Review TechRadar: Phone and communications news 02-12-2014

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LG G2 Mini official as LG Facebooks photo of big things with mini things Feb 12th 2014, 15:25, by Kate Solomon The LG G2 Mini seems locked on for a MWC 2014 unveiling after LG posted a photo of the back of the handset to its Facebook page. Well, we assume that's what it is, since it's a smaller handset pictured next to a bigger handset and that bigger handset is the LG G2. It's also joined by a big shoe and a smaller shoe, a big starfish and a smaller starfish and a big cupcake next to a smaller cupcake. Mini-G Is there a hidden meaning to these seemingly random items? Will the LG G2 Mini come with a shoe-cleaning peripheral? A starfish fishing app? Or a free cake? It seems unlikely. Less unlikely is that the handset will feature the G2's funny back-mounted volume slider, a Xenon flash and a camera. We've heard all kinds of rumours about the G2 Mini's screen size, with the decidedly not-that-mini 4.7-inch option proving most enduring. The LG G2's display is a 5.2-inch affair and looking at the difference in size between the two handsets pictured, we'd say there's a good chance that 4.7-inch screen rumour will prove true. Not too long to wait until we know for sure - the caption under the photo on Facebook says, "Experience the MINI. Mobile World Congress 2014-02-24." What else should you expect from MWC 2014? Galaxy Note 4 may be Samsung's first waterproof flagship Feb 12th 2014, 13:22, by Thomas Thorn It seems that Samsung is planning on taking a leaf out of Sony's book by making its upcoming flagships both water and dustproof. Not content with launching niche devices such as Galaxy S4 Active, the Korean firm is looking at ways to bring the selling point to a wider audience. According to ETNews, Samsung has cancelled an order for 5 million LDS (Laser Direct Structuring) antenna - which are difficult to waterproof - in favor of newer H-IMA (High-performance In-Mold Antenna) technology. LDS antenna provide far better reception than the waterproof friendly IMA options, but the development of H-IMA means manufacturers can now ensure reception is still good while sealing up their smartphones. A waterproof Note 4? Anyone hoping the technology will make it into the Samsung Galaxy S5 will be a little disappointed, as H-IMA isn't ready to go into phones right now. This means that we could see the H-IMA antenna inside the Galaxy Note 4 or Galaxy S6, or maybe even in the LG G3 later this year, as sources claim that LG suppliers are also embarking on the same antenna development. If the report is correct it would mean Samsung will be giving the likes of the Sony's Xperia Z1 and Z1 Compact (and the rumored Xperia Z2?) a swim for their waterproof money. HTC Desire 8 leaks with big screen to hide its mid-range specs Feb 12th 2014, 11:58, by John McCann While we are all eagerly anticipating the arrival of the much rumored HTC One 2, that's not the only smartphone the Taiwanese firm appears to be working on. Chinese site MyDrivers seems to have spilled the beans on a handset dubbed the HTC Desire 8, with a variety of specs and an accompanying image. The firm is looking to expand its smartphone offering with Jeff Gordon, HTC's Senior Global Online Communications Manager, tweeting, "It's important for HTC to have a complete, competitive range across price points. Lots more to come!" According to the leak, the Desire 8 will feature a 5.5-inch display, a decent sounding 13MP rear camera and an equally impressive-on-paper 5MP front snapper. Object of your desire? If the leaked image is to be believed then the HTC Desire 8 is set to sport a minimalist, clean design - apparently favoring plastic over the metal found on the HTC One, we assume to keep the cost of the handset down. There are small front-facing grills, but the Desire 8 may just have the one front facing speaking, with the holes at the top of the handset potentially hiding an earpiece only, instead of the double Boomsound setup we get on the flagship One. The HTC Desire 8 could be announced at MWC 2014 in Barcelona at the end of February, and we'll be there to bring you all the latest. What will the new HTC One be like? Is Apple about to kill the iPhone 5C? Feb 12th 2014, 11:39, by Hugh Langley Is this the end for the iPhone 5C? According to the latest reports, Apple is preparing to release two new iPhones this September - and may kill off the colorful sibling in the process. South China Morning Post claims that one of the new iPhone 6 handsets will pack a 4.7-inch screen, while the other will come in at a sizeable 5.5 inches. They'll also reportedly be made from sapphire crystal, even though we just heard that Apple couldn't