Review TechRadar: Phone and communications news 05-23-2014

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Fighting Talk: Why isn't wireless charging a thing yet? May 23rd 2014, 12:00, by Gareth Beavis We're supposed to be in a tangle-free world by now. I was promised a wire-free world, a charger-less utopia. What went wrong? Sometimes it's hard to remember we're in the future. That this is supposed to be the point when we have flying cars/space pills/robot companions. That extends to the mundane things too. It's all too easy to forget that promises are made about certain bits of tech, and the deadline passes without anybody noticing. I was looking down at my desk the other day, internally wilting at the multitude of wires snaking their way across, and I realised: weren't we supposed to be a wireless world by now? Wires not needed Wi-Fi and mobile data are so entrenched in day-to-day that we get irritated when they don't work, that we have to dig out the Ethernet cable to work out why something isn't working. So why do we still need so many chargers? The technology is there. Whether it's inductive or magnetic resonance doesn't matter one bit to most people. What entices consumers is the notion of being able to toss down a phone, tablet and pair of wireless headphones on the bedside table and have them all fully charged by the morning. Perhaps I'm being a bit pedantic by being so annoyed by this, but I've sat through countless briefings where I was told, by a smorgasbord of tech companies, that this was the future. The charger was dying. Cheaper phones for all! "Great!" I thought. "No more chargers for the cats to chew!" (They do. Every lead I've got looks like it's been attacked by an army of angry pins). Nokia kicked this off: back in September 2012 the Lumia 920 was announced, complete with built in wireless charging compatibility. Deals were struck with major café chains, with McDonalds. The future was here, people. Two years down the line, and I'm not seeing much more penetration. Nokia keeps taking the technology out, making it available as a cover, then putting it back in the next phone. The charging pads are tiny. The technology isn't available right now, and it's maddening. And the kicker? It should be. The problem is the industry can't decide which way is best for the tech. The Wireless Power Consortium (which promotes the commonly used Qi standard) sits in one corner. In another, the Alliance for Wireless Power. In the next, Power Matters Alliance. We just need the People's Front of Judea in there to complete the square. One standard to rule them all The multitude of competing standards makes it impossible to invest. One offers a better technology, another penetration in more brands, another… well, it's got a good name. So come on guys: get it together. Pacts are being struck, but it's long, drawn-out and boring. The annoying thing is this isn't like Betamax and VHS, otherwise it would be a simple chat with the adult film industry and we'd have a quick winner. Sadly there doesn't seem to be an appetite for wirelessly-charged smut (yet). The good news is this isn't a foregone conclusion: wireless charging is still a viable technology and there's a genuine appetite for it from consumers, because it's cool. If Apple made it the headline feature of the iPhone 6, you can bet it would suddenly be massive. If Samsung and HTC plopped a wireless charging pad in each box, the tech would proliferate at a rate of knots. But with all this infighting it just costs too much and the price of wireless charging remains too high. I beg you, WPC, A4WP and PMA. Drop the acronyms, band together and make the Charging Over Wireless Protocol Agreed Technology. And stop my morning gargle of frustration when I've, once again, forgotten to charge something important. Round-up: Week in Tech: G3 leaks, HTC tweaks, Ebay hacks and Apple slacks May 23rd 2014, 10:57, by TechRadar There's a theory that Microsoft takes three attempts to get anything right. This week we saw the third incarnation of its Surface Pro, the laptop that thinks it's a tablet, and it seems to support the theory. While Microsoft was showing off Surface, Ebay was suffering from a massive security breach, ex-iPhone users were getting angry and the smartphone rumour factory was going into overdrive. Let's news you up! Third time's a charm You'll never guess what Microsoft's called the third Surface Pro. Yes: Surface Pro 3. You've got to admit it's better than Microsoft Surface Tablet Computer Mobile Edition 2014, a name they probably considered. Is it any good? Joe Osborne says it is: there's a really nice screen, a better Type Cover and improved stylus support. It's still pricey, though. One thing we didn't see was the rumoured Surface Mini, which Microsoft apparently canned at the last minute. Is that the end of Windows RT? It certainly looks like it… LG: