the Wi-Fi code under wraps. App attackAlthough it's initially launching as part of the iOS app, Spotify tells us that both the Android app and the desktop programme should also receive the Connect update within the next few months. As ususl, you'll need a Spotify Premium account to take advantage. Currently there are ten companies working with Spotify on speakers that will work with the update, from the top end to the more affordable types: Argon, B&O, Denon, Marantz, Hama, Philips, Pioneer, Revo, Teufel and Yamaha, with more to come in the coming months. Some existing connected speakers will simply require a firmware update, others will be released with Connect on board before Christmas - just look out for the badge. 
       | | Snapdragon 800 and 2.5GB RAM 'confirmed' for Galaxy Note 3 Sep 3rd 2013, 01:33, by Farrha Khan 
With Samsung's September 4 Unpacked event at IFA 2013 just around the corner, some 'official' rumours and leaks have popped up about the upcoming Galaxy Note 3 smartphone. While numerous rumours had 3GB RAM slated for the Note 3, a tweet from @evleaks is "confirming" that a screenshot showing Note 3 specs – which shows that the handset has only 2.5GB of RAM – is real. Though it is only a 500MB bump down in RAM, this is one of the first rumours we've seen of a RAM-spec drop down for the device as nearly all previous Note 3 rumours agreed on 3GB. The screenshot also shows that the smartphone is powered by Android 4.2, and an Antutu benchmark screenshot gives the device a score of 24,497. Snappy confirmation?Another report, from G for Games, is confirming that at least some Galaxy Note 3 models will be sporting a Snapdragon 800 SoC processor and LTE-A. According to the report, a slide from a press conference hosted by KT Telecom (Korea Teleocm) showed the Galaxy Note 3 alongside the LG G2 and the Samsung Galaxy S4 LTE-A as it spoke about LTE-A technology and Snapdragon 800 SoC. While rumours of the device and this processor has been prevalent over the last few months, it seems like this report is as close to an official confirmation we'll be getting before Samsung's announcement at IFA 2013. It won't be long before we know the truth about the phone's specs, so it's still probably best to take both "confirmations" with a grain of salt until then. Via: Ubergizmo - TechRadar will have all the details from Samsung's Unpacked event, but until then, why not check out our round up so far of all the news and rumours from IFA 2013 and what we've gathered so far about the Galaxy Note 3.
       | | Sony Xperia Z1 appears in official-looking press shots ahead of IFA Sep 2nd 2013, 21:21, by Chris Smith 
After official teaser shots, high-quality spy snaps, interface leaks and more, it seemed almost inevitable that legit press shots would appear before Sony had a chance to announce its Xperia Z1 handset. And right on cue, just two days before its scheduled unveiling at the IFA tech show in Berlin, Xperia Blog has gotten its hands on some pretty official-looking renders showing the new flagship device in all its glory. The 'final hi-res' images came from an unnamed Asian retailer and show the slimline design, two-tone metal frame, microSD card slot and the 'G Lens logo' on the rear to indicate the new camera tech. The now-familiar Sony power button, the volume rocker and camera trigger can also be seen on the sides of the handset. Fevered speculationThe Xperia Z1, also known as 'Honami' or 'Xperia 1i' at various points over the last few months, has been the subject of fevered speculation. The successor to the popular Xperia Z is likely to pack Android 4.3, a 20-megapixel camera with an improved shooting interface and a 5-inch Full HD display. As well as the advanced stills photography smarts, it has also been rumoured that the Z1 will shoot video at 4K resolution, making it the first big manufacturer to include the tech within a smartphone. Now the official-looking shots are out there, all that's left for Sony to do is reveal the device itself. Thankfully there's less than 48 hours to go.        | | iPhone 5C pops up in a range of colourful packages Sep 2nd 2013, 16:20, by Hugh Langley 
We've (possibly) seen the iPhone 5C. We've (also possibly) seen the packaging. But now we've got the two together. All wrapped up together in iHarmony. Website iApps.im has posted pictures that show a number of "iPhone 5C" devices in iPod-like packaging posing for their close-up. The clear packaging matches the iPhone 5C cases seen previously, as do the colours and designs of the iPhones themselves. One of the pictures does make the red version look a lot more pink than what we've seen, but it's difficult to tell whether this is just the low resolution playing tricks on our eyes. And to get you even more excited there's even a manual for the phone (complete with a SIM card ejection tool) popping up in one of the pictures too. 
