THE DEFINITIVE iPHONE 5 vs. GALAXY SIII FACE OFF

iPHONE 5 vs. GALAXY SIII

Yes, you have asked for it! I have been getting some emails asking me for a direct comparison! No rest for the wicked, huh? Ok, here goes… Are you sitting comfortably? Got some tea or coffee? Good! Let the comparision begin…

iPHONE 5 RETINA VS. GALAXY SIII SUPER AMOLED
Lol! Most people (iPhone fanatics) would say that the iPhone wins this one hands down because of the retina display! I would say that technically that the iPhone 5 wins this one hands down. But if you want to talk in strict technical terms then the Galaxy SIII wins it! Why?

If Apple were truly technically on the ball they wouldn’t have ballsed-up the resolution, 640 x 1136! Yes, while the retina boasts a pixel density of 326 ppi to the SIII’s 306 ppi the SIII has a real high definition resolution, 720 x 1280. Unless you are prepared to stare at the iPhone 5 without blinking then you really won’t notice the 20 ppi difference on the SIII! What it comes down to is 4” worth of technically brilliant screen and awkward resolution vs. 4.8” of technically good screen with a proper HD resolution!

WINNER: Samsung Galaxy SIII

DESIGN
Ooooh! Another area for controversy! Again, let’s take all the emotion out of our brand loyalty for a moment. Good!

We’re not talking about materials, ok? Ok! We are talking about the design.

Believe it or not, I do see where Apple is going with the design. They don’t want to rock the boat with the overall look of the iPhone. Apple wants to keep the iPhone recognizable. But in keeping the iPhone recognizable they have missed out on an opportunity to deliver something out of a Sci-Fi movie – to fulfill the dreams of conceptual artists / designers. I know I have been disrespectful in my other blogs – that’s due to the bloody Tech Litigation Wars! It’s doing my head in! Anyway, respectfully, elongating the handset is not a design in my opinion. Of course, it is now thinner and that comes at the expense of the old connector for the new lightning one that will cost you ultimately – if you are the owner of previous iPhones!

Let’s look at the SIII… The Galaxy SIII is markedly different from the SII, which is still a very, very popular phone that still sells!  It would have been so easy for Samsung to put out another big black block of glass (mainly). But it is very clear that Samsung moved on with the design of the Galaxy S high-end range!

I love design and therefore I have to give it to the SIII! But the materials… …iPhone 5 is better! Let me answer this the best way that I can…

There’s no doubt that the iPhone is made from excellent materials but look at its small size and what you have to pay for it! The SIII is mainly glass incased in advanced plastic. As a result the Galaxy SIII is, I would imagine, is cheaper to produce!

I’ve seen some silly ‘drop test’ where “testers” drop both the iPhone and SIII to see how they fare. Well, if you are extremely clumsy then invest in a protective case for both models. The SIII is mainly glass and therefore it stands to break more easily! Touch wood, I have had my SI and II for a good while and no breakage! I have dropped them a few times too! There’s no denying that the Galaxy SIII looks out of this world like its namesake!

WINNER: Samsung Galaxy SIII

CAMERA
Jeez, this is a tough one…


Both handsets feature an 8MP camera!

I tested the SIII and I was very, very happy with the results – both photos and video! The SIII takes the smoothest full HD video that I have ever seen!

When I tested the iPhone on video recording I noticed in playback was a little jittery! The pictures seem good. But because of my limited time with the iPhone 5 it is hard to tell if it’s the retina screen or the actual photo! I did like the iPhone 5 pictures that I took!

Because the HD recording on the iPhone 5 was a tad jittery I have to give this one to, yes, the SIII! Plus I do like all the options / scene modes available on the SIII’s camera!

Here’s some SIII video footage: Synapse Circuit YouTube

Here’s some SIII photos: Picasa

WINNER: Samsung Galaxy SIII

PROCESSOR, RAM & STORAGE
This is pretty easy – thankfully! Y’know? I can’t recall Tim Cook saying specifically what exactly is the A6 processor other than “…twice as fast…”? That’s pretty non-descriptive! Some people say it’s a dual-core and some don’t bother mentioning it – other than to repeat it’s “twice as fast…”. Hmmm…

Galaxy SIII is features an Exynos 4412 Quad-core 1.4 GHz Cortex-A9 and it really shifts anything you put before it! YouTube video with 3G is very, very good when there’s a decent connection, as you can imagine over Wi-FI it’s flawless! Websites pop up instantaneously – even on a good 3G connection! I can’t fault it!

Both handsets feature 1GB of RAM. Both handsets come with storage variants 16 / 32 / 64 GB. What you might find useful is the additional storage via a microSD card on the SIII!

WINNER: Samsung Galaxy SIII

OPERATING SYSTEM
iOS 6 is an improvement over previous versions but it’s nowhere near as advanced as Android 4.1 Jelly Bean! iPhone users have been duped into thinking that Android is for “computer geeks” but nothing could be further from the truth! Android is the most advanced and easy to use operating system I have ever had the pleasure of working with! iOS is good, but it’s not fluid enough.

However, SIII has Android 4 Ice Cream Sandwich and it is being updated to Jelly Bean at the moment. It’s likely that the US SIII will receive the update last. Poland is the first market to get the Jelly Bean upgrade! Other European countries will follow! Furthermore, the SIII features the TouchWiz user interface overlay that really gives the handset more functions such as Direct Call – put the handset to your ear after receiving a text and dial the sender directly without touching the screen!

Ice Cream Sandwich is still a great operating system! Android in general is open to customization!

The iOS comes with Siri and the SIII has the S Voice. Siri can do more than the S Voice in that it has artificial intelligence behind it which can be hit or miss. I have said it before: the S Voice is not put together with the idea to simulate a virtual assistant that talks back at or with you. S Voice is designed to interface with the handset i.e. enter alarms, diary events, get weather information and so on! Both can be hit and miss! You have to speak very, very clearly! However, Jelly Bean comes with Google Now and Voice Search which are so much better than Siri that is still in beta! When the SIII gets Jelly Bean it will be even better!

WINNER: Samsung Galaxy SIII

4G LTE
Well, the iPhone 5 could very well be the first 4G LTE enabled handset to reach the UK. In the States the SIII is 4G LTE compatible. And at the time of release in the UK there was no hint of 4G! The UK is expecting 4G LTE towards the end of the year! If I am correct, the UK should see 4G LTE by Christmas. It is very likely that there will be a 4G LTE version of the SIII to come later in the year!

When the 4G LTE version of SIII comes out in the UK (and other countries) it will, obviously, be the overall winner!

WINNER: iPhone 5 UK
WINNER: Samsung Galaxy SIII USA

CONCLUSION: OVERALL WINNER SAMSUNG GALAXY SIII
There is no doubt that Apple have produced yet another decent-ish iPhone. However, the iPhone is trailing behind what Android is doing at the moment! I think it is safe to say that most high-end handsets to be released this year will put iPhone 5 further in the shade!