Leaking's Good Do you have a secret? Then for God's sake don't tell LG, whose skills clearly don't lie in keeping schtum: with days to go before the official launch of the LG G3, almost all the important information appears to have leaked - including the fancy QHD screen LG hopes will attract specs-crazed smartphone fans. Samsung gets Active It's been literally minutes since Samsung launched a Galaxy smartphone, so another one must be imminent - and it is, in the shape of the Samsung Galaxy S5 Prime. There's also the robust Samsung Galaxy S5 Active to look forward to - it's an S5 for outdoor types and those of us with butter fingers, and it's expected to hit US carriers later this year. Excellent AAAA++++ Would hack again Ebay isn't just for selling old junk and fending off scammers whenever you sell anything electronic. It's also for enormous security breaches that means every user needs to change their password RIGHT NOW. Need some advice on picking a strong one? We've got you covered. Bird brains Worst product name of the week goes to the EE Eagle, which we're going to pronounce Eeeeeeeeeeeeeagle from now on. The Eeeeeeeeeeeeeagle is a rebranded Huawei MediaPad M1 boasting 4G, an 8-inch screen and a low £199.99 price tag on Pay As You Go. HTC's Prime mover Whenever anyone mentions bad product names it's not long before HTC turns up, and this week was no exception: its latest smartphone, the HTC One M8 Prime, is a "super high-end" reboot of the HTC One M8. If rumoured specs are true, this Prime sounds awfully similar to Samsung's Galaxy S5 Prime - albeit with better camera hardware. Too pricey? There's a plastic HTC One M8 Ace on its way too, possibly as soon as next month. Be in the Moto know Motorola's Moto 360 smartwatch is no longer the wrist-story of mystery: Motorola's given it a price, some details and a release date. You can expect to say "hello, Moto" in July for around $299 (about £178, AU$319) and it's expected to feature an OLED display and wireless charging. Matt Swider has all the info. iMessage bug Ex-iPhone users are encountering an annoying problem: whenever someone with an iPhone sends them a message, they don't get it. The problem is that Apple thinks they're still using iMessage - and iMessage doesn't work on non-iOS devices. But don't despair: we've got the fix for the iMessage bug here. Meet Makelangelo Maker Faire is a celebration of the Maker Movement, a high-tech grass-roots movement incorporating robots, 3D printing and enough goodies to make it a kind of Toys R Us for techies. We've collected the highlights including the latest 3D printing ideas and the brilliantly named Makelangelo, a robotic artist that will soon be able to make copies of itself. Feeling security conscious after the Ebay news? Read our guide to keeping your online privacy In Depth: Nexus 6 release date, news and rumors May 23rd 2014, 10:09, by John McCann and Simon Hill Nexus 6 release date, news and rumors The Nexus 5 arrived in the second half of 2013, continuing the brand's mantra of high specs, low cost and a pure version of Android. We're now well into 2014, so our thoughts are turning towards Google's next iteration of Nexus device, although the chance of the Nexus 6 actually appearing isn't guaranteed. Recently there has been talk about Google's new Android Silver program, where the search engine is apparently turning to key smartphone manufacturers and offering resources to make high-end devices in collaboration with Google. Some are suggesting that this could be the death of the Nexus line, with @evleaks claiming: "There is no Nexus 6. Farewell, Nexus. Don't worry, there's a silver lining to this cloud... Android Silver, circa February 2015." Android Silver: everything you need to know That said mentions of the Nexus 6 smartphone and Nexus 8 tablet have been spied by eagle eyed devs who have been sifting through code for Google's Chromium browser - giving us hope the Nexus 6 is still on the cards. For now though nothing is confirmed and for all we know the Nexus 6 could still arrive this year. Cut to the chase What is it? Google's sixth iteration of its affordable Nexus line When is it out? Going on the Nexus 5, probably October or November What will it cost? It's likely to start around $349, £300 Nexus 6 release date and price The Nexus 5 was announced on October 31 2013, hitting stores in November of the same year. In terms of the Nexus 6 release date we're expecting the handset to arrive around the same time in 2014. Considering the Nexus 5 launched at $349, £299 for the 16GB model we'd expect the Nexus 6 to inherit a similar pricing structure, although if it's rocking some serious tech it may come in slightly more expensive. Nexus 6 operating system The Nexus 6 could be the first device to run the next version of Google's operating system, although it's unclear whether it will be dubbed Android 