It's interesting to see that all of the iPhones have colour-matching wallpapers as Apple did a similar thing in 2012 for the iPod Nano. iOS 7 is all about those vibrant hues, after all. Stay cautious, iFriendsThis could all be fake tomfoolery, of course. Some websites are even selling their own iPhone 5C shells right now based on leaks so this could just be the next rung up on the nonsense ladder. Or, a nasty leak has sprung at one of Apple's factories and we're looking at the budget iPhone that's currently expected to be unveiled on September 10 with the iPhone 5S.        | | In Depth: The best photo filter apps for the Samsung GALAXY S4 Sep 2nd 2013, 15:48, by Your Mobile Life 
1. InstagramFree – get it here The big daddy. You can't go wrong with Instagram's retro-tinged photo filters – they hide a multitude of photographical faux pas. Either take photos directly through the app or use the Samsung GALAXY S4's camera interface to capture your shot, then crop and apply a filter after the fact. 
The fact that Instagram is also a social network that links directly to Facebook means that sharing your snaps with the world couldn't be easier. Plus, the app is completely free. 
2. Pixlr Express Free – get it here Pixlr Express is like Instagram on steroids; it's just as free and gives you a host of vintage-style filters to apply, but also comes with so much more. Don't like the lighting of your shot? Pixlr Express lets you tweak it by applying dramatic lighting effects like coloured shades and fades. If you want to draw the viewer's attention to a certain element of the shot, use focal blur to concentrate the eye. A dizzying array of effects is available, but once you've worked out your favourites you can save your most flattering overlays. These stay in the app's favourites section for easy filter application on the fly. 
3. Cymera Free – get it here We're sure all your friends are beautiful – but could they be more beautiful? Cymera reckons so, and it's got the smarts to make it happen. Simply take a portrait of your nearest and dearest then apply makeup, new hairstyles and stickers and borders to the photo after the fact. Hours of fun. When you're not busy prettifying your pals, you can add filters to your snaps, make collages of several pictures and write notes on your photos using the app's various paintbrushes. All for free. 
4. Cartoon Camera Free – get it here (or 99p for the ad-free version) Real life is okay, we suppose, but haven't you ever wished you could live in Springfield or Bedrock or one of those primary-coloured, soft-edged cartoon lands? If so, Cartoon Camera is the photo app for you and your Samsung GALAXY S4. It takes your harsh real world photos and transforms them into works of cartoon art – choose from bright colours to dark strokes to pencil sketch effects and beyond. There's a free version with ads, or you can shell out 99p for the ad-free app. 
5. Paper Camera £1.19 – Buy it here If a full on cartoon world isn't your thing, you might want to download the rather more understated Paper Camera. With a variety of effects ranging from a noir-ish comic book style to the more serious pencil sketch, you can apply the filters as you click or after the fact by choosing any image from your GALAXY S4's gallery. Each of the filters lets you tweak the contrast and brightness as well as specifying how hard you want the lines to be. Yours for just £1.19. 
6. Polamatic 65p – buy it here Polaroid cameras may be dead and gone but their spirit lives on in Polamatic, the official Polaroid app. Shoot photos with your Samsung GALAXY S4 and then turn them into washed-out, nostalgia-tinged Polaroids. There are a variety of effects and colour options to keep things spicy and you can write captions on the border just like you used to on real Polaroids. Once you're happy with your shots, save them to your GALAXY S4's gallery or share them instantly on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Flickr or Tumblr. It'll set you back just 65p. 