I am sure that you are aware of Apple Maps not being as good as it should have been.

Oh, I stayed away from the battery life because you and I both know that once you start listening to music, watching video, etc that it drains... The battery on the iPhone 5 is Li-Ion 1440 mAh and on the SIII is a Li-Ion 2100 mAh! I think the capacity is relative to their respective size! On paper the SIII has the edge!  

Unless you’re a hardcore iPhone fanatic you cannot possibly deny the sheer power of the Galaxy SIII! I love technology and the SIII is the one I’d get!

But, hey, Synapse Circuit doesn’t tell you what to buy! I give you the facts the best that I can! The rest is up to you!


I <3 the GSIII!    

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ANTISOCIAL NETWORKING: MORE OF IT!

FACEBOOK & TWITTER PARANOIA
What’s going on with Facebook and Twitter, huh?

I guess when it comes down to it MONEY is behind the paranoia that Facebook and Twitter often display. What triggers the paranoia? I will tell you… Grab a cup of your favourite hot beverage…

NO FOUNDATION
About a couple of weeks ago I posted up links to my blogspace and I have to admit that I was a little cheeky and posted up a link to one of my anti-Apple blogs up on the Apple / iPhone page. Then a couple of hours later when I continued to post the link elsewhere I got a notification from Facebook that I have been banned from posting links on Facebook!

What? What? I couldn’t believe it! Was it such a crime to post what I think is the truth about Apple’s litigation spree and crap iPhone 5? Even if it was them (Apple) behind telling Facebook that I have been “spamming” the least I expect form Facebook is to do some investigation into the allegation(s). So, after a lengthy search to find someone in Facebook’s non-helpful Help Centre I put my argument forward to lift the ban! Here’s what I received for my effort:

“Hi,
Thanks for your feedback. We're constantly trying to improve Facebook, and your input is important to us. Unfortunately, we can't respond to individual feedback emails, but we are reading them.
If you are having any problems with your account, please find information about Facebook as well as the answers to many of your questions in our Help Center: https://www.facebook.com/help/
Thanks,
The Facebook Team”

What a waste of time that was! How long would it have taken to investigate what it was that I posted a link to? I had something similar from Twitter claiming more or less the same thing! Again, nobody does any investigation into these “spam” allegations and it is frustrating for me!

As I have said before… Many people on Twitter and Facebook post me links on a regular basis and if I don’t get an accompanying note to tell me on the link I just delete the message. I don’t bother to report it as spam! I think it’s a waste of my time to report spam! Besides one day someone could send me a link to something that could prove useful to me! Yeah, I get all kinds… Porn links, people who claim to be anti-cyber-bullying experts link me to an ecommerce enabled page promising that they can be the solution to my cyber-bullying problems, diet sites that provide a solution in a handy pill and so on and so forth! To me, the aforementioned examples of the mail content I sometimes get, is spam! I don’t think that a link to my blog constitutes as spam, do you?

MAKE IT UP AS YOU GO ALONG
What I do hate about all this “spam” nonsense is that people seem to be making it up as they go along! Facebook says that adding and messaging people you don’t know constitutes as “spam”! Well, that’s a bit strong… Talk about taking it to the extremes! Facebook is no better than the sad folk who are jealous of the good things others are doing! No, not Tanya’s flexible lady bits dot com! God, no! I am talking about the people out there who are making original music – I don’t mind people sending me links to their music as I have heard some really good stuff! I don’t mind artists sharing their work and looking for money making opportunities! As long as people are making an effort to do something worthwhile I don’t mind at all! But I can see how messaging strangers on Facebook can be annoying – I personally don’t do it! There again, it depends on what’s in the message!

Ultimately, Facebook and Twitter don’t want you to create traffic that could lead to money for your project through them unless you take out an ad with them!

There you go!

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NEWS: 24 SEPTEMBER! iPHONE 5 SALES DISAPPOINTING!

iPHONE 5: DISAPPOINTING SALES OF 5 MILLION
Surprised? I am not! With all the hype and media bias the iPhone has only sold a disappointing 5 million units! Yes, this could be a new record for the once ubiquitous iPhone: The Sales Drop Off!

Many iPhone users are “disappointed” with the design and they “hate” the lightning socket and that they have to pay out extra for an adapter! If that’s not enough, Apple Maps are below par!

What was Apple thinking? But I knew that all the "Sold Out" reports were bogus anyway! After I did my review I saw several people come up to the display model and walked away within seconds! There was no crowd!

 
THE GALAXY SIII: JELLY BEAN ROLLING OUT TODAY
Samsung is updating the Galaxy S III handset to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, starting today! Poland is the first market to receive the update! The fortunate Polish folk will be able to enjoy Google Now, Project Butter, and sheer joy that Jelly Bean is!

Samsung states that Jelly Bean will "gradually" be introduced to other markets soon; how soon you get it will "vary by market and wireless carriers' requirements."

Rejoice, Galaxy SIII owners! Jelly Bean Android 4.1 is coming! You’re going to LOVE it! You will have so much more enhancements that will make your mobile life richer for it!

A pink version of the Galaxy SIII is due out anytime for the Korean market! Will the pink version reach the UK? 

SAMSUNG GALAXY NOTE II: PREODER YOURS TODAY
UK mobile shop Phones 4U are taking preorders for the amazing Galaxy Note II – the follow up the Note! Well, you have seen just how under-powered the iPhone 5 is! This could very well be the handset for you! But don’t get too excited… Wait until you get confirmation that the Galaxy Note II is 4G LTE compatible! A number of networks are launching their 4G networks later on in the year! We don’t know how this will affect the price of rentals! It could very well be that the Galaxy Note II will come in two flavours: 3G and 4G LTE! This has me a little concerned because there is bound to be a noticeable difference in price for 4G! We’ll see! It is still early days!

It would have been ideal if there was just one Galaxy Note II compatible with both 3G and 4G LTE! We’ll just have to wait a while… In the meantime here’s some spec:

5.5-inch HD Super AMOLED 1280x720 display
Powerful 1.6 GHz quad-core processor
Android Jelly Bean Operating System.
8MP camera
S-Pen stylus with optimized suite of apps

I definitely want one! If it’s not 4G LTE then I will hold out until the 4G LTE version is released! 

THE TRANSFORMER: ASUS TO LAUNCH PADFONE 2 NEXT MONTH
Asus, the brand behind the Nexus 7 tablet is getting ready to launch PadFone 2! I don’t think that PadFone one took off but in this expanding Android market there’s a possibility that PadFone 2 could do a lot better! I mean, check out the alleged spec on this bad boy:

LTE + HSPA support, 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro quad-core processor, 2GB RAM and 4.7-inch Super IPS+ HD display (1280x720 pixels). Other features include a 13MP autofocus rear camera with LED flash and Zero shutter lag. It is expected to feature 1080p HD video recording. There's a 1.2MP front camera as well.
Further connectivity options listed are Wi-Fi 802.11 b / g / n, Bluetooth 4.0, Micro-USB with MHL alongside GPS and AGPS support. It will come with a 2140mAh battery. The device weighs 135g and sports 9mm thickness.