5 or Android 4.5. When Google launches a new major version of its software it usually offers up some hardware too. The Nexus 5 ushered in the arrival of Android KitKat and the Nexus 6 seems the sensible option for the next installment, although there's always a chance that'll we'll see the Google Nexus 10 (2014) or an updated Nexus 7 slate instead. Nexus 6 design Korean manufacturer LG is being hotly tipped for a third term as Google's Nexus smartphone producer, and while the Nexus 5 bore resemblances to last year's LG G2, the Nexus 6 will apparently be based on the LG G3. If that's the case then the Nexus 6 could well arrive with a 5.5-inch QHD display and a metal chassis, although don't expect LG to carry over all the headline features from the G3 to the Nexus 6. It's got to make the handset cheaper, so some things will be sacrificed. It will be interesting to see if LG shifts the rear buttons on the G3 to the sides of the Nexus 6, as it did with the Nexus 5 - as the back button placement is rather unnatural and something we can see Google vetoing for the Nexus. Nexus 6 fingerprint scanner With the iPhone 5S, HTC One Max and Samsung Galaxy S5 all sporting fingerprint scanners it's no surprise that other top-end handsets are being linked to the biometric tech. The Nexus 6 is no exception, with Android Geeks citing a "trusted source" who claims the handset will indeed come with a fingerprint scanner. Interestingly though, the LG G3 which the Nexus 6 is expected to be based off doesn't appear to sport a digit scanner. Read our in depth Google Nexus 5 review The key features the Nexus 6 needs Fans of the cutting edge vanilla Android experience were quick to fall in love with the Nexus 5. It ushered in Android 4.4 KitKat with a sexy Google Experience Launcher on top, but it wasn't perfect. Here's what our friendly neighbourhood search giant could do to get us excited about the Nexus 6. A bigger battery Battery life has bossed the chart of complaints in the smartphone market for years now and last year's Nexus was a major offender, with a constantly weird amount of power suckage. Scraping through a day simply isn't good enough. If you're going to pack more and more irresistible features into a device with a gorgeous hypnotizing display, then please give it enough juice to fulfil our obsessive usage. A better camera Google made some swift adjustments to roll out an update that fixed up the Nexus 5 camera, but it's still an obvious candidate for improvement. A new version of Android should handle the software side, but the Nexus 6 is going to need to pack some decent hardware. Nokia is the current gold standard with the 41MP-toting Lumia 1020, but the Android pack is pushing 13MP and upwards now. Of course there's more to a camera than the megapixel count, but there's a lot more than can be done here. We want great quality shots, but also fast performance to help us capture those precious, spontaneous moments as they happen. A slightly bigger screen With some clever engineering and some ruthless bezel slicing we're getting bigger displays without smartphones growing to ridiculous proportions, although phablets are now a thing. Perhaps the 6 will refer to the screen size. Realistically 6 inches might be pushing things too far, but we could always use more screen real estate. We'd like to see the Nexus 6 creep up a touch past 5 inches without becoming unwieldy. A slight increase in screen size without additional bulk would hit the spot nicely. An edge-to-edge display has long been a dream for smartphone fans. A 64-bit processor Since Apple made the jump to a 64-bit processor in the iPhone 5S it's inevitable that other manufacturers will want to follow suit. It doesn't matter if there isn't much obvious short term advantage. App developers and manufacturers will be able to realize the potential of this in years to come, but perception is important and that's reason enough for the Nexus 6 to need a 64-bit processor. Dual speakers The front-facing dual-speaker setup on the HTC One M8 is undeniably nice and the more we consume media on our smartphones the more important it becomes to get decent sound. The Nexus 5 had one speaker at the bottom and it was less than stellar. It's another obvious target for a spot of improvement on the Nexus 6 and it would be nice if headphones weren't a requirement for enjoying music on your phone. A new form The LG G Flex and the Samsung Galaxy Round have begun the transition to flexible displays which will enable new form factors. A gentle curve is not much to get excited about, and it's still probably too early for the full potential of flexible displays to be realized, but anything that takes smartphones away from the black rectangle convention could be good. A Nexus 6 with a really interesting design and some software innovation from Google could point the way for the evolution of