7. AfterFocus Free – get it here (or pro edition available to buy for £1.11) If you want your GALAXY S4 photos to look like they were shot on a professional-grade DSLR, you could do worse than to use AfterFocus. This clever little app lets you sharpen up the foreground of your images while blurring down the background to give a cool, professional feel. You can be as precise as you like with the smart focus area selection tool, which lets you select the areas you want to be focussed or blurred using the GALAXY S4's touchscreen. Then you can go mad with film-style effects like Cross Process and apply a romantic out-of-focus bokeh, or blur. There's a free version of the app, or you can invest £1.11 in the pro edition which gives you more filters and the ability to handle higher-resolution images. YouTube : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6elb3U_zJE8. Animated Photo If you want to make fun, short looping animated photos then look no further! Animated Photo is one of our favourite exclusive camera modes on the Samsung GALAXY S4. It lets you create animated GIFs by freezing areas of a photo while allowing other areas to move. And because the Animated Photos you create are GIFs, you can share them easily and quickly with friends and family. 
9. Snapseed Free – Get it here Ask any photographer what image-editing app they use on their GALAXY S4 and they'll tell you Snapseed. It's less about applying filters – although you can do that, with Vintage, Grunge and tilt-shift effects all available – and more about tweaking your shots to perfection. Whether you opt for auto correct to balance the picture out or you decide to adjust it yourself, there are options from cropping, straightening, brightness and more, so you always have complete control over your photos. The interface is a dream, and the app itself is free. 
10. Pudding Camera Free – Get it here If you yearn for the days of film photography, Pudding Camera is the next best thing. You still get to use your GALAXY S4, but the app allows you to choose between various "films" that each give a different photographical effect. You can choose your aspect ratio as well, and apply effects like tilt-shift and fish-eye for added amusement. It's the best of both worlds: old-school film effects paired with the convenience of a powerful smartphone from which you can instantly share your photos.        | | In Depth: 10 battery-boosting tips for the GALAXY S4 Sep 2nd 2013, 14:57, by Your Mobile Life 
In addition to the Samsung GALAXY S4'S handy Power saving mode, available in the notification bar to help you save power and extend battery life, there are a number of top tips to ensure you get the most out of your S4. Step 1: Automatic brightness is your friend Perhaps most important of all, you should know that the screen accounts for around 50 per cent of the battery drain on your GALAXY S4. Now sure, it might seem like there's little point having an S4 if you're not going to utilise that beautiful 5-inch Full HD Super AMOLED screen – but if longer life is more important, you can still save yourself some juice without sacrificing too much brightness. 
Automatic brightness (activated within the Display section of your settings) adjusts the screen's brightness based on the surroundings, so it'll crank it up when you pound the sunny pavement, but dial it right down when you're reading a book in bed. Best of all, once you've turned it on, you don't have to do a thing – the GALAXY S4 manages everything automatically. Step 2: Email After the screen, one massive battery-buzzkill is push email. Having a constant connection to the server (which is what push email does) not only burns through your data allowance, but it also nukes your battery, working as a constant drain throughout the day. 
Rather than having the constant syncing of push, then, the next-best option is a frequent 'fetch'. Head to the settings for your email account, then select the sync frequency as being once every five minutes or so, depending on how urgent your work tends to be. So, those pesky spamming scammers can still bother you, but only at fifteen-minute intervals! Step 3: Monitor your apps After your screen and pushed emails, what drains your smartphone's battery the most will depend on just how you use your phone. Thankfully, your GALAXY S4 has a power monitor built in. 
Just head to the Battery section in Settings, and you'll see a blow-by-blow breakdown of which apps are using the most juice. If they're not ones you use regularly, think about disabling or uninstalling them to save yourself a few amps. Step 4: Time's up Back to that battery screen. Another little trick you can do to save a couple of extra percentage points is decreasing the screen timeout. 
This is how long the screen will stay on since you last used your GALAXY S4. The longer the timeout, the longer the screen will stay on, and the harder that poor battery will have to work. You'll find the right setting in the Display menu. Thirty seconds is probably long enough, after all. We should also mention Samsung's superb Smart Stay eye-tracking feature at this point, which ensures that you keep the screen on only for as long as you need it. Step 5: Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Those two marvels of modern technology, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, seem pretty amazing when you're streaming Get Lucky off the internet, through your S4 and into your Bluetooth headphones. But when you're doing neither of those things, and just trying to keep your phone alive, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi are evil devils, using up a whole tonne of battery power for no immediate benefit. 
