Review TechRadar: Phone and communications news 03-17-2014

TechRadar: Phone and communications news TechRadar US latest feeds

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Apple will launch a cheaper iPhone 5C tomorrow Mar 17th 2014, 15:18, by Hugh Langley Apple will put out an 8GB version of the iPhone 5C tomorrow, one O2 store has told us. The retailer was unable to confirm the price the handset will sell for, but told us that you'll be able to grab one starting March 18. The information originally came from some leaked documents from O2 Germany, outing an iPhone 5C that will retail for 60 euros less than the current model. This would likely translate to around £50 cheaper in the UK. The 16GB model currently sells for around £470 SIM-free - a £420 iPhone sounds pretty good to us. The cheap one we've been waiting for? Despite expectations, the iPhone 5C didn't launch for as little money as we'd have liked to see it and there have also been rumours that Apple's baby isn't proving as popular as it hoped. All in all, it seems like a more affordable phone is a wise move for Apple to make right now, especially given the overtures other manufacturers have been making to emerging markets. We don't know about the possibility of the phone's release beyond the UK, but we expect most countries will be seeing it soon. The US could be looking at a $470 handset if it makes its way over. Time to bag yourself a colourful number? Read our iPhone 5C review Samsung locks in KNOX deal with Telefónica Mar 17th 2014, 12:30, by Alex Hamilton Telefónica has struck a partnership with Samsung to include its KNOX secure mobile platform within its portfolio. The agreement follows the launch of KNOX 2.0 at MWC 2014, and will, the two companies hope, provide comprehensive mobile solutions for organisations and their employees. KNOX allows employees to partition their mobiles, having a work phone and a personal phone on one device to save switching between two handsets. Users are able to create encrypted work data protected by password and fingerprint verification. Innovation Telefónica will be making KNOX features available to its enterprise customers on a number of Samsung devices, including the Galaxy S5 and Galaxy Note 3. "This agreement reflects Telefónica's commitment to provide innovative security solutions to its customers," said Oliver Martinez, director of security at Telefónica, in a statement. "We are now in a position to bring the best mobile security solution for our enterprise, MNC and Public Administration customers who are using Samsung´s devices." "We look forward to working with Telefonica to respond to the increasing convergence between consumer and enterprise technology," added Rob Orr, vice president of enterprise sales at Samsung Europe. Samsung boosts KNOX with new partnerships Jeremy Laird: The Android-enabled new Mini Cooper S is a techno-marvel Mar 17th 2014, 10:30, by Jeremy Laird Do not tweak your browser settings. This really is the all-new Mini Cooper S hot hatchback. Superficially, it looks a lot like the outgoing model. But that's the point. People like how Minis look. Instead, what's changed is everything but the basic look. New chassis and body. New engines. And a whole lot of new tech. The upshot is a Mini that's way more grown up, much more efficient and massively more technologically advanced than ever before. Quite frankly, Sir Alexander Arnold Constantine Issigonis (designer of the 1960s original Mini with its novel but ultimately agricultural engineering) wouldn't have a clue what he was looking at with this latest model. And we're not talking about the size of the thing. It's the technology that would have really baffled Sir Alec. Drive or driven? That starts with a whole new raft of driver aids, albeit most of them optional. First there's active distance-sensing cruise control, a feature that also includes collision detection, automated brake assist, road sign detection and auto-dipping high beams. Then there's automated parking including rear parking cameras. Next up is the configurable driving mode feature that allows everything from throttle response and steering weight to suspension firmness to be tweaked at the touch of a button. Again, some of this stuff – notably the electronically adjustable suspension – involves options that will cost you. Next up is the new head-up display which puts navigation cues, local speed limits and other useful info in the driver's line of sight. None of this stuff is unique to the Mini. MINI Connected XL But these techy features are definitely unusual in a car of this class. Ditto the revised Mini Connected XL multimedia system. Again, the full system is optional, but it comes with a gorgeous 8.8-inch HD screen that hammers the competition in this