WOW!!!! Now that’s what I call a powerful device! It takes its place amongst the Galaxy Note II, the forthcoming LG Optimus G and HTC One X5!

Do doubt this is the rise of the Android SuperPhone era! What concerns me about the PadFone 2 is:

1. Will it come with the latest Android version? It should as they have created a Nexus 7 tablet with Android 4.1!

2. What will be the tablet size? 7”? 10”? Personally, I would want a 7” tablet to go with the PadFone 2! We shall see what is announced next month!

Believe in Android!   

Thank you so much for reading!

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Best wishes!

APPLE CANNOT WIN THE LITIGATION WAR: THE PROOF IS IN THE iPHONE 5!

THE TECH PATENT LITIGATION WARS CONTINUE

It really saddens me to see Apple going out of their way to inflict damage on Samsung and other competitors…

…I think that Apple are really feeling the pressure of not being able to actually design and develop original technology! Anyone would think that Apple are claiming for huge technological infringements, but it seems to me that what they are litigating over is interaction gestures i.e. rubberband bounce back and said design copying! Really? C’mon! Let’s have a deeper look into the situation! Are you sitting comfortably? Got some coffee or tea? Ok, good…

INNOVATOR: APPLE vs. SAMSUNG
Again, without any emotional attachments to either Apple or Samsung, let’s have a look at what they have produced…

As technological fans will know and appreciate, Apple certainly caught the world’s attention with the first iPhone in 2007! The iPhone was polished and it looked good. So, why didn’t I get one being a technology fan? I have said it many times that the reason why I did not go for the iPhone was because I could not understand Steve Jobs’ stance to place a ban on Adobe Flash other than to circumvent Adobe having another revenue stream out of selling to iPhone users through Adobe Flash based apps. Many people are unaware that Flash is a diverse multimedia platform. My stance is: Let the customer decide! What did I do? I got myself an HTC Hero as it supported Flash!

Samsung released their Galaxy S in 2010 and when I reviewed it I was thrilled with its performance and Flash compatibility! The websites that I created using Flash content posed no problem whatsoever! Furthermore the Galaxy S has a 4” screen! To me the Galaxy S was superior to the iPhone second generation which looked pretty much the same as the first generation.

What blinded people to the power of the Galaxy S was the release of the first generation iPad in 2010! People thought that Apple had come from the future to the past with some technological goods for the benefit of mankind! I do think that Apple is great at manipulating people through advertising and being less than honest in their keynote press delivery! To be honest with you, I am surprised that Apple has not been sued for disinformation to the public… We may get to this later…

As with any technological movement, Samsung and others went into a race to develop a viable tablet. I did like Samsung’s 7” Tab as it was portable and enabled me to be online. I wasn’t too interested into productivity because I tend to find that the desktop PC enables me to do all that I want to do! Of course, Jobs didn’t see it that way and constantly bashed the notion of 7” tablets saying that Apple would never do a 7” iPad – as you know there are talks of the iPad Mini which is due, if the rumour is correct, in October of this year!

The tech-media headlines were easy – too easy: Is Blah Blah the iPhone Killer? Why the iPad is the Best Tablet in the World!

Cheap headlines that the tech-media should be embarrassed by! Of course, they are not embarrassed! They are enjoying the pay off!

Truthfully, the Galaxy S was and still is the original iPhone killer!

When the Galaxy SII was released in 2011 it really silenced the biased tech-media! Gone were the ‘iPhone Killer’ headlines because the SII just blew the iPhone away with an even bigger and better screen! It has a dual-core processor that really shifts! Certainly in the UK the Galaxy SII has been and continues to be one of the best selling phones to date! It still retains a high value!

What was also important about the Galaxy SII was the design; it was far from the SI! And more importantly, it was far from the iPhone design inspired by Sony! I am still getting a lot of mileage from the SI and SII! These are brilliant handsets! The fourth generation of the iPhone was ok, but the SII was clearly ahead with the nice 4.3” screen! Another thing that was important with the Galaxy S range is that you could update the memory via a microSD slot and the battery is removable. I have a friend with a fourth generation iPhone that runs out of charge very quickly to the point where she has to recharge twice a day! If the battery were removable she could just order a replacement battery! So, I feel that the iPhone is a poor design!

You can now see – if you weren’t able before – that my preference over the iPhone for the Galaxy S range is purely technological! Samsung uses the same charger connection (microUSB)! I have had the SIII delivered to me for review without the charger and I was able to use my own charger which saved the day! Now, that might not seem like much to you, but when you have to shell out extra money for their new ‘lightning’ connector and adapter you’ll feel the charge (pun intended) in your wallet! It’ll shock ya!

Apple’s answer was the fifth generation iPhone; 4S that features Siri. Now this is where we can get into the Apple half-truths! The iPhone 4S was advertised with Siri performing certain functions that has proven to work only in the US!

The iPad 2 came out in 2011 a few months after the 4S and there was much rumour surrounding the iPad 2 that took most people’s minds off the fact that Siri didn’t work as it should have in the UK! There were complaints and consumer watchdog program, Watchdog (BBC) was the first to let the public know that there were problems with the iPhone 4S and that it didn’t work as intended. And the previous iPhone suffered from antenna problems! These are the factors why the SII sold steadily and without generating a great deal of publicity! I think that Samsung’s philosophy is that their handsets should sell themselves and quite right too! Again, the sales people in phone shops tell me that the SII is the biggest seller over the iPhone 4S!

What has extended the power of the SII is Android Ice Cream Sandwich! There’s a lot of power in Android that iOS cannot touch! I find Android so very easy to use! Android works very much like a PC with its menu, home and back buttons! Also it can truly multitask! Press the physical home button on a Galaxy and you can see all the programs that you have open in the background! You can easily close the programs that you are not using!

The Google / Samsung Galaxy Nexus was and still is a great handset thanks to Android 4.1 Jelly Bean! For design and features it knocks iPhone out of the ball park with 4.65” screen is awesome! Last year’s Google Nexus model is better than this year’s iPhone model – easily!