With the S4's marvellous TouchWiz UI, you can turn both of them off whenever you're not using them – just swipe down from the top of the screen, and tap the Bluetooth and Wi-Fi icons. Yeah, that easy. Step 6: Flight mode Sometimes you really don't need to be disturbed by the world. Rather than just switching your GALAXY S4 onto silent during your little internal meditation sessions, switch your phone onto Flight mode instead. 
You can either hold down the power key for instant access to Flight mode, or, just as for Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, drag down from the top, and tap the little picture of the airplane (duh). That'll turn off all the power-hungry radios in your phone, from the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth to the more powerful 2G, 3G and 4G radios that normally suck down data. It's worth doing the same thing if you ever find yourself out of network coverage – the GALAXY S4, dogged as it is, will keep searching for a data signal. Putting it out of its misery by turning on airplane mode will save you loads of battery life. Step 7: Background apps Your GALAXY S4 is great for multi-tasking – the ability to Multi Window a Google search while watching YouTube is nothing short of God-like. 
Sometimes, though, you'll have a bunch of apps running unnecessarily in the background, chewing through your battery life like a dog through brand-new shoes. To close some of those behind-the-scenes power hogs is easy: long-click on the home button to get to the multi-tasking pane of apps, then swipe away all the ones you don't need. Step 8: Correct charging The unofficial motto of the SAS, according to trashy action novels, is 'Prior Planning and Preparation Prevents Poor Performance'. 
Nowhere does that hold truer than with battery life. The 2,600mAh lithium-ion battery in your GALAXY S4 will perform better if it's treated gently, rather than constantly ravaged. Try and keep the battery north of 20 per cent; avoid short, frequent charges in favour of full charges once every day or so; and once a month, run the battery completely down, then recharge again. Not only will that increase the day-to-day battery life, but it'll help keep your battery going for the long run. Step 9: Cool temperatureLithium-ion batteries don't take well to high temperatures. You'll notice that your GALAXY S4 comes with optimum operating temperatures; those are mostly there for the battery's sake. 
In a year of typical usage at 0°C, a li-ion battery will lose about 5 per cent of its capacity. Although we wouldn't recommend keeping your phone in the fridge overnight (we don't want you accidentally pouring it on your cereal in the morning!), it's worth trying to keep it out of direct sunlight, and maybe don't leave your poor GALAXY S4 in the car overnight. It deserves better. Step 10: Get that GPS out! The final battery-life trick is probably one of the most important: turn GPS off when you're not using it. The Global Positioning System is awfully clever: it uses satellites and atomic clocks to calculate your position on Earth down to a matter of metres. 
But it's also a bit of a battery hog, so you're best switching it off when you're not doing precise navigation – your GALAXY S4 can work out a rough location without it, anyway. The toggle (between Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on the S4's drop-down settings menu) is the fastest way of whacking it on and off. And then you can enjoy a longer-life battery, and more time away from the plug, to truly make the most of your phone.        | | ZTE Blade V is a bargain-basement quad-core smartphone Sep 2nd 2013, 14:35, by Kate Solomon 
In an effort to beat the IFA 2013 hoardes, ZTE has let its smartphone cat out of the bag ahead of the tech show, unveiling the ZTE Blade V. It comes with a quad-core 1.2GHz Qualcomm processor behind a 4-inch IPS screen, all for the bargain price of £72 on Virgin Media PAYG. There's also 1GB of RAM on board, 4GB of memory (plus microSD support), a 5MP camera with flash and "access to an array of Android applications" which ZTE says is "ideal for those on the go". Blade V of gloryThose not on the go may also enjoy the Android apps, and the phone comes with Kingsoft Office on board as standard. The handset weighs in at 130g (that's the same weight as the Samsung Galaxy S4, fact fans). ZTE has partnered with Virgin Media again, with Branson's network offering the handset for free on a £15 monthly contract if you don't fancy shelling out £72 in one go. - See what we made of the Blade V's predecessor: the ZTE Blade 3
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