afford to put these tougher screens in the iPhone 6. According to the sources "who have seen the prototypes", these screens will have a pixel density of 441ppi, up from the current 326ppi. But also interesting is the claim that Apple is planning to ditch its colorful 5C from the lineup. Instead, it will reportedly sell a 5S "made from cheaper material." Short-lived? The iPhone 5C didn't take off quite like Apple had hoped, with Tim Cook admitting that the sales were lower than expected. However, take this rumor with necessary caution, especially as the source is unverified. Would an iPhone 5S with cheaper materials still be the 5S – or will Apple actually turn this into the C and just ditch the colorful backs? Does the iPhone 5C really deserve to die? One 2 design leaked again - is it enough to save HTC? Feb 12th 2014, 11:00, by Thomas Thorn Leaked images seem to be the current trend when it comes to the HTC M8 and today has turned out to be no different. Fitting in with previous leaks, the new front face of the HTC One 2 seems to be pretty legit, and once again proves that the One 2 will be more evolutionary for the Taiwanese brand, rather than completely reinventing its design once more. But until the M8 is launched only HTC truly knows what is going on and things are always open to change. We are also dealing with an image obtained by @htcfamily_ru, a tipster we aren't overly familiar with. Pretty as a (photoshopped?) picture Doubts creep in as this tipster has previously leaked images of a dual flash and dual sensor, work that was deemed photoshop trickery by one of HTC's Regional Directors Mark Moons. If this is the real deal it seems we are looking at a device that comes with beauty levels more akin to Sylvester Stallone than Helen of Troy. That pretty hefty bezel at the base leaves more than a taste of disappointment, but is expected as HTC keeps its plans of using BoomSound as a selling point alive. That disappointment may materialise as Phone Arena points out today's image shows the M8 with Taiwanese lettering (one guess as to where HTC is based) suggesting this is likely legit and that small bar next to the camera is has also popped up a few times. So is this the real deal? And just what is that strange little bar? Let us know your thoughts below. Samsung phones may one day record and share your actions across apps Feb 11th 2014, 22:26, by Michael Rougeau Having apparently learned little from all the privacy woes of the last year or so, Samsung is reportedly developing a service that records smartphone users' actions and shares them with other apps. The service is called "Context," according to a report on The Information. Beyond collecting keystrokes from users, the report says Context would also record what apps are used and even the data that a device's sensors (camera, microphone, etc.) pick up. All that data would then be available for app developers to use to tailor app content to specific users. Red flags Context may never actually make it onto devices, reportedly because Samsung is unsure whether it will actually help the company sell more phones. In other words, Samsung can't figure out whether users are interested in having their every action recorded, catalogued and exploited by developers. In related news, The Information also dropped a new hint about a meeting that supposedly took place between Google and Samsung just a day before Google announced it would sell Motorola. The two companies supposedly discussed the future of Android. Specifically, how much freedom device makers will have to customize the operating system on future devices. But the outcome of the meeting is unknown. At least the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 doesn't record your every move. iPhone 6S front-facing camera could pack a Sony sensor to improve selfies Feb 11th 2014, 22:13, by Matt Swider The front-facing camera on the next year's iPhone could have more in common with its always-superior rear camera, as Apple is reportedly in talks with Sony about supplying the parts. The two companies are in negotiations so that the 2015 iPhone, presumably the iPhone 6S that follows the iPhone 6, switches to Sony's CMOS sensors for the secondary camera, reported Nikkei. Sony is expected to double its supply of camera components by next year, which means it could be handling manufacturing of both the front and back cameras on the new phone. Currently, the Japanese electronics giant is believed to be supplying nearly all of the camera sensors for the iPhone 5S, which is capable of 8-megapixels photos with 1.5µ pixels and 1080p HD video. Better selfies on the way? Apple is thought to be sourcing the front-facing camera parts from suppliers other than Sony for its iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C smartphones. This "FaceTime Camera" is capable of just 1.2-megapixel photos and 720p HD video recording. That's annoying for consumers because this screen-side camera is more convenient for selfies, but the more cumbersome rear-facing camera uses Sony's higher-end CMOS tech. Luckily, the increasingly mobile-friendly Sony is likely happy to supply image sensors. It's making money off of its camera phone technology - unlike its recently sold Vaio laptop line. Whether Sony plans to drastically improve the front-facing iPhone camera in addition to supplying the parts remains to be seen. But next year, the "FaceTime Camera" will be due for an upgrade anyway. Apple, Samsung smartphones could go bezel-free this year. Qualcomm Toq takes on Nike FuelBand with new activity tracking skills Feb 11th 2014, 20:21, by Chris Smith If you're hoping to justify splashing out a considerable chunk of change on the Qualcomm Toq smartwatch, there are now a couple more reasons to side with the fun 'pros' over the spoilsport 'cons.' An update to the $349 (around £215, AU$386) wearable's Android app brings a new activity tracker tool (albeit in beta), which will track the user's movement over the course of a 24-hour period and award points. The update, which can be downloaded from Google Play, also brings a new watchface that shows the current points tally alongside the time. Beyond that, there's also a world clock and the opportunity to switch the temperature from Fahrenheit to Celsius. Neither of which are exactly worth writing home about, but there you go. Wireless charging While the Toq does do a little extra damage to the bank balance, it does promise 'days' of battery life and the option of wireless charging. Powering the watch is a modest 200MHz Cortex M3 processor. There's a 1.6-inch always-on 'Mirasol' display, which harnesses ambient light in the natural environment rather than utilising a battery-sapping backlight. The display will show text messages, calendar events, call notifications, weather, stocks, shares and more. It's also got a music player which links up to the Bluetooth earphones bundled in the box. Is this update enough to push you into the 'buy' column? Would it tempt you away from dedicated wellness solutions like the Nike FuelBand SE? It's a battle of the smartwatches: Samsung Galaxy Gear vs Pebble smartwatch vs Qualcomm Toq. iPhone 6 and Galaxy S5 to both go bezel and button free? Feb 11th 2014, 19:36, by JR Bookwalter A new year, another set of flagship handsets from the twin titans of smartphones, Apple and Samsung - but will this finally be the year such devices can shake off the bezel in an effort to slim down even more? The Korea Herald reported that Samsung and Apple may face another rivalry in 2014 as speculation runs rampant the Galaxy S5 and iPhone 6 may each feature bezel-free, edge-to-edge displays. Samsung is likely to launch the initial offensive at MWC 2014 when the Korean mobile giant is expected to announce the Samsung Galaxy S5, which unnamed industry sources claim will be the model to finally ditch a hardware-based home button. Sammy is also rumored to be following Apple into the fingerprint scanner market, and the S5's will arpparently be offered on the bottom left and right sides of the bezel-free screen. Begone, home button Apple is also said to be testing a prototype of this year's iPhone 6 with a larger, bezel-free display that could also move the Touch ID fingerprint scanner found on the iPhone 5S onto the actual display itself. The eventual goal of both companies appears to be an edge-to-edge screen offering button-free fingerprint scanning from anywhere on the display, but "technological hurdles" remain that could delay such a feature until the second half of the year. Now that Apple has staked out the early fall season for its smartphone launches, that could give the iPhone maker an edge over Samsung, who is expected to begin selling the allegedly slimmer Galaxy S5 much earlier in the year. Samsung is also reportedly hard at work on touch panels that would allow its Galaxy devices to be used even while wearing gloves, part of a bezel-free initiative launched in 2012 under the code names "Project B" and "Galaxy B." Of course nothing is confirmed, so don't take the above as full-proof truth until both companies unveil their next-gen phone. It may have a bezel, but our Samsung Galaxy S4 review shows it's still a fine handset! Windows Phone 8.1 leak reveals more features, ties to Windows RT Feb 11th 2014, 19:25, by Michael Rougeau More than a year after its launch, Windows Phone 8 will finally get its first major update in the form of Windows Phone 8.1. Now that the update's release is imminent, developers