TAKE NOTE
Samsung took a calculated risk with the Galaxy Note! It appears as though someone at Samsung made a note (unintentional) of what was wrong with the 5” Dell Streak and improved upon it! More importantly it gave the 5” form a stylus – S Pen! Now you can tell when Apple is nervous about what the competition is doing because in their keynotes they have to find a way to mock and dismiss it! Jobs’ mocking and dismissal worked with providing the deathblow to Adobe Flash and they can’t make it work against what Samsung are doing… Here’s what Jobs inadvertently said about the stylus – S Pen when talking about interacting with the iPad 2, “We didn’t make a stylus for use with the iPad because you already own the best thing to interact with it… …your finger!” In other words the Galaxy Note was somehow counter-revolutionary – backwards – because the stylus reminds us of the old PDA (personal digital assistant) devices. In other words, Samsung is not an innovator and Apple makes devices you can finger! Great! The Note came out in November 2011!

The Note became a runaway success much against the all hopes that Apple had against it and to the rest of the mobile industry – Android, RIM, Windows, etc. Now Samsung has provided a way forward for other manufacturers to come up with their own 5” phone come tablet = phablet!

I ask you again: Why couldn’t Apple foresee a 5” phone / tablet?

Early this year Samsung released the Galaxy Beam, a 4” Android touch screen device with a built in projector – I have yet to test it! Again, why couldn’t Apple have come up with that?

The SIII was released in May of this year and it was a radical design departure that could have alienated gathering fans! But the Galaxy SIII has become the best selling Galaxy S model and has overtaken the 4S! I think it will continue to sell and better than the iPhone 5 because many iPhone users are outraged at the new socket whereby they have to pay for an adapter so their accessories can remain usable!

It is clear that it is Samsung that is coming up with the innovations and design.

If you have read my review of the iPhone 5 you will know that it is an unmitigated disaster!

MORE TECH-MEDIA BIAS TOWARDS APPLE / iPHONE
Over the coming weeks, months you will read, hear and see so-called reviews that will not tell the public in plain terms that the iPhone 5 is below standard. They make the review so fluffy and so circumspect that you can be forgiven to think that the iPhone 5 is on top of its game. Here’s what to listen out for and true meaning:

“It’s twice as fast.” What they mean by that is that version 5 (which is really 6) is faster than 4S, but it is not as fast as the SIII or other quad-core handsets available. SIII truly shifts!

“Siri is improved…” Well, Siri is still in beta and that Google Now is so much better! They will hardly compare Siri to Google Now because they know that Siri is inferior! Yes, they’ll compare it to S Voice, but S Voice is good for simple commands to interface with the phone and applications. It is not necessarily meant for ascertaining sports results. Google Now and Voice Search are better for such purposes! Google Now and Voice Search is part of Jelly Bean which the SIII will get next month and will extend its usability even more!

“The screen is bigger…” Large screens over 4” is nothing new! Android has been enjoying large screens for around 2 years! Remember that Samsung put out the Galaxy S in 2010 with a 4” screen! It’s taken Apple so long to get to that! iPhone screen is awkward and horrible!

“App developers are working like crazy to develop for the new iPhone 5…” What they mean by this is because the screen is not standard high definition i.e. 1289 x 720 (as found on most high-end Android handsets) and that it is different to previous handsets, app developers have to make all their apps conform to the current resolution: 1136 x 640! Therefore, some of your old apps will have a black border around the edges and it is not a preference. But the way that these so-called reviewers put it you’d think it was a good thing! It is not!

“Because the design is thinner, they’ve had to use the new lightning socket…” If it is not clear, the iPhone user will have to pay for the thinner design due to the new socket! I don’t recall any iPhone user requesting for the design to be thinner! And what “design”? They’ve just made it taller and put the headphone socket at the bottom… Odd!

The one thing that most of the reviewers agree on is that Apple Maps are not yet on par with Google Maps! That will be very obvious to iPhone users who are used to using Google Maps! Of course, in the iPhone 5 keynote, Tim Cook and fellow presenters aren’t telling you that!

“The 4G LTE connection is really fast!” Android handsets in the States have been enjoying 4G LTE data connection for about 2 yrs! When the reviewer sees this on the iPhone it appears to be really fast – because it is! But to Android users that’s par the course! It’s no big deal! But for the iPhone it is!

Nobody, I don’t think, ever points out that you can’t upgrade the memory via a microSD slot on the iPhone!

They make a big deal of Passbook when they know that email provides that only your ticket won’t present itself when you are present in the establishment where the ticket is valid. Passbook makes use of GPS and once you are at, let’s say the airport, and you wish to check in, unlock the iPhone and the ticket is present – all set for you to check in! It’s ok, but no big deal! It is not a life changing innovation! If you want innovation just look to the SIII for the way in which it allows you to do simple things transparently! And look to the forthcoming Galaxy Note II – you want innovation? You have innovation in the Galaxy Note II!

Again, I can only imagine that Apple is paying these reviewers to somehow put the iPhone on top of the heap when it is not the case! I cannot think of one high-end Android phone with worse spec than iPhone 5!

I do apologize for repeating myself, but I just can’t stand that Apple wants to litigate the competition away because they are not able to innovate! If they spent more time on developing the iPhone than on suing manufacturers left, right and centre you would have a better iPhone! I hope Apple loses every litigation trial from here on out! Apple is rotten to the core!

I will do my best to write on other subjects from here on out! I think I have proved my point unequivocally! I rest my case your honour!

Apple cannot win either way! It shows that they can't handle the competition and wants these superior models off the shelves! They tried so hard to make way for the release of iPhone 5 and it didn't work! Suckers!

Don’t believe the hype!  

Thank you so much for reading!

Please check out Synapse Circuit Magazine!

Best wishes!

Let me leave you with some ads...

 

Do you think that all hands are the same? Common sense my ass! 
Do you wanna see how wonderful using a phone can be? 

Do you see any of the people in the video suffering because of the larger screen size? Which do you prefer, some jerk telling you about your own hand or seeing what can be done with an innovative phone that Apple wants banned? You tell me! 

iPHONE 5: THE DEFINITIVE SYNAPSE CIRCUIT REVIEW

iPHONE 5: THE DEFINITIVE SYNAPSE CIRCUIT REVIEW

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As I got my head down to sleep at around 2AM this morning I received a text message from a friend of mine who works at Carphone Warehouse telling me to be at his North London shop for 8AM if I wanted to test the iPhone 5! Whoa! I couldn’t pass up the opportunity – after all it is iPhone Day! 21 September!

I had to be up at 5AM and what is keeping me up right now is CAFFEINE! Incidentally, I always had problems spelling the word ‘caffeine’ and now I don’t even have to think about it!

7:45: I arrive at Carphone Warehouse blurry-eyed and sipping from a large bottle of energy drink that I picked up at my local 24hr supermarket! My friend let me in and explained to me that he has until 9:30 to learn about the new iPhone! Because of Apple’s nondisclosure agreement he was not allowed to unbox the iPhone 5 until 8AM!

MORE OR LESS
When we took the iPhone out of the box my immediate thought was, ‘Is that it?’ Cover it with chocolate ice cream and you’d believe that the iPhone 5 was a techno lolly stick that keeps the ice cream frozen (I had the idea first – I ought to patent it before Apple does)!