the smartphone. At the very least a kind of secondary display portion on the edge for at-a-glance functionality and controls. Maybe even a dual-screen set-up with a low energy secondary display for notifications. Always listening The big USP for the Moto X was the voice recognition, allowing you to issue commands to Google Now without using your hands. The idea of hands-free operation has always been hampered by the need to press something first. If the Nexus 6 was always listening for its master's voice, we might be tempted to make better use of Google's fortune-telling digital butler. A 2K display Full HD with a 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution is still the standard for top-end Android smartphones, but QHD 2560 x 1440 displays are just around the corner. By the time the Nexus 6 is due to arrive the 5.5-inch QHD LG G3 will be on sale, and maybe even the Samsung Galaxy S5 Prime and HTC One M8 Prime as well. It wouldn't be a shock if the Nexus 6 brought us a new level of pixel density. It's probably too soon for 4K displays, but we're heading in that direction, and this would at least give a Nexus the headline grabbing features we love. Of course, only if it can be done cheaply. We don't want to lose the low prices we've become accustomed to. Biometric security Face Unlock was a gimmicky feature that arrived in Android Ice Cream Sandwich. It didn't always work and it was easy to spoof with a photo but finding new ways to effortlessly, but securely, unlock your smartphone is still on the agenda. Apple's Touch ID uses your fingerprints and there's a digit scanner in the Galaxy S5 too. If this kind of security is set to become a new standard, then the Nexus 6 needs to jump on board. Indestructibility We've seen Kevlar coating from Motorola and waterproofing from Sony and Samsung, and there's no doubt the Nexus line could stand to toughen up. You only need to glance at any Nexus 4 or Nexus 5 forum to find tales of woe from hapless owners with shattered screens. Flexible display technology could put an end to cracked and broken screens. Waterproofing has left the rugged category behind and broken into the mainstream. A Nexus 6 that can survive a dunk and doesn't need a polycarbonate overcoat is surely on the cards. Google's Project Tango tablet set to map a 3D world this June May 23rd 2014, 08:55, by Hugh Langley Google's working on a prototype tablet that will use sensors to map the world around it, says a new report. The tablet comes out of Google's Project Tango research effort, from which we've already seen a prototype smartphone that could create a 3D map of the user's surroundings. The Tango tablet will have a seven-inch screen, two rear cameras and infrared depth sensors, allowing the device to take accuracte 3D images of objects, according to The Wall Street Journal. It takes two Apparently Google plans to produce around 4,000 prototype tablets in the next month, possibly to give to developers at I/O. Like its Tango smartphone, this means that devs will be able to experiment with the new hardware and build apps that use the new hardware in interesting ways. Meet Project Ara, Tango's modular sibling Video: Here are the 10 best smartphones you can buy right now May 23rd 2014, 08:16, by Owen Hughes There have been some massive smartphone releases in the first half of 2014, so our unequivocal top 10 mobiles list has seen a big shake-up. Impressive newcomers from Samsung, Sony and HTC have shot straight to the winners' podium, but where does that leave last year's favourites? It is, as ever, bound to draw some outcry, but we staunchly believe that you won't do any better than the 10 smartphones on this list. So if you're currently on the lookout for a new phone and are only interested in the best of the best, click play below to find out which mobile deserves that lonely space in your pocket. FutTv : Y6uB9VT8EBb8e Read more: The 20 Best Mobile Phones In The World Today HTC One M8 Prime release date, news and rumors May 23rd 2014, 08:11, by James Rogerson No sooner does HTC release its One M8 flagship do we start hearing rumors of all sorts of new spin-offs. Perhaps the most exciting of these is the HTC One M8 Prime, a phone which is said to improve on the HTC One M8 with more powerful innards, a better screen and more changes besides. While it's exciting it's also questionable, as it seems odd that HTC would want to cannibalise the sales of the One M8, which is exactly what would happen if it released such a device any time soon. Not to mention the fact that the company has finally released a handset with great battery life and upping the screen resolution could undo all that hard work. Nevertheless, there are an increasing number of rumors surrounding it, so perhaps it does exist, and with the super-powered LG G3 just around the corner and Samsung rumored to be working on a Galaxy S5 