| Super-ultra-fast 5G to land in Europe in 2022 May 15th 2014, 14:15, by John McCann 
While many people are still trying to get their head around 4G, UK mobile network EE has decided it's time we all heard about the next generation - crazily called 5G and capable of delivering speeds of over 1Gbps. Professor Andy Sutton, EE's Principle Network Architect spoke at a special briefing which TechRadar attended and explained: "When we talk about 5G, we're talking about a network that may be introduced in about a decade. "The standards will be ready by about 2020, and maybe we'll see some of the Asian operators go a little bit sooner as is generally the norm," - which is what the South Korean government and Huawei have also predicted. "In Europe we'll probably see these networks come in around 2022, 2023, as the natural evolution of the LTE Advanced and 4G networks we have today." The 5G networks are likely to work their way into the business arena before they become available for consumers, adding additional waiting time before we can reap the rewards of even faster internet on our mobiles. Trails of 5G have already begun in Japan with Docomo and Fujistu teaming up to offer faster speeds in some cities, while Samsung in South Korea has also got in on the action, but it's still early days for the technology. No giant leap for 5GWhile we're likely to see the marketing teams for networks and phone manufacturers pushing the 5G buzzword in the years to come, it's not going to be as huge a leap in terms of technology as the radical shift from 3G to 4G. In simple terms "4G takes us up to 1Gbps, 5G is everything beyond that." Sutton notes. "5G is still at the fundamental research stage and it's designed to complement 4G and LTE Advanced networks." The development of 5G looks to make the network more flexible, with a larger capacity and reduced latency for instantaneous internet access. EE predicts that video usage on mobile devices will account for 67% of all mobile traffic by 2018, and 5G will help make that a reality as well as providing support for 4K and 8K streaming by 2030. Ed Ellis, in charge of Network Strategy and Forecasting at EE, said "we could potentially see 4K adoption and devices coming around much quicker than we were initially expecting." That means we'll need a network which is able to cope as "the required bit rate to support those videos leaps massively and the capability 5G delivers makes that a reality." 6G. What 6G?As the Internet of Things also starts to ramp up, EE reckons that by 2020 each person in the UK will have, on average, 27 connected devices. Most of those are devices you're not even going to notice, things such as automatic curtains and lights which adjust in accordance with the time of day - but that's a huge leap from the two devices the average person currently owns. This massive increase in connected devices is another reason why 5G is so important and why it's an evolution of 4G as these new connected devices are already being woven into the developing LTE Advanced services. Sutton said it takes around 10 years from the point of conception to the practical implementation of a new generation of network, and he predicts "this 5G network is going to be around for ten years plus, before we move on to 6G." Before you get totally carried away with a sixth generation network, Sutton warns "there may not be a 6G is we get 5G right." "We may change the way we evolve networks from that kind of generational shift to a more subtle evolution of capacity and capability based on some of the things we're working on for the 5G world." In the meantime you may return to your 4G device and stare vacantly at the screen as you await the arrival of 4K video streaming with zero latency and internet speeds which will knock your socks off.        |  | BlackBerry and IBM team up for open mobility May 15th 2014, 10:30, by Dean Wilson 
BlackBerry has teamed up with IBM and other companies to offer BlackBerry 10 device management to a wider audience. The partnership will allow IBM to directly manage devices running the BlackBerry 10 operating system, tearing down some previous walls to accessibility and giving companies more choices to choose from. The deal is the first of many planned with mobile device management companies, including IBM, Citrix, and VMware's Airwatch. Others are expected to follow in the coming months. Opening upThe move will be a much-needed boost for BlackBerry, formerly known as RIM, which has seen its market share shrink to rivals Google and Apple, even in the enterprise sector, its strongest holdout. "Offering the end-to-end secure solutions valued by our customers in government and other regulated industries remains central to our strategy; however BlackBerry understands the opportunity and importance of opening our BlackBerry 10 software," said Ron Louks, President of Devices and Emerging Solutions at BlackBerry. "This is a natural next step in our enterprise strategy as we seek to provide our customers with maximum choice in how they will meet the full array of employee mobility needs." BlackBerry also said it will launch the multi-platform BlackBerry Enterprise Service (BES) 12 later this year, and will include Windows Phone 8 support.        | | HTC One Mini 2 ditches Duo Camera and M8 moniker May 15th 2014, 07:00, by John McCann 
The HTC One Mini 2 has officially been announced, bringing the One M8's premium design to a more manageable form factor. While the two handsets may share a lot in terms of design the One Mini 2 has had its spec cut from HTC's flagship with a 4.5-inch 720p display, 1.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon 400 processor, 1GB of RAM and 2100mAh battery squeezed into the smaller, chunkier frame. The One Mini 2 does arrive with Boomsound dual speakers, Android 4.4.2 KitKat and the Sense 6 UI, but round the back Duo Cameras have been ditched in favour of a single 13MP lens. Weight gainThere's been a bit of weight gain over the original One Mini, with the One Mini 2 sporting a thicker 10.6mm chassis while tipping the scales at a heavier 137g. You'll find 16GB of storage hiding inside, but that can be expanded with a microSD card up to 128GB in size, plus you also get 4G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS and NFC. 
