The Phone Groupie

On the Origin of Smartphones by Means of Natural Selection

2012-11-02T03:42:00.003-07:00

Consequently, there is a frequently recurring struggle for existence, it follows that any being, if it vary however slightly in any manner profitable to itself, under the complex and sometimes varying conditions of life, will have a better chance of surviving, and thus be naturally selected – Charles Darwin

When the original iPhone debuted in 2007 it changed everything. I think it’s safe to say that its introduction was the first truly revolutionary smartphone device. However, despite how every manufacturer and their dog now likes the throw the R word around (Apple themselves more guilty than most), it seems the original iPhone was also the last of its kind.

By the time the iPhone 4 came around, Apple had a firm grip on not only the fiscal market but also the imagination and adoration of countless tech enthusiasts and status seeking hipsters. It was delivering a product that each time came with a promise of striking design and unparalleled functionality. It was delivering something that worked and worked well and for a time it was exciting. The company isolated itself from the competition; subconsciously reassuring consumers that its products were a treat for the elite and that they themselves stood separate from those other manufacturers who scrabbled and clawed in the dirt for scraps of the market that Apple would no doubt in time convert.

This was their position and it seemed to be working wondrously. However it seems their hubris led the Cupertino conglomerate to become almost stagnant in their quest for perfecting the human/computer interface and even after the reveal of the iPhone 4’s incredible design and screen technology, they could surely hear the footsteps of strange little green robots all about them.

These little green robots, these “Androids” were nothing more than a nuisance, surely. How could they hope to compete with the mighty Apple in the arena that they had renovated to such a degree they would claim to have built it from scratch? Impossible? Improbable?

This survival of the fittest, which I have here sought to express in mechanical terms, is that which Mr. Darwin has called 'natural selection', or the preservation of favoured races in the struggle for life. – Herbert Spencer

But the little green robots were growing, and they were learning and they were doing this at an alarming rate. Soon enough Apple would find themselves surrounded by their enemies and standing on the other side of a line they themselves had drawn. The Androids were quick to understand and adapt, to learn from their mistakes (and there were many.) They were able to do this so quickly and so forcefully because within their overpopulated fraternity there was something that Apple had always lacked, there was competition.

This healthy competition between manufactures led to opportunities to expand and explore. Maybe phones could have bigger screens? Maybe they could have faster processors? Maybe game pads, styluses, widgets and more? There was nothing to stay their imagination for they had to do something different, something drastic to simply survive. Still however, even with their enemies at the gate, Apple were not so easily frightened. But they were roused.

In their minds at least they still confidently believed that they were the best and not even a robot with a sweet tooth could alter that paradigm. Apple became angry, petulant almost and thought that if they couldn’t punish the Android’s seemingly mechanical approach to imagination, they would punish their perceived inspiration. How dare the little green men enter the arena and attempt to compete with the mighty Apple. There was a line and it wasn’t to be crossed so easily. In an attempt to keep the segregation alive, Apple took the Androids before a judge and cried ‘plagiarism.’ It’s a move that although not entirely unfounded has corrupted the market to this day with the consumer becoming collateral damage that is all too easily accepted. However fight as they might, it was too late. The Android movement was no longer mere rebel skirmishes. It had become an all-out civil war.

Google introduced two incredible weapons in quick succession; Ice Cream Sandwich and later, Jellybean. Their OS had evolved. The Androids had become self-aware and only now is the iPhone beginning to look in the mirror feel aged; only now in the wake of its unrelenting opponent can it see that since its 2007 revolution, very little has changed.

The iPhone has always set its own bar. It hasn’t ever been concerned with anything outside of its own aspirations. Google’s Android however seems to have no bar and is content with devouring brothers and enemies alike in order to keep reaching further. One was raised caged in a zoo, pampered and aided with little need for panic. The other was raised in a jungle, hungry and afraid with its champions being naturally selected.

Only the strong survive and it seems that for the very first time, the balance of power is shifting.

More thoughts on Google's new Nexus line up

2012-10-30T02:01:00.000-07:00

Morning all.

It's Monday and I'm tired. I'm so tired in fact that I'm thinking of quitting my job just so I don't have to go in today. I'll likely regret it a few hours later but it's a risk I'm willing to take. Meh.

Anyway, on to more interesting fare. Despite Sandy's best efforts Google still managed to showcase it's latest Nexus line up yesterday and I'm sure if you look anywhere on the net you'll find heaps of information concerning the newly revealed Nexus 4 and Nexus 10. Naturally, being a phone groupie and all, I approached near completion (eww) upon seeing video footage of the devices, especially the Nexus 10 tablet, which at $100 cheaper than the iPad 4 in the US (Likely to be somewhat similarly competitively priced here in the UK) will 100% be my tablet of choice going forward.