Prime device of its own HTC might be feeling the pressure. So while we're still not a hundred percent sure this is a real thing we've collected all the latest rumors and information on what HTC might have in store for us, if it's actually planning a One M8 Prime at all. Cut to the chase What is it? An even more premium version of the One M8 When is it out? It's not clear, anytime time between June and October What will it cost? Probably a lot. HTC One M8 Prime release date and price So far there's been little in the way of rumor or speculation around the release date of the HTC One M8 Prime. The Times of India has reported hearing from a Weibo user that it will be unveiled in September. An anonymous forum user is hardly the most convincing source, but there's not much else to go on right now. If it's intended as a successor to the HTC One Max then September or October would make sense as the One Max was released in October. That also gets it on the market close to Christmas and long enough after the HTC One M8 to hopefully not hamper that phones sales too much. On the other hand if it's intended to compete with the LG G3 and Samsung Galaxy S5 Prime then an earlier launch in around June would make more sense. As for price, there's absolutely no word on that, but in all likelihood it's going to be even more expensive than the roughly £520, $685, AU$742 One M8. HTC One M8 Prime display @evleaks has told the world that the HTC One M8 Prime will have a 5.5-inch 2560 x 1440 (QHD) display, which would be up in both size and resolution from the 5-inch 1080p HTC One M8 display. If HTC really is making this phone that's a size and resolution that would make sense, as it's a match for what LG is delivering in the G3, but we can't help but wonder what such a jump would do to the phone's battery life. HTC One M8 Prime power @evleaks also shed some light on the processor, claiming that the HTC One M8 Prime will be powered by a 2.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon 805 processor coupled with 3GB of RAM. If true then it would certainly be a force to be reckoned with, but on the other hand we haven't exactly found ourselves wishing that the HTC One M8 had more power. The same source also revealed that the One M8 Prime will apparently support category 6 LTE, which theoretically allows for download speeds of up to 300Mbps - although few networks around the world are actually capable of delivering that. HTC One M8 Prime design Everyone's favourite Twitter tipster @evleaks is reporting that the HTC One M8 Prime will be waterproof and have an aluminium and liquid silicone casing. He's even handily supplied a render of what the phone will supposedly look like. This could easily be fake and even if it's not there's no guarantee that it will be an accurate reflection of the final hardware, but for the most part it looks believable in that it looks a lot like the One M8 and given the 'One' in the name we'd be surprised if it strayed too far from that phones design aesthetic. The waterproofing rumor seems fairly likely, as some other flagships such as the Sony Xperia Z2 and Samsung Galaxy S5 are water resistant, so it would make sense for HTC to protect its high end phones in the same way. HTC One M8 Prime camera A render of the HTC One M8 has emerged and it's focussed on the camera. There's good reason for that, as if it's to be believed then not only is there, for some reason, an ugly orange ring around the lens, but the camera module also appears to stick out from the back of the handset. For a company that places so much focus on aesthetics we're not sure how convincing this is, but it does suggest that there could be some big camera changes afoot. What those will be isn't clear. The Times of India is reporting that it will have an 18MP lens, with the same duo camera setup and 5MP front-facing snapper as the One M8. That would mean ditching the Ultrapixels that the company has become so known for, but as that's an approach that's always received mixed reactions it might be for the best. HTC One M8 Prime operating system Reports also suggest that the One M8 Prime may arrive sporting an updated version of HTC's user interface, dubbed Sense 6.5. Unsurprisingly that will be running over the top of Google's Android interface - which we assume will be Android KitKat - but with the One M8 arriving with Sense 6 onboard, don't expect any big changes in 6.5. The One M8 Prime will face some competition from the iPhone 6. Galaxy S5 Active 'Activity Zone,' multi-use button star in latest video leak May 22nd 2014, 22:33, by Michael Rougeau The last time we saw the rumored Samsung Galaxy S5 Active it seemed its specs were more or less identical to the standard Galaxy S5's. Perhaps in response, TK Tech News - the same YouTube channel that leaked the previous benchmark video - has returned with another clip, this time pointing