have started getting their hands on the new version's software development kit, and they're reporting on the improvements Microsoft has made. The biggest news is that one important Windows Phone 8.1 change points to the possibility that the smartphone operating system may finally be merged with the tablet OS Windows RT. It seems WP8.1 includes support for universal apps built using a shared HTML and JavaScript language that can be used between Windows 8.1 and Windows Phone 8, one developer revealed on Reddit - most likely breaking his or her NDA in the process. The first step is most important In addition, with Windows 8.1 Microsoft will begin using the same .appx package for apps that Windows 8 apps already use. Although it's not a full unification yet, this could be the first step toward merging the operating systems for good. If Windows Phone and Windows RT are using the same apps, there's little reason to keep them separate, after all. And if iOS and Android can be more or less the same between smartphones and tablets, then so too should Windows be able to. The Windows Phone is 'a changing The unification of Windows Phone and Windows RT may be the most exciting part of these Windows Phone 8.1 leaks, but there are plenty of other features being revealed by developers too. For example, Windows Phone 8.1 appears to let users choose different default messaging apps for the first time. There's also a "Battery Power Sense" feature to monitor battery life, VPN support, a "Storage Sense" feature for installing apps to SD cards, newly separate video and music apps, a new podcast app, and the rebranding of SkyDrive to OneDrive. Multitasking is different in Windows Phone 8.1 too, according to this developer. Pressing the back button now sends apps into the background instead of closing them, while swiping downward closes them, much like Windows RT. The camera app has a new layout as well. Finally the browser has been updated to Internet Explorer 11, Facebook account and photo integration appears to be gone (though Twitter is still present and iCloud has been added), and there's support for on-screen buttons, possibly to accommodate future phones without physical buttons. Notably, two important Windows Phone 8.1 features are missing from this SDK: the new "action center" notification center and the "Cortana" virtual personal assistant and Siri rival. But those are expected to appear before Microsoft sends the final version of Windows Phone 8.1 to developers around April. Before there was Windows Phone 8.1, there was Windows 8.1! Geeksphone handset sporting Android and Firefox hits EU February 20 Feb 11th 2014, 19:05, by Chris Smith Despite its early promise, most smartphone-savvy consumers would agree it's a little too soon to throw all eggs in the Firefox OS basket just yet. So when Geeksphone announced its new Revolution handset would run Android and dual-boot Mozilla's fledgling OS, the perfect solution presented itself for those wishing to make friends with the new kid. Now the company has revealed the Revolution will go on sale in Europe on February 20 for the fairly reasonable price of €289 (around £240/US$395), with a €20 (around £16.50/US$27) discount for pre-order customers. For their outlay, buyers will receive a device with a 1.6GHz dual-core Intel Atom processor, an impressive 4.7-inch qHD, 2560 x 1440 display, 1GB RAM and 4GB of built-in storage. There's also an 8-megapixel camera, and a 2000mAh battery, but there's no 4G connectivity to speak of, and no word of a launch outside of Europe just yet. A little bit foxy Geeksphone doesn't specify which version of Android is on board, but judging by screenshots, it looks to be some flavour of Jelly Bean. Android will be the default boot OS, but the company promises Firefox OS or any other community sourced operation system can be installed on the device. Geeksphone is a small Spanish manufacturer that has so far focused on cheap Firefox OS handsets. It also has a new device called the 'Blackphone,' coming at Mobile World Congress. Does the Revolution provide the opportunity to sample Firefox OS without sacrificing your dependency on Android? Meet the manufacturer that promises to lock out government snoops. Samsung Galaxy S5 retail packaging and specs leaked, maybe Feb 11th 2014, 17:23, by James Rogerson The Samsung Galaxy S5 has a level of hype around it usually reserved for Apple products and a side effect of that is that there are enough rumours and leaks surrounding it to bury a small country. The latest of these could be one of the most enlightening yet though, as there's now an image of what appears to be the phone's retail packaging. That might not sound overly exciting, but it's the back of the box - AKA the bit with