Packaging removed and charger plugged in, the moment of truth arrived…

Aftershock first impressions… Have you seen those documentaries on Roswell where a UFO was supposed to have crashed and eye-witnesses talk of this otherworldly metal alloy? That’s how the iPhone 5 feels; it’s unbelievably light and it’s only because I can see it that I know it’s actually in my hand!

RETINA
As I have said before, there is no doubt that the iPhone 5 is a well designed handset – strictly speaking in terms of the way in which it is put together! Then there’s the screen… Yes, the celebrated first for Apple after all these years of Android large screens! Wow! Let’s have a look…

Yep, I was right: the screen is horrible! It doesn’t matter that the screen is the much hyped “retina” display because the screen is really too small – at least for me! I whipped out my Galaxy SII to compare and to my mind the SII is the better design! Why? The SII is mainly glass out front with a slight metal frame and a plastic battery cover. It’s thin! The point I’m making is that the iPhone 5 design is ok, it’s nothing special – despite the lush materials. Really and truly, the screen needed to be wider – it is harder for me to operate with one hand because it’s so small it’ll give me cramp! Speaking of cramped the screen made everything looked cramped! Sure, there’s the new expand a website screen to full screen but it just doesn’t work. I guess I am too spoiled with the larger screen of my SII and certainly after reviewing the SIII and Note the iPhone 5 would be a huge step backward for me!

The screen is crisp though! I will give the odd screen resolution that much! However, that said, the 4” retina screen didn’t make me wish that the SIII or even my SII screen was better than it is!

I still maintain that the SIII and the One X designs are superior to the iPhone! You can criticize the materials used in the case of the SIII but as a design concept it is superb!

iOS 6
Admittedly, I didn’t have too long with the iPhone 5 – I certainly didn’t want to get caught up in the crowd of iPhone fans! But looking at iOS 6 I can’t see that is has anything that Android can’t do either within the operating system itself or with applications such as Tasker! I could see that there is a ‘Do not disturb’ mode that keeps the iPhone quiet and will go to voice mail, but it is still possible to make calls and text. Then there’s the ‘privacy’ mode that stops anyone from having access to your apps! These are items that Android users can have through modified Android through Cyanogenmod and others or through apps!

The notifications aren’t as good as it is on Android. I think Apple wanted to have the notifications exactly like it is on Android but cannot due to the current the Patent Litigation Wars that is currently ongoing!

Siri, is said to be an improvement but I couldn’t really see that clearly! Siri is good for basic commands like the weather, but beyond that I think it is hit and miss as it ever was! It reacts faster! Google Now is much better than Siri!

Apple Maps are not quite up to the task. It would have been better for Apple to have left Google Maps as part of iOS 6 until they had the situation under control. I feel that with their spat with Google they are leaving their adoring fans short; it’s supposed to be a premium phone and it should have premium features. It must feel good to have that relationship with the fans to tell them to be “patient”. Personally, I think it’s wrong! iPhone users want to use their phones straighaway and not wait eons – well, for the sake of their fans I hope it’s not eons! They deserve the very best! Already iPhone 5 users and other reviewers have expressed their dislike of the Apple Maps!

Passbook, I was quite dismissive about it. It’s not that bad and there’s more to it than what I thought i.e. it can bring up a ticket when the phone is unlocked to save you looking for it! But I still maintain that it’s overblown and email will do the job effectively! The amount of times I have redeemed coupons, boarded a coach, etc using my Android email! I know when I am going and where; I just launch my email application in due time! That said, the Passbook is ok – it’s colourful and could well be useful for those who love to go out and travel frequently!

MULTIMEDIA
The 8MP camera has been improved and includes an easy way to take panoramic pictures. Panoramic pictures have been a part of Android 4 Ice Cream Sandwich. The pictures seem good – the SIII pictures are more vibrant to my mind! The full HD video recording was just a tad choppy in playback!

Playing YouTube video was ok, again, the small screen did not do it for me! The sound is quite good – a bit tinny! It’s not the best sound I have heard on a handset!

Oh, who had the idea to put the headphone socket at the bottom of the phone? That must be awkward in your shirt or jacket pocket! The day Samsung puts the headphone socket at the bottom is the day I stop getting their phones! To me that is just stupid!

As I have been saying, the lightning socket and cable are unacceptable for upgrader’s! I don’t particularly care if you can plug it in both ways! That’s not really a feature as far as I am concerned! Here’s a multibillion dollar corporation – with more money than the US Treasury – charging people an extra £25 for an adapter if they want to use the accessories that they paid good money for! If this is your first iPhone it’s not too bad, but I still don’t understand the “design” reasoning behind the decision other than to make the phone thinner! This “thinnest phone in the world” thing has got to stop if people have to end up forking out for new accessories! The day Samsung does that is the day I quit upgrading to their handsets!

CONCLUSION
I just don’t see anything in the iPhone 5 that I can’t get in Android handsets – I can get better! The A6 processor is dual-core (I think - is that what “twice the speed” means?) and the top Android handsets are quad-core! There are many handsets to come too that will feature a quad-core chip!

Even if Apple’s agenda was to create the best ever iPhone then it’s a fail. The screen is too small; it should have been at least 4.3”! It didn’t need to be thinner. You can’t release a premium handset with faulty maps, there’s no reason why the headphone socket should be at the bottom and - for my taste - it is too dainty! As a man, the iPhone 5 come across as a woman’s phone! That said, I came out of Carphone Warehouse and saw one woman with the HTC One X and another with the Samsung Galaxy SIII! Go figure!

I think most Apple / iPhone fans will lap it up!

There’s no way I would pay an upfront cost for a handset with no microSD card slot!

It is said that the battery is better, but I couldn't really test that with the time allotted; it is said to be better but once you start listening to music, watch video, take photos, record video, surf the Net, etc it will deplete like any other handset battery!

Don’t believe the hype!  

Thank you so much for reading!

Please check out Synapse Circuit Magazine!

Best wishes!

ANDROID vs. iOS: IS THE iPHONE REALLY SELLING?

ANDROID vs. iOS

No, no… I am not interested at this stage as to which operating system is better: Android or iOS? Maybe we can get into that another time! In fact, I would like to see what iOS 6 has to offer and make comparisons with Jelly Bean 4.1! Anyway, aren’t you curious as to why the media keeps portraying the iPhone as the most dominant handset compared to that of Android which reportedly hits up to 1.3M per day? Why is that? Let’s have a look…

iPHONE
Is it me or is it that iOS activations for the iPhone is substantially less than Android when performing a WebNet search? At around Christmas 2011 is seems as though iOS activations had a distinct lead over Android. But in the present Android has taken over significantly. However, with Android there are many, many handset manufacturers and that is how it beats iOS. I am very curious to find out what Android handset sells the most. I have tried looking it up on the Net to no avail! But if the sales people at the various UK handset outlets are anything to go by then it would appear that the Samsung Galaxy SII and SIII are the highest selling Android phones followed by HTC One X! Interesting, no?