I was also all fired up to purchase the Nexus 4 as well but since yesterday I've had a little time to let my excitement temper itself. This is a classic example of a device I want but don't need. Let me just state now that this has nothing to do with the phones lack of and LTE radio. While this may be a major blow for some people I live in the UK where LTE has literally just rolled out and doesn't look set to see widespread availability any time soon (For more on why the Nexus 4 lacks an LTE radio you guys should read an article called Slow Lane by The Verge's Dieter Bohn and Nilay Patel which offers incredible insight into the situation.)

The Nexus 4 is undoubtedly a beauteous, marvel of a phone but I currently rock a GSM Galaxy Nexus and let me tell you, she isn't don't with me yet. My nexus is indeed rooted, running only a stock ROM. It is however boasting the revered Franco Kernal that coupled with Jelly Bean's Project Butter means that the thing absolutely flies. Also while I know the screen is no longer head of the pack it's far from as antiquated as many tech enthusiasts would have you believe.

What I'm trying to say is while I'm certain that the Nexus 4 is an improvement over my current daily driver in every way conceivable, for somebody like me who doesn't exactly have cash to burn it's an update I can happily afford to miss. Especially considering that with my current Nexus I'll still be able to enjoy all the goodies Android 4.2 has to offer when it arrives. Now if you don't currently have a Nexus phone and you're due for an upgrade then I'd advise you consider the Nexus 4. There are a plethora of great devices currently available and on the horizon so the choice is yours but this would be my recommendation to you. What Google is doing at the moment is just more exciting than it's rivals and something you would not regret being a part of. I don't want to devalue the strides Microsoft are currently making but I think they need to find they're feet first in today's mobile space before we see something truly special emerge from Windows Phone 8 or Windows RT.

Anyway that's enough for today. I'm off to quit my job. Until next time.

The Nexus 4 and the Nexus 10. I hate memes but....

2012-10-29T14:36:00.003-07:00

Okay so if you're as obsessed with mobile technologies as I am you've likely already seen the incredible video documentaries posted by The Verge earlier today in relation to evolution of Google Now's voice search efforts and of course the highly anticipated new nexus devices, the Nexus 4 and the Nexus 10.

Now I have to admit I was a little hesitant when I first learned that LG would indeed be the company behind the next Nexus phone considering that I've been burned by those b*sterds in the past however when I sat and thought about it for a second it dawned on me that the idea of having LG's admittedly beefy hardware specs and Google's stock Android experience could prove to be a match made in geek heaven (That's a real place.)

The actual device itself looks incredibly polished and well manufactured yet still retains the classic Nexus monolithic design. It's sports a 4.7 IPS+ Display at 1280x768, 1.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro processor, Gorilla Glass 2 (front and back), 8MP camera, wireless charging and Android 4.2. I won't lie to you. I want one.

The highlight of these videos however (at least for me) was the reveal of the Nexus 10 tablet developed by Google in conjunction with hardware partners Samsung. This thing looks absolutely gorgeous and is the Android tablet I've been waiting for. The screen resolution is an awe-inspiring 2560x1600....

...Yup. You read correctly.

And underneath the hood is the lightning fast Samsung Exynos 5 5250 chip.

#Drool

If I haven't made it clear already. I'm excited. Very. Very. Very excited. It's great to see just how passionate Matias Duarte and the rest of the Google crew are about these new innovations and they manage to convey their elation without plonking themselves in front of a white background and pontificating endlessly about the minor steps forward they've taken in order to try and sell you what is essentially the same product...*cough*...Apple...*cough* *cough*.

Anyway. Enough of my rambling. Check out the links below for the full interviews.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66-4uMQqerA&feature=g-user-u

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXtudZl5mzM&feature=g-user-u

Windows Phone Gr8!!

2012-09-06T02:32:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I subjected my patience and calm to the internet equivalent of Chinese water torture by sitting through an interminable live stream of Nokia’s highly anticipated Windows Phone 8 line up debut. Was it worth all the buffering, page refreshing and stop-starting?

In a word.

F*CK YEAH!

Okay, two words.

So there I was, at my desk at work, past the point of caring whether or not my supervisor could see my screen or not and strapping myself in for what turned out to be an even more exciting product reveal than I expected. Stephen Elop and crew really showed their ambition with this one and it does seem as if the Nokia/Microsoft partnership may just bear some sophisticated and highly profitable fruit.

Nokia debuted both the Lumia 820 and the Lumia 920 as expected, and my, what pretty devices, the 920 in particular. Gotta say. Loving the yellow guys. Luh-ving the yellow!

The Lumia 920 sports a 4.5 inch HD+ curved glass display with a resolution of 768 x 1280 (They’re calling it PureMotion HD+…because they can I guess), a 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 dual core processor, a 2000 mAh battery, an 8 megapixel Pureview shooter, wireless charging and without a doubt most importantly of all, GLOVE COMPATIBILITY BITCHES!!