out some of the major differences that will be found in the S5 Active. Prominent among them is a new app called "Activity Zone" that appears to have a number of features exclusive to the sporty handset. What's more, tied to the Activity Zone is an "Activity Key," a button on the phone's left side that can open up Activity Zone with a short press or, with a long press, the camera. Once the camera is open, the Activity Key button can snap a photo. YouTube : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3aOJoqgUXmA#t=60 So much room for activities As the disembodied hand and voice in the video point out, Activity Zone appears to be an extension of Samsung's S Health app. The Galaxy S5 Active's Activity Zone is apparently a place from which to access the phone's barometer and compass, as well as stop watch and flashlight features. The Activity Zone also has a shortcut to the phone's existing S Health exercise app. The video's narrator also claims the Galaxy S5 Active is "faster" than the Galaxy S5, though that claim seems somewhat dubious, considering his last video said the two phones have the same specs. But he also says the Active is actually slimmer than the existing Galaxy S5, not thicker as its extra rubber and metal bits might seem to suggest. Here's TechRadar's review of the iPhone 5S Apple addresses iMessage bug but proper fix could be a while May 22nd 2014, 19:02, by Chris Smith Apple has finally piped up over a long-standing iMessage issue which has resulted in former iPhone users who have switched to Android or Windows Phone failing to receive texts sent via the service. This weekend it was revealed the firm is facing a lawsuit over the issue. Senders were being informed their messages were delivered, but in reality they were being sent into a SMS black hole from which they never returned. Recode reported that a recent sever glitch at Apple made the problem worse for some. That has now been resolved, according to Cupertino, but the problem seems to be persisting for some users. In a statement, the company pledged to launch a fix in a forthcoming software update. Workaround A spokesperson told Recode: "We recently fixed a server-side iMessage bug which was causing an issue for some users, and we have an additional bug fix in a future software update." The issue stems from Apple's inability to register when a mobile phone number previously associated with an iPhone has left for pastures new. Instead of sending a regular SMS text message through cellular networks, it continues to attempt delivery through iMessage's web-based system. For users experiencing the problem, a temporary fix can be had if they deactivate iMessage and remove their phone number before switching their number to the new platform. However, this isn't of much help to those who've already left the Apple ecosystem. Apple's iMessage Bug: what it is and how to fix it Samsung virtual reality headset tipped for gaming on Galaxy devices May 22nd 2014, 18:27, by JR Bookwalter Virtual reality headsets are becoming big business, but Sony and Facebook certainly aren't the only companies looking to grab a piece of the pie; Samsung is said to be planing a VR solution for its smartphones and tablets. Engadget has the scoop that Samsung is vying to become the latest to stake a claim in the virtual reality market with a headset for its next-gen Galaxy devices. According to unnamed developers who managed to get an early peek at the peripheral, the project is separate from the so-called "Galaxy Glass" wearable and more along the lines of the Android-powered GameFace Labs prototype. The same sources claim Samsung is racing ahead with the intention of at least announcing the VR headset sometime this year, presumably getting a jump on competitors including Sony's Project Morpheus and Facebook's newest purchase, the Oculus Rift. Priced to compete Insiders claim Samsung's headset offers an OLED screen described as "good or better than" that of the latest Oculus Rift developer kit, although details on exactly how the device connects to Galaxy products (via wire or not) is unknown. Samsung apparently plans to target its VR peripheral at Android gamers, although the report notes that big-name titles certainly won't work as direct ports without a lot of effort. The Korean manufacturer appears willing to blast onto the virtual reality scene with aggressive pricing said to undercut rivals, although there's no indication the gadget will be dirt cheap. Last but not least, developers claim Samsung is using something other than its own Tizen OS to power the headset, but for now the company has delivered a typically blunt "Samsung doesn't comment on rumor and speculation" in response to inquiries attempting to dig up further details on the project. Check out the updated version of our Google Glass review!

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