class. The app-enabled functionality including the new Journey Mate app which offers door-to-door nav and real-time traffic is also cutting-edge stuff. It's features like this where the Mini benefits most from the BMW association. BMW's tech is second to none and it's increasingly trickling down to Minis. Efficient fun That includes a whole new family of Twin Power engines from BMW. For the Mini Cooper S driven here, that means a 2.0-litre four banger with 192hp. That's enough to hit 60mph in just 6.8 seconds and go onto to 146mph, some pretty grown up numbers. But it will also achieve 133g/km emissions with the standard manual gearbox and an impressive 122g/km with the auto box. Impressive, that is, for what is a pretty nippy machine. Other models in the new Mini range achieve truly staggering CO2 numbers. How about about 89g/km for the entry-level diesel model. It wasn't that long ago you needed exotic hybrid tech to hit 99g/km. Remarkable. On the road Anyway, what's the new Mini Cooper S with all its tech actually like to drive? Far more slick and sophisticated, that's what. It's miles better as a motorway car than the old model – less noise, better ride, more accessible torque from the bigger 2.0-litre engine. But it's also more fun on twisty roads. OK, it's superficially less frenetic. But the old model used to fight you a bit. It was fun, but a little bit ragged with its coarse engine and occasionally squirrelly chassis responses. The new car is so able, so linear, so progressive. It's also response and agile, albeit with a more composed, grown up edge. Whatever, the net result is a car that's more enjoyable to drive hard. The pedals and engine response are better set up for heel-and-toe gearshifts, too, if you that kind of thing is your bag. If it isn't there's actually an automatic rev-matching feature, in any case. Clever. Meanwhile, MINI Connected in XL form remains best in class. The new display is gorgeous, the graphics are great and there's now added Android support where before some of the best bits were available only to iPhone users. Unfortunately, the Journey Mate app wasn't quite ready for us to sample, so we'll have to wait to see just what it adds to the typical nav experience. Cabin quality In the meantime, what we can say is that the new Mini's cabin is a big step up. The sense of quality is much improved. It feels a far more expensive car but retains the fun feel of previous models. We also really like the little touches like the mood ring around the main display. It's composed of LEDs that change colour according to a range of driver configurable options. It can reflect your driving mode – red for Sport mode, green for eco mode - gives you the heads up for incoming phone calls by turning blue, indicate the distance to obstacles during parking and more. Truly how functional is it? Not sure. But it's definitely fun. And that applies to the car as a whole. It's much more mature, much techier, but Mini has not become a dull boy. It's just a better car all round. Oh, and if you're wondering, it looks much better in the metal than in the pictures, which tend to emphasise the slightly bulbous new nose. Wait until you see one on the road. If you like existing Minis, we reckon you'll love the new model. Exclusive: Motorola: We'll keep on making high-end phones Mar 17th 2014, 10:10, by Patrick Goss Motorola has insisted that it is not going to step away from competing at the top end of the phone market, despite the big success of its cheaper Moto G. It's clear that Moto, recently flogged to Lenovo by Google, is seeking to hammer home the message that good phones can come at a decent price, but that doesn't mean the focus has completely switched from 'aspirational' flagship phones. Speaking to TechRadar, the company's software chief Steve Horowitz made it clear that we will see a successor to the Moto X, because an aspirational phone is needed to 'bring people into the franchise.' Aspirational phones "I can tell you obviously without talking about our future products that there is always an element of appeal to a consumer at a lower tier to have something aspirational at a higher tier," said Horowitz. "So we found that if we had just shipped Moto G on its own it probably wouldn't have been as successful. "You need an aspirational thing so that people to get into the franchise and get some of the benefits of the Moto X by buying a Moto G. "So we'll always want to push the limits on the high-end innovation because it's important for consumers to have something to aspire to at the upper tiers." The message from Horowitz is certainly a sensible one, and it means that, for now, we can look forward to Motorola providing an alternative to the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S5 and