When I take a look at the statistics for my site and blog the stats show that only 2% of viewers come from the iPhone to Android’s 14% with the majority coming from Windows at 54%! Even the BlackBerry comes in above iPhone with a slim, but distinctive nonetheless, 3%! iPad at 1% with Nintendo Wii making up another 2% of viewers out of my 8,346 audience (which grows day by day – people are starting to take notice of my writing! Yay)!

Hmmm… What should I take from that? It could very well be that iPhone fans perceive me as a hater, which I am not! Maybe that’s why there aren’t many of my audience from the iPhone and iPad! That said, I would like to think that iPhone fans and certainly level headed iPhone users can see that I am being critical of the Apple Hype-Machine and the so-called media that appears to aid the machine!

The Galaxy SIII has sold over 30M at present and overtook the 4S in the States and presumably in the UK. More people seem to be using the SIII each day! Whenever I travel I see many people with the SIII, SII and Note!

After a search on the Interweb, the 4S has sold 35M!

At this rate the SIII continues to sell and it has had a shorter period of time than the 4S on the market.

Now will the iPhone 5 pick up the pace and eventually surpass the SIII? I don’t know… The preorders for version 5 does not seem to be all that as reported! It’s early days, and I hope to visit the Apple store tomorrow and see if I can photograph the adoring fans!

Again, with the short comings of the latest iPhone I really do not understand why the media say it is the one to beat. Surely, they do not mean that on a technical basis? Perhaps they mean that the iPhone is so well loved that its ardent fans buy it up to the point of eclipsing the SIII?

I tried looking at the sales for HTC One X and it is murkier than the Thames River!

SAMSUNG / ANDROID
The Samsung and Android partnership has turned out to be the best celebrity marriage ever! However, I did detect some disdain towards Android during the Unpacked event in Berlin when a representative declared the ATIV 8 and selection of tablets were the “…stars of the show…” I beg to differ! Seriously, the Note 10.1 tablet does look like a challenger to the iPad! I fancy having it! I certainly WANT the Galaxy Note II; having tested the Note I must have Note II!

I wonder how many people feel the same way. Again, I am seeing more and more people with the Note each day both male and female in equal amounts! So, when Tim Cook goes on about fitting comfortably in the hand I think he’s unaware of what’s going on! Honestly, I think people would rather operate a handset with a massive screen with two hands purely because of what a large screen brings i.e. better video and web viewing! Besides the user of such large screen phones only need to operate the phone with two hands when messaging – including email! It’s not like you’re going to be doing anything so special with the other hand. Again, another marketing ploy to keep people paranoid about not being able to handle large screen phones!

The iPhone 5 fever is nearly upon us and the question is: How many iPhone users are thinking of getting the Note II when it is released in October? I am predicting that Galaxy Note II sales will be just as good – if not better than both the SIII and iPhone 5! All I can think about is that new S Pen with its ability to hover and preview content without touch the screen! Then my other thoughts go on the apps that will come with it, i.e. S Note! Then I think about the usability – if the SIII is anything to go by the Note II will be amazing! Plus the Note II will ship with Jelly Bean from the start!

OTHER MANUFACTURERS / ANDROID
As you know there are many more handsets to come from many manufacturers. The LG Optimus G looks tasty! I have seen a “hands on” YouTube video that makes it look a strong contender – especially the 13MP camera and functionality! HTC could be dropping its One X5 anytime now! If the picture of the One X5 is anything to go by then it could be a hit for them that the so badly need! Of course there are the Oppo handsets… There’s still no news of when they will come to market. There’s also Sony and Huawei to come!

Let’s not forget the budget Android handsets that really sell well! Even if you didn’t fancy paying out for the top-end smartphones you can get yesteryear’s model quite inexpensively! Take the Galaxy SII for example, in some retail outlets you can pick up a contract starting at £20.50 (last time I looked). I would imagine that come the end of the year and 2013 the outlay for the SII could be cheaper still! I know that good HTC models will come down greatly in price!

I do believe that there will be a scramble for dominance amongst the manufacturers to claim the budget smartphone throne! I guess what people want from a smartphone is Facebook, Twitter and a few free or cheap calling & messaging with apps such as Skype, WhatsApp, Viber, etc. If you are thinking of budget be aware that these phones do not have much internal memory and that some apps do not like to run from an microSD card.

There you go! I really doubt that the iPhone sells like it does. And as far as the iPad goes, I am seeing a few more people with it on the streets but not in high numbers to suggest that it is common. I do think that if Google, Samsung, Asus, Huawei, Amazon, and Acer invest in a marketing campaign for their 7” tablets we could be seeing more and more people with tablets at the end of the year! I am convinced that parents are buying the Nexus 7 for their children! I get asked a lot by parents as to what tablet should they be investing in and, so far, I think the Nexus 7 is the best budget tablet on the market!

Tim Cook was mocking the Android tablet market or lack thereof, but I don’t know if one could tell if an Android tablet accesses the Net! I do think that Android tablets are selling steadily! Again, the Nexus 7 seems to be doing it for a lot of people who want an inexpensive tablet with a bit of longevity in it. I am definitely looking at a 7” tablet this year!

I don’t see how Apple and its iDevices can compete with all that! If you have any insights don’t be afraid to drop me a comment or two! And remember: I’m not an iPhone hater! I honestly don’t see anything appealing in it for me.

Don’t believe the hype!  

Thank you so much for reading!

Please check out Synapse Circuit Magazine!

Best wishes!

SHOW STOPPERS: THE RAZZLE & THE DAZZLE!

RAZZLE DAZZLE: THE ART OF PRESENTATION


More subliminal messages from…

… THE OBJECT THAT FELL ON NEWTON’S HEAD
Spot the dodgy and cheap headlines that says the iPhone 5 is the handset to beat… Hahahahaha! Anyway, let's talk presentations...

WHO HAS IT AND WHO HAS NOT
What a year it has been so far for the mobile industry! That’s mostly what I have been blogging about! No computers, hardly any software… Mobile devices rule this year! But more than the actual devices it’s been the actual presentation that has been the talk on and offline! In ascending order… Drum roll please…

APPLE iPHONE KEYNOTE, SAN FRANCISCO 12 SEPT
Yes, the techno-trouble makers kick off the Presentation Charts. When Jobs held the reins he was flawed yet likeable somehow. Jobs introduced the iPhone (and other iDevices) as though he was introducing a new born child into the world! I guess for the UK it was something different to see a man who was so self-satisfied and proud of it. Our American cousins are used to being great! It’s a birthright! The Apple iPhone keynote was a juggernaut but when Cook sat in the driving seat the wheels fell off! 4S, ‘S’ standing for Siri, wasn’t quite what the devotees where expecting but babies are easily pleased with the equivalent of a rattle! Ooooh! Meouch!