all the specs listed. The image, which was sent to SamsungGalaxyS5.nl by an anonymous tipster, claims the phone has a 2.5GHz quad-core processor, 3GB of RAM, a 5.25-inch QHD (2560 x 1440) Super AMOLED display, 20MP camera, 1080p video playback and recording and a 3000mAh battery. The screen size and resolution match previous rumours and we've also heard previously that the Galaxy S5 might have a 2.5GHz quad-core processor and 3GB of RAM, so no real surprise there either. Snap happy What's more surprising is the 20MP camera, as earlier rumours pointed to a 16MP lens. While it can apparently only shoot 1080p video, which is slightly surprising given that the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 can shoot 4K video. We've heard several possibly battery sizes in the past but the general consensus seems to be that it would be bigger than the one in the Samsung Galaxy S4, which this is, as the S4 has a 2600mAh juice pack. Of course there's no guarantee that these specs are the real deal. The image certainly looks like a Galaxy box, but it could just be a Photoshop of a Galaxy S4 one. The Galaxy S5 might make its way to MWC, but there'll be plenty of other things to see too. Samsung Galaxy S5 retail packaging and specs leaked, maybe Feb 11th 2014, 17:23, by James Rogerson The Samsung Galaxy S5 has a level of hype around it usually reserved for Apple products and a side effect of that is that there are enough rumors and leaks surrounding it to bury a small country. The latest of these could be one of the most enlightening yet though, as there's now an image of what appears to be the phone's retail packaging. That might not sound overly exciting, but it's the back of the box - AKA the bit with all the specs listed. The image, which was sent to SamsungGalaxyS5.nl by an anonymous tipster, claims the phone has a 2.5GHz quad-core processor, 3GB of RAM, a 5.25-inch QHD (2560 x 1440) Super AMOLED display, 20MP camera, 1080p video playback and recording and a 3000mAh battery. The screen size and resolution match previous rumors and we've also heard previously that the Galaxy S5 might have a 2.5GHz quad-core processor and 3GB of RAM, so no real surprise there either. Snap happy What's more surprising is the 20MP camera, as earlier rumors pointed to a 16MP lens. While it can apparently only shoot 1080p video, which is slightly surprising given that the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 can shoot 4K video. We've heard several possibly battery sizes in the past but the general consensus seems to be that it would be bigger than the one in the Samsung Galaxy S4, which this is, as the S4 has a 2600mAh juice pack. Of course there's no guarantee that these specs are the real deal. The image certainly looks like a Galaxy box, but it could just be a Photoshop of a Galaxy S4 one. The Galaxy S5 might make its way to MWC, but there'll be plenty of other things to see too. Even Apple can't afford to equip iPhone 6 with a sapphire crystal display Feb 11th 2014, 14:06, by James Rogerson Just before the weekend it was uncovered that Apple was preparing to build large quantities of sapphire crystal displays. This followed a patent filing which described the use of an extra-resilient material on the iPhone screen, so the natural assumption was that we'd see a sapphire crystal clad iPhone 6. Unfortunately it doesn't look like that will be the case, as Chinese site MyDrivers is citing sources from Taiwan's industrial chain as saying that it's unlikely the iPhone 6 will have a sapphire crystal screen. That's not for lack of trying as apparently there are already prototypes of the device that are rocking a sapphire display, but according to the unnamed sources the production capacity is too low and the costs too high. It's not all bad news though as the same sources claim that Apple's iWatch will have a sapphire crystal display instead. Tougher than a gorilla Apple is no stranger to sapphire crystal as it already uses the super-strong material to cover the fingerprint reader on the iPhone 5S as well as for its camera lens, but making the move to displays is a big step and it could mean the end of scratched and shattered screens as sapphire crystal is substantially more resilient than Gorilla Glass. Unfortunately it's also around ten times more expensive, so it's no wonder Apple is struggling to keep the costs down. That's not to say that future iPhone's won't use it, but it doesn't look likely that it will appear in the iPhone 6's screen. If you can't wait any longer for a handset with a sapphire crystal screen though you're in luck, as the Vertu Ti has one and it can be yours for around £6,700. Gorilla Glass is the current favourite for screen protection. Head on through to find