iPhone 6. iPhone 6 may be the smartest phone yet with an array of new sensors Mar 17th 2014, 10:03, by Hugh Langley The pieces of the iPhone 6 puzzle are steadily coming together and the latest we're hearing is that Cupertino may pack its next handset with an array of smart sensors. Sun Chang Xu, chief news analyst at ESM-China, claims that sources close to the matter have said the iPhone 6 will come with pressure, humidity and temperature sensors. Apple's iWatch could also arrive with some of these sensors – it's already rumoured to have one for blood pressure - while iOS 8 is believed to be arriving with support for a range of new sensors too. A recent, though unconfirmed, leak suggests the new OS will come with Apple's fitness-tracking app Healthbook, so it wouldn't be absurd to see some other environmental sensors on the next iPhone as well. Sensitive And let's remember that Samsung got in there well ahead of Apple, packing the Samsung Galaxy S4 with a barometer and sensors for humidity and temperature. "The whole sensor field is going to explode," were Tim Cook's works last year. "It's a little all over the place right now… with the arc of time it will become clearer." Here's what we think the iPhone 6 should look like FutTv : IZrksBKedN09a Moto X comes to Australia Mar 17th 2014, 04:03, by Farrha Khan The Moto X will finally land Down Under later this month, but there's no word yet on if it'll come with all the customisations that Statesiders get. A brainchild of Motorola and Google, the Moto X sports a 4.7-inch, 1280 x 720 display, as well as a 1.7GHz dual-core processor, 2GB of RAM and Android 4.2 Jelly Bean. The phone will also have a 10MP rear camera and 2MP front snapper. While in other parts of the world the Moto X will get either 16GB or 32GB of internal storage, Australia's Motorola site only lists the 16GB variety, but you do get 50GB of Google Drive storage on top of the standard 15GB of cloud storage that all Google account holders get. Custom Moto? Motorola Australia has said that the Moto X will be available from retailers sometime this month for $549 in either black or white. In North America, using the Moto Maker website, customers are able to design their handsets with personalised messages, patterned or wooden panels on the back of the phone and coloured accents. As the phone will so far only be available from retailers in Australia, it seems unlikely that Aussies will have the same opportunity for customisations. Here's our review of the Moto X 'Netflix for torrents' app Popcorn Time shuts down, but sequel on the way Mar 16th 2014, 18:06, by Chris Smith The creators of free movie streaming app Popcorn Time have announced they're shuttering the project, but the open source app is set to make a quick return via the torrent site YTS. Popcorn Time emerged a week ago with the makers of the slick app insisting it was legal, despite appearing to be a veritable Netflix for illegal movie streams. In a blog post this weekend, the makers said they planned was move on, but weren't ducking out due to legal pressures or lack of support. "Popcorn Time as a project is legal. We checked. Four Times," wrote the company. Shady machinery "Popcorn Time is shutting down today. Not because we ran out of energy, commitment, focus or allies. But because we need to move on with our lives. "Our experiment has put us at the doors of endless debates about piracy and copyright, legal threats and the shady machinery that makes us feel in danger for doing what we love. And that's not a battle we want a place in." That battle will now be fought by the torrent site YTS who have vowed to take on the mantle and resurrect the Popcorn Time app. YTS developer Jduncanator told TorrentFreak: "We are in a better position copyright wise as for us, because it's build on our API, it's as if we have built another interface to our website. "We are no worse off managing the project than we would be just supplying the movies." Netflix: We're already thinking beyond 4K Beam us up, Sammy! New Galaxy Beam projector phone spied in China Mar 16th 2014, 17:27, by Chris Smith A new version of Samsung's Galaxy Beam projector phone looks to be on the horizon, after purported images and specs emerged this weekend. The model SM-G3858 has shown up on the Chinese government database Tenaa, with images clearly showing a the presence of a projector built into the rear of the handset with the lens poking out from the top. There also appears to be an extra button on the side of the device which may be used to activate the pico projector. The listing also brings some detailed specs, with a 4.6-inch 800 x 400 display, Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean, a quad-core 1.2GHz processor 1GB of RAM and up to 32GB of internal storage, presumably