The One Mini 2 will arrive in three colours; gunmetal grey, amber gold and glacial silver. HTC One Mini 2 will start to roll out in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and North Asia from June with other countries expected to follow later.        | | Telstra hits 450Mbps speeds during LTE-A Carrier Aggregation experiment May 15th 2014, 04:27, by Farrha Khan 
Telstra is looking to future-proof its 4G network as it tests a trial LTE-Advanced Carrier Aggregation combination of the 1800MHz and 2600MHz bands today. Last year, Telstra introduced LTE-A Carrier Aggregation, which uses two blocks of channels on the 900MHz and 1800MHz spectrum bands, respectively. Working again with network partner Ericsson, the telco installed equipment for two new 20MHz channels on the 2600MHz band. Telstra then aggregated the two channels with the live 20MHz channel on its existing 1800MHz 4G network. A Category 9 device was used to combine the three different channels, through which simultaneous streams of data could travel. According to Telstra, the trial managed to achieve speeds of 450Mbps, tripling current peak speeds on Telstra's network. The 4G futureMike Wright, Group Managing Director Telstra Network, has said that the tests were conducted to learn how the technology works and what it is capable of before investing in a roll out across the country. "Conducting this type of test is a significant step in the network engineering and development process," Wright said. "It is essential for us to see how this type of technology works in the live network and understand what needs to be done to continue to absorb the exploding demand in mobile broadband and offer an exceptional customer experience." Telstra noted that implementation of a three-channel LTE-A network is still years away, and will likely also include a 20MHz block from the 700MHz channel it acquired as part of the Digital Dividend.        | | ZTE enters the Aussie smartphone scene with the budget V969 May 15th 2014, 01:42, by Farrha 
While ZTE has a number of Android, Windows Phone and Firefox OS handsets available globally, the Chinese company has previously had its phones, tablets and hotspots, sold in Australia through Telstra - but only with Telstra's branding. The ZTE V969, however, marks the Chinese company's first foray into the Australian smartphone market under its own name. The budget dual SIM ZTE V969, set to go on sale this month, will be available exclusively through Dick Smith for AU$299 online and in store. An Aussie ZTEThe handset, which sits comfortably in the budget phablet territory, comes with a 5.5-inch qHD display, powered by a a quad-core 1.3Ghz processor, 1GB of RAM and Android 4.2 Jelly Bean. There's 5MP shooter on the back, while a massive 3200mAh battery keeps things chugging on the back. You also get a paltry 4GB of storage, with only 2GB available to the user, but this can be bumped up another 32GB with the microSD card slot. It's not quite in the same league as the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 or Sony Xperia Ultra, but for a handset with a price tag of $299, the V969 was never intended for the power-user. - This one's not available to Aussies yet, but here's our hands on with the ZTE Grand Memo 2, another big-screen ZTE - one that sits on the higher-end of the scale
       | | Samsung Galaxy S5 Active rumors refuse to go away May 14th 2014, 23:56, by Michelle Fitzsimmons 
The Galaxy S5 Active, the rough-and-tumble version of Samsung's flagship phone, must be jazzed to hit the trail as rumors of it refuse to sit quiet. First pit stop was the FCC, where a phone model number SM-G870A (thought to be the S5 Active) made a pass. It's thickness was absent, but the US regulatory body checked out a device that measured 143mm long by 73.45mm wide. By contrast, the Galaxy S5 measures 142 x 72.5mm. Then, several European retailers started posting placeholder pages for a device model number SM-G850F, believed to be the international version of the new Active phone. None of the above serves as infallible proof the phone exists, but given Samsung's track record of releasing several variants of the same device and the growing number of breadcrumbs, it seems fairly certain the Galaxy S5 Active is about to burst on the scene. Is it set for a May 28 reveal?That day may come sooner than we think. Samsung has a "Voice of the Body" event scheduled for May 28 where it's starting "a new conversation around health." Could the Galaxy S5 Active be part of its health-nut plan? We'll be on the ground in San Francisco for Samsung's reveal later this month, so stay tuned.        | | HTC One M8 Mini may be short on big brother's features May 14th 2014, 21:50, by JR Bookwalter 