This year the iPhone 5 keynote was OTT and I suspect this was to hide the abomination that is version 6!

“We sensed our followers longed for an iPhone that was in keeping with modern times (Green Robot) and although 4S was a milestone in that iPhone users could now talk to the handset we knew that 4S users were longing for the iPhone 5. We couldn’t let them down; together with the design team we took a long hard look at how we could deliver an iPhone that 4S users were longing for. We knew that it had to deliver because 4S users were patient and waited a long, long time. We’ve spent a lengthy time on it; the design was crucial… It had to fit in the hand… Your hand is amazing, it’s beautiful and sensuous… … we had to make the iPhone fit into your hand like a human appendage: we made it longer.”

Then came some inaccuracies regarding the “thinnest” mobile phone in the world, which became, “…the thinnest iPhone we’ve ever made. We dared to make the screen bigger (Green Robot) but not too big so that it can fit in your hand… Your hand is a beautiful feat of engineering… Your thumb…” Cue rambling videos…

Add some competition bashing and drop some weird phrases that don’t make sense to anyone – not even Apple fans! Oh, the sh!t that Cook says… “We’re living in a post PC world…” Here’s some non-descript hardware including a new connector that will cost you more! “Who says lightning doesn’t strike in the same place twice? iOS 6 is amazing, we’ve made it better than anything we’ve done before (Green Robot)… Look at our maps that aren’t as good as Google’s but it is ours! And instead of showing emailed tickets / boarding passes and deleting the email when you’re done we now have Passbook! When you’re done with your ticket just press a button and shred it! See?”

Moving on to iTunes, iPod and Nano… Ok… All that was missing was a priest to read the last rites… Instead we got a tired Phoey Fighters to finish it off! If Kurt could have seen his former band mate… Nothing like a bit of corporate Rock ‘n’ Roll! I am going to start a band called ‘The Wall Street Gang’ I am going to sell you singles / albums with my shares!

MOTOROLA RAZR i, LONDON 18 SEPT
I haven’t seen many Motorola media product launches, the RAZR i is the second one that I have seen. But I have to say that we Brits don’t have it – we lack the flair! Ok, there were some American representatives yet the presentation was sooooooo stiff and awkward. That said, it is better than listening to a load of claptrap, documentary film about the lengthy thought process behind the product and bitching on the competition. Facts! But did it have to be sooooooo boring?

Did Motorola feel a little silly launching the same product with a different chip – Intel inside! Here’s some intel: Don’t sell the same handset as different on another date for the sake of another chip! What would have been wrong with announcing the Intel version at the same New York event? Or at least do another design! Also, where were the details on 4G LTE? Odd!

A Google related company needs to show a bit of flair – nothing OTT but it can’t be a couple of guys and a PowerPoint presentation! Come up with some entertaining buzzwords! Ok, one buzzword will do! Not everyone likes Techno music!

MOTOROLA DROID RAZR FAMILY, NEW YORK 5 SEPT
Unlike the dour British press event Motorola New York was a whole lot better! Why? Ok, I will tell you why!

It was a good move for Motorola to invite an unknown band (I still don’t know who they are) to warm up the audience. Well done! Musically, the band was ok – quite middle of the road but on the better side of it! I actually enjoyed the music as I waited to see what Motorola was going to bring upon the Earth!

I was delighted to see Eric Schmidt because he’s very articulate and when he opens his mouth you ought to be listening! One of the things he mentioned was that Android was slow to enter the tablet market; it made me wonder what would have happened if they had gotten out a tablet before Apple.

I got a reminder of Motorola’s history, how they paved the way for wireless phone mobility! I took it for granted as to what Google have bought into!

The presenters, Dennis Woodside (CEO Motorola mobility) and Rick Osterloh used pictures / video to great effect without going overboard! They gave a great amount of information on the handsets that I was lacking in the London presentation! I became enthusiastic about the Droid RAZR family, RAZR M, RAZR HD and RAZR HD Maxx!

Overall I thought the presentation was expertly timed, not too long to wait and the presentation itself was not overbearing (unlike one I could mention). Again, I appreciated that there was no bitching towards other competitors – well, just a little fun poked at Samsung’s display of magic! There’s a nice ‘Feel Good’ factor about Motorola USA!

SAMSUNG GALAXY SIII, LONDON 3 MAY
This was the one event that I had been waiting for ever since I got to grips with my wonderful SII! Samsung got everything right! They got former Gadget Show host, Suzi Perry, to MC and she was flawless as is beautiful! Perry knows how to reach an audience and it was nice to hear her enthusing over a product that wasn’t the iPhone! Wink, wink! Ha ha! Needless to say that she did a smashing job!

What I love about Samsung presentations is that they don’t use modern music such as Dance / Techno, etc. No! Samsung uses Classical music and they play that famous theme of theirs that I have come to like very much! When JK Shin takes the stage it is almost as though royalty is bestowed upon the event! Controlled enthusiasm – very statesman-like!

Another thing that I love about Samsung presentations is the supporting representatives of this vast electronic empire! By the time they have finished with their section you – well, me – I wanted the SIII in my hands then and there! The other presenters do a magnificent job of presenting how the SIII works – they show it in all its practical glory! There were no hitches! They are super-smooth! What you see on the video is what you see live!

They are one of the best presenters on the planet!

SAMSUNG GALAXY NOTE 10.1 TABLET, NOTE II PHABLET, ATIV 8 PHONE & TABLETS,
BERLIN 30 AUGUST
Whether you like their products or not you have to take your hat off to Samsung for knowing how to put on a show! Their product press launches of late have been nothing short perfection! To my mind, my bias is no secret; their products warrant such perfectly measured presentations! They understand the emotions that we invest with our tech! How we love it when it innovative and we love it even more when it works to enhance our lives! And, yes, we curse it when it glitches occasionally! Ha ha! But Samsung knows how to share their vision of the way in which their products can be used to enhance your life! They also manage to get decent celebrities / artists, etc to open up the ceremony and to present!

Acclaimed German director, Win Wenders, opened up the ceremony by talking about filmmaking, art and accessibility and that somehow the Galaxy Note 10.1 tablet will give you some access to the heady world of creativity in the audio / visual arts as a creator not just a consumer!  I was convinced! I still am! Maybe I will be completely sold once I have reviewed the Note 10.1 tablet! We’ll see! I enjoyed the short film that he introduced – made with the aid of the Galaxy Note 10.1! Wow! Inspirational stuff!