for all of those pictures and videos users will be projecting onto the nearest white surface. Second time lucky? The first Samsung Galaxy Beam was released in 2012, but failed to be a hit with consumers, as folks flocked to the Galaxy S3 phone instead. "If you're looking for something niche and different to show off, the projector does the trick, but the specs just aren't up to scratch otherwise for a phone of this cost," our reviewer, who awarded the phone 3 stars, surmised. Can Samsung succeed this time around? Will the phone even make it out of the far east? Let us know your thoughts below. Want the latest and greatest from the Koreans? Here's our hands on with the Galaxy S5. Finally! A date! Google Chromecast UK release date set for March 19 Mar 15th 2014, 15:21, by Chris Smith After months of waiting and procrastinating, the long-awaited Google Chromecast streaming dongle will finally go on sale in the UK this coming Wednesday 19 March, according to leaked retail inventory. Hours after a retail source told TechRadar the HDMI stick would be going on sale "very soon," a leaked screenshot, purportedly from Dixons' internal systems, emerged showing the actual launch date. The screenshot obtained by Android Police explains how stock of the device is showing up at retail locations, but "must not go on sale before 9am on Wednesday." Just yesterday, a Twitter user posted an NDA-smashing photo of "a box of Chromecasts," apparently from a Curry's or PC World store. Unsurprisingly, the picture has since been deleted. Google recently updated the Chromecast Android app with support for over 50 languages, seemingly signalling that the international roll-out is imminent. Worth the wait? The update comes after the retail source strongly hinted the device would be on sale for £30. It costs $35 (around £21) in the United States. Brits will seemingly have to pay a little more for the privilege of owning a Chromecast dongle. Will you be snapping up Google's streaming stick this week? Is it worth the wait? Let us know in the comments section below? To tide you over, check out TechRadar's Chromecast review EE own-branded 4G phone breaks cover, bargain basement LTE incoming? Mar 14th 2014, 17:18, by Chris Smith The UK's leading 4G network, EE, looks set to make LTE connectivity more affordable than ever with the launch of an own-branded handset with next-gen mobile data speeds. Judging by a leaked snap obtained by Engadget, the company has skinned up Android with its own design aesthetic and also added applications like EE Film and My EE to the homescreen. Photo aside, little else is known about the handset over than it features Cat 4 LTE technology and as thus would be able to take full advantage of the full 4G speeds, now offered across a large part of the UK. Theoretically speaking, that would enable any owner of the as-yet-unannounced handset to reach 60Mbps on the firm's double-speed deals. Lowering costs EE wouldn't be the first UK mobile network to roll out own-branded handsets. However it would own that distinction in the 4G sector. Orange (now part of EE) launched the San Diego phone in 2012 as the first handset to run the Intel Medfield processor. Vodafone has also launched a bunch of dirt cheap handsets in the past, including 2011's Smart 2 phone, and is also planning to introduce an own-branded 4G phone at some point this year. Would you buy an own-branded EE phone in order to get a better monthly tariff and more monthly data? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below. Did you know EE is now letting you take your 4G speeds on holiday? Europe inches closer to a universal phone charger Mar 14th 2014, 14:59, by Kate Solomon There's been talk of bringing in a universal phone charger across Europe for years now, but the project just took a leap forward as Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) voted in favour of the scheme this week. That doesn't mean it's a done deal, but it's another step in the right direction for those sick of needing a million different wires and connectors for the household's various portable devices. If Europe's council of ministers approve the legislation, it will force all phone manufacturers to use the same charger - most likely micro USB - for all smartphones by 2017. Apple flavour Many phone makers are already down with the micro USB connector, but Apple, which signed on to the scheme some years ago, is still rocking its own Lightning connector. It hasn't made any kind of response to this week's news yet but it has said in the past that it will not change its actual smartphones - rather it will provide an adapter in order to comply with the ruling in Europe. Why are phone batteries still so crap?

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