out how it works. The LG G2 Mini seems to be having an identity crisis Feb 11th 2014, 10:18, by James Rogerson A phone that might well be the LG G2 Mini has popped up on not one, but two websites, and despite having 'Mini' in the name it could actually be pretty big. First up a device with the model name LG D6218 (thought to be one of the G2 Mini's model numbers) is listed on the FCC's database. The listing states that it's 65.8mm wide and 128.8mm tall, which would mean it's only slightly smaller than the LG G2 and gives it almost identical dimensions to the LG Optimus L9 II, a phone which has a 4.7-inch display. The FCC listing doesn't say much else, though it does mention that the handset will have a removable battery. The LG G2 Mini also seems to have appeared on Bluetooth Special Interest Group's website. This time it has the model number D6220, but both are thought to be the G2 mini. The listing is even less enlightening than the FCC one, but with the handset popping up on both these sites it's likely to be launched before long. Big is the new small We'd heard initially that the LG G2 Mini might be as big as 4.7 inches and if true it would be the same size as the HTC One and substantially bigger than the 4.3-inch Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini or Sony Xperia Z1 Compact. Previous rumours also point to it running Android 4.4 and having a Snapdragon 800 quad-core processor and 2GB of RAM, which could give it a similar amount of power to the LG G2. In other words the LG G2 Mini looks to be a big, powerful, high-end handset. If that all turns out to be true then LG might want to rethink the name. We might see the LG G2 Mini at MWC. Check out what else is on the agenda. Samsung invite hints at new fitness and privacy features for the Galaxy S5 Feb 11th 2014, 10:08, by Hugh Langley It feels like the Samsung Galaxy S5 rumours are coming in by the minute, but the clues on Samsung's latest official teaser are perhaps most telling of all. The company has tweeted a new MWC invitation adorned with nine colourful, labeled icons, with Speed, Privacy and Fitness catching our eye in particular. It's no surprise to see Samsung pushing a new focus on fitness in its upcoming smartphone, especially as the S5 is also believed to be arriving hand in hand with the Galaxy Gear 2. Five alive As for privacy, there's been endless back-and-forth speculation about whether the S5 will have some sort of fingerprint and/or retina scanner. The latest rumour is that the entire screen may actually be a fingerprint scanner. However we're a bit more doubtful about that eye scanner as there's a good chance Samsung isn't quite ready to roll out the technology just yet. Seeing speed on there is no surprise - the S5 is expected to be faster than the S4 - but that white bolt could be hinting at camera speed specifically. The teaser may also hint at the new Touchwiz design. Is this what Samsung meant when it promised the S5 would be going "back to basics"? All will be revealed at MWC in Barcelona, February 24 and we'll be there to deliver the news as it breaks. Everything else you need to know about the Samsung Galaxy S5. iTunes Radio international roll out officially starts in Australia, UK to follow? Feb 10th 2014, 20:22, by Chris Smith Apple's iTunes Radio service is now officially available in Australia, marking the first time the customised radio service has been available outside of the United States. In a press release sent out to the Aussie media, the company announced the availability on devices running iOS 7, the set top box and PCs and Macs with the latest version of iTunes. The internet radio service, which rivals similar offerings from Spotify, Pandora and more, rolled out in the United States in September 2013, alongside the launch of iOS 7. It allows users to create free radio stations based on songs and artists, as well as access stations created by Apple and guest musicians. There's also 'first listens' where albums from the likes of Eminem have made debuts and the opportunity to add songs to an iTunes wishlist where they can be purchased to own. UK-bound? Since Apple launched iTunes Radio in the United States, the company's fans have patiently waited the international roll-out. There have been a few false starts, with the service becoming briefly available to a few iTunes users in the UK and Canada in recent weeks. Will the Australian launch mean an arrival in Blighty to give Spotify a run for its money is imminent? We've reached out to Apple and will update this story should a response be forthcoming. Google's "I'm Feeling Lucky" Radio looking to take the fight to iTunes Radio. It's another Apple vs Google showdown.

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