The theme Samsung chose was magic and it took me a while to get it… Not to say that I didn’t enjoy that aspect of the presentation, I was just awestruck by the event in general! Usually, Samsung just do not present a phone or tablet and that’s it! Uh-uh! You ought to know by now that they pack in so much usability in it / them! In my opinion, well, it’s my blog, Samsung tries to make products that you can really use in ways that you never thought of or had thought about it and hoped that it or they would manifest. I think they have done that! Sometimes the competition can beat them on technical details: a richer display, premium materials to realize the handset – cut with diamonds, expensive earphones, etc. Samsung makes up for these things with functionality to the extreme!

I loved the Galaxy Note and I just couldn’t wait to see what was going to be its successor! The video of the magician magically producing the Note II was fantastic – genius! Then came the practical demonstration from the other presenters from Samsung and it clicked that the “magic” is the all new and improved S Pen! It’s a magic wand! Together with the Note II it is magic! Ha ha! Yeah, I know… …it’s cheesy but very true!

Cheesy or not Samsung put together unforgettable presentations!

GOOGLE I / O 2012, SAN FRANCISCO 27 JUNE
Once again my bias comes out… I hope you will understand why when you read this…

What I absolutely LOVE about Google is that they see technology as an adventure! Technology is something to explore! A representative of Google admitted that they should have been more aggressive with patenting their developments. Whereas a certain corporation would take someone else’s idea, develop it and then patent the idea as theirs. Ruthless and money making! It’s harsh, but that is business for you!

As an Android fan I couldn’t wait to find out what Google was going to reveal! I knew that there was a tablet coming – that was the worst kept secret! And all that talk about Android 5 got me curious!

The presentation had that buzz about it that Apple will probably never have (unless they stop litigating the competition)! The speakers were very jovial and optimistic without all that slimy smugness from you know what and who! Wink, wink! Ha ha! I’m terrible! Anyway, when the Nexus 7 was revealed I was a little disappointed… …no, I wasn’t expecting the iPad killer! What I am looking for this year is a means of surfing the web on the go, reading some digital magazines (including my own to check for mistakes hee hee hee), watch video, etc. Entertainment! Even I can do with a break! Ha ha! But the Nexus 7 is just the ticket and they way it was introduced was nice! The device makes sense to me! Then there was the squiddy-thing, Nexus Q! Ok, so it’s not quite ready yet! But it will be one day soon! It looks like fun!

I was also thrilled by Android 4.1! You’d think I’d be disappointed that it wasn’t the full blown version 5, but I wasn’t! If this is 4.1 then what will 5 be like?

Then later on came the show stopper: Google Glass! That helicopter jump live was just something out of a Sci-Fi movie! The only thing missing was one of the Google guys landing on the podium wearing a red ‘n’ gold metal suit!

The event left me wanting more and feeling optimistic about the future of Android and its devices! I look forward to the next Google I / O event in 2013! Before that I am looking forward to Android’s 2^nd birthday celebration!
Note: This is a blog in progress! I intend to add to it in due course…

What do you think? Have I got it in the right order?   

Thank you so much for reading!

Please check out Synapse Circuit Magazine!

Best wishes!

MORE NEW RELEASES 2012: MORE WINDOWS 8 HANDSETS & ACER 7" TABLET!

THE WAVE OF NEW HANDSET & TABLET RELEASES PART 2012

My goodness… What’s happening???? Too much! But I would rather too much than too little! Christmas should be interesting… What will I treat myself to this year? Oh, it’s gonna be my birthday in December too! I almost forgot…

Yes, Readers! There are more handsets and tablets coming to the market…

HTC
Yes, HTC have launched a couple of Windows 8 handsets too! 8X and 8S! Here’s some info:

Brilliant Display
The Windows Phone 8X by HTC features a beautiful, 4.3" HD-resolution super LCD 2 screen protected from everyday bumps and scrapes by lightweight Gorilla® Glass 2, while optical lamination reduces reflections and glare, ensuring you see every detail. The Windows Phone 8S by HTC boasts a bright super LCD 4" screen with Gorilla® Glass, allowing users to see the Windows Phone Live Tiles, and every message and photo, with crystal clarity and sparkling color.

Entertainment
With the Windows Phone 8X and 8S by HTC people can carry their favorite music, movies and photos with them wherever they go. With the Windows Phone Store and Xbox Live, it is easier than ever to enjoy the latest video, music and games on the move.

Availability
The Windows Phone 8X and 8S by HTC will be available beginning in November. Available through more than 150 carriers in 50+ countries, the Windows Phone 8X or 8S by HTC will be available from the world's top carriers including: United States: AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon Wireless. Europe: Orange, O2 Telefonica, MTS, Three UK, T-Mobile, and Vodafone Asia-Pacific: Chunghwa Telecom, Optus, Singapore Telecommunications Ltd (Singtel), Smartone, Telstra and Vodafone Australia.

In the US, the Windows Phone 8X by HTC will be available for a suggested retail price of $199.99 at AT&T and T-Mobile.

It’s going to be a battle of the mighty with their Windows 8 handsets: Samsung and Nokia (trying to make a comeback). Who wants a Windows 8 phone? Do you think that Windows 8 stands a chance with the two giants being Android and iPhone? Maybe, just maybe because the iPhone 5 is a disappointment to iPhone fans and tech-geeks that Microsoft could make some gains! We’ll see… I do like the look of Windows 8 for mobiles! But I ask myself the following:

What’s the state of apps for Windows 8?
What can a Windows 8 phone do for me?

Hopefully I will get to find out… Review coming as soon as I am able to get my hands on ‘em!

ACER: NEW TABLET
This year I am looking to land myself an Android tablet! I have been thinking of the Nexus 7, but I know that around this time of year just about every manufacturer of tech will come out with some kind of tablet! As much as I like the Nexus 7 I felt that it was missing an SD card slot and HDMI!

Enter the Iconia Tab A110! It’s a 7” tablet that looks as portable as the Nexus 7 – it’s a marvelous tablet! The features look similar… NVIDIA® Tegra® 3 quad-core processor clocking at 1.2GHz, 8GB internal storage – expandable up to 32GB via a microSD slot and 1GB of RAM! A110 also features a 7” LCD display at 1024 x 600 pixels, running the latest Android flavour -  4.1 Jelly Bean - complete with facial recognition-based security. Hmmm, the resolution isn’t quite HD!
But I do like that it has an HDMI port! Iconia Tab A110 is now available for pre-order ahead of a projected 1 October release, listed at £179.98 on Ebuyer.com.

The price is not bad at all! The Iconia Tab A110 places itself amongst the Kindle Fire HD, Nexus 7 and the many cheap Android based tablets out there – usually from China!

Try not to buy your presents in advance… You’ll do well to wait a little! Again, Google could be releasing another version of the Nexus 7 with more features! Apple are said to be gearing up to release the iPad Mini! Who knows what will be the state of the tablets available this year? I am keeping my eyes and ears open!

Christmas is coming…

Thank you so much for reading!

Please check out Synapse Circuit Magazine!

Best wishes!