They don't call it "mini" for nothing! A reliable gadget leaker claims HTC may be pulling a few features from the unannounced, junior-sized version of its latest flagship smartphone. @evleaks filed a brief Twitter post earlier that potentially puts a damper on enthusiasm for the as-yet unofficial HTC One M8 Mini, a diminutive model of the Taiwanese smartphone maker's HTC One M8. By all accounts, the improvements made to Sense 6 have garnered a fair amount of praise from critics and customers alike, although many of the best features won't be making the leap to older One models. Judging from the latest rumors, a similar fate could also befall the forthcoming One M8 Mini. The omissions appear to be related to hardware sacrifices needed to keep the device at an attractive price point. Not so dynamic DuoThe morning-time tweet specifically notes the lack of a second Duo Camera in the HTC One M8 Mini. HTC One M8 owners can use the tech to create images with depth perception and selectively apply such effects to foreground or background subjects. Equally unfortunate is the loss of HTC Zoe, the manufacturer's highly touted feature that allows up to 20 photos plus a three-second video to be captured with a single press of the shutter button. Shutterbugs will also likely lament the loss of Panoramic photos, which allow users to capture images from a 360-degree view, something that will apparently remain exclusive to the larger HTC One M8. Last but not least, the HTC One M8 Mini will also lose built-in support for Fitbit, as well as the ability to wake up the device with a wave of the hand, courtesy of the Motion Launch feature.        | | LG G3 flashed top to bottom in handful of leaked product shots May 14th 2014, 19:17, by JR Bookwalter 
By now it feels like we've already seen LG's next flagship smartphone, but those blurry spy shots don't do the brushed finish justice like a batch of leaked press renders can. A tipster passed along what appears to be a handful of final LG G3 product shot renderings to PhoneArena, which finally reveal the forthcoming Android smartphone in all of its premium glory. As previously rumored, the official-looking press renders show off the handset in silver, titan grey and gold color schemes, each with a brushed finish to the back side that certainly makes for a luxurious first impression. While LG certainly appears to have classed up its act for the G3, the chassis could very well wind up being nothing more than polycarbonate plastic in disguise, despite rumors to the contrary. 
Phablet desiresOtherwise, the LG G3 certainly doesn't hold back when it comes to internal specs, with the 5.5-inch phablet rumored to feature a Quad HD (QHD) display panel that packs in 1440 x 2560 resolution. Powered by the most recent Snapdragon 805 processor with 3GB RAM, the G3 is also said to have received a fairly "thorough overhaul" of the Optimus user interface, which is said to offer a more "personalized" experience. Featuring a 13MP rear-facing camera with optical stabilization that may or may not have a dual-tone flash, there's still the matter of "a mysterious elliptic opening" around the back of the device, believed to be some kind of sensor to improve images snapped in low-light situations. If that's not enough to whet your appetite for the G3, then the fact that the Korean manufacturer is holding a media event in less than two weeks ought to make for some sleepless nights for die-hard LG fans between now and May 27.        | | BlackBerry talks up new square-screened phone with 453ppi May 14th 2014, 18:12, by Michael Rougeau 
It's no secret that there's a wave of new Blackberries heading our way, but details about them are as rare as the kraken so far. Here's a hint, though: BlackBerry has encouraged developers working in its BlackBerry 10.3 beta simulator to experiment with a new square shape and resolution. "When you fire up the 10.3 beta simulator, you'll notice another square screen," BlackBerry Director of Application, Platform & Tools Product Management Tim Neil wrote on the company's dev blog. He continued: "This is for a new device with a 1440 x 1440 resolution and pixel density of 453 DPI." Hip to be squareSo what is this mysterious new square-screened BlackBerry? Is it the BlackBerry Q20 Classic that was announced at MWC 2013? Unlikely. What about the rumored BlackBerry Q30 Windemere, which is also said to be rocking a QWERTY like it's 2006? "I know, I know…you want more details on that new device," Neil wrote, apparently reading our minds. "But we're not quite ready to give them yet, so hold tight and watch the blog for more information!" Whatever it is, we know it won't be a wearable, so a smartwatch is out. "In the meantime," Neil finished, "testing with the 10.3 beta simulator will allow you to see how your application will behave in this new resolution and DPI combination, so we encourage you to check it out as soon as you can." Does that mean it's coming soon? We'll keep the lighthouse lit just in case.        | |
No comments:
Post a Comment