Dude this is huge for me! A major pet peeve of mine in regards to touchscreens in general was the need to remove your pinky from the snugness of a glove as blistering winds howled down from the mountain-tops and licked your flesh with the promise of frostbite just so you could cut the goddamn rope! Okay so there may not be any mountains in London but you get where I’m coming from. It’s a wonderful innovation and one that I assumed would have simply been overlooked. I guess that’s why they make the tech and I write the blog.

All in all it was a great day for Nokia, Microsoft and Windows Phone 8. My only real criticism with the event was the complete lack of an ETA and pricing for the devices. It kind of makes the entire reveal a little redundant as it serves to illustrate a lack of intent from a company supposedly committed to taking a final stab at the mobile market and developing a global fan base of loyal consumers.

Nevertheless, Nokia have revealed two great flagship devices that could see them catapult to the top of an ever more competitive market. Will the timing of the announcement prove controversial considering those other guys are set to strut their stuff next week. I guess we’ll have to wait and see.

Sayōnara

Long awaited In- Depth Samsung Galaxy Note 2 review!!!

2012-09-05T06:02:00.001-07:00

It’s a slightly taller, slightly wider Galaxy S3. It has a pen thingy.

Time of the month. iPhone 5 and Nokia's Windows Phone 8

2012-09-05T02:55:00.001-07:00

It’s going to be a busy month. Apple look set to launch the new iPhone and although I personally am not a huge fan of the company as a whole I’m hoping they can at least pull something entirely unforeseen out of the bag, for theatricality’s sake at least.

I mean what I’ve seen thus far is nothing short of underwhelming. iOS 6…I mean…really?....that’s it? And as for that mock up design demonstrated in a recent video on tech nirvana The Verge, well, the less said about that particular disappointment the better. Don’t get me wrong I wasn’t expecting any radical changes design-wise but I can’t help but feel a little deflated. Let’s hope those guys got their intel wrong on that one.

But hey, do not mistake me for a dead-eyed cynic. I’d love nothing more than for Apple to prove me wrong here. Innovation is always great for the field (as is competition by the way Apple….just so you know…) so here’s to my naivety showing and here’s to Apple shocking the world with a time-travelling super-phone that cooks omelettes and cure’s cancer. But come on people, I can’t be the only person out there that has the sneaking suspicion that these guys have run out of ideas. Google have refined the user experience wonderfully with their Jelly Bean update making the system far more enjoyable to use than iOS and the likes of Samsung continue to up the stakes in the field of sheer power and hardware (if not build quality.)

Apple will really have to pull something out of the bag on the 12^thof September. Something with more stomach than Facetime, Siri or a simply a prettier screen. Something, dare I say it, revolutionary. Whether they can or not…..well…we’ll have to wait and see.

Also I’d be amiss if I didn’t mention the highly anticipated iPad mini right!?........*silence*……..Now that that’s done we can move on.

On the other end of the spectrum Nokia look set to come out guns’a’blazin’ with the Lumia 820 and the Lumia 920, the first in their range of Windows 8 devices. I’ve always wanted to love windows phone and Nokia have a special place in my heart seeing as a Nokia 3210 was the first mobile I ever owned and one of the best! I played around with the Lumia 900 and couldn’t help but think that with a little refinement and little time Microsoft would have something truly special in their arsenal. The OS is an absolute joy to use and something incredibly refreshing in today’s market however I couldn’t get on board with the screen resolution and the dire/expensive market place. The design of the Lumia 900 itself though is phenomenal and judging from leaked pictures (yes, okay, again from The Verge) it’s great to see that Nokia have applied that wondrous unibody to its new line up and from what we can see it looks thinner and even sexier than before!

Also said to support high resolution screens, multiple core processors and wireless charging these phones are set to be great flagships for Windows phone 8 if no doubt underappreciated by the mass market in general. Apple’s new iPhone is dropping and It’s hard to compete with a company that has that kind of influence on the general public but hey, I know who I’m rooting for!.....well….until the next Nexus phone :)

Peace and love!

It’s the most wonderful tiiiiime of the year!.....sort of

2012-07-03T03:10:00.001-07:00

It's been years since I've had that 'Christmas Eve' feeling. You know that build up of anticipation so mammoth that you almost feel constipated with joy, a wondrous and…disturbing sensation. You know when you’re so eager to rip the wrapping off of your presents like some kind of rabid, angry badger that you inadvertently take your first foray into field of Stasis research by attempting to fall asleep at 3pm so that you might wake up at 9 the next morning and successfully have cheated both time and space. Those were the days.

As I said it’s been a while since I experienced that feeling, however after watching a video by MKBHD (check out this dude’s Youtube Channel. Seriously. He is on point) showing off the latest features of Android 4.1 Jellybean, that familiar sensation of orgasmic relief/lead pipe to the sternum returned and nestled itself firmly in the pit of my gut.

I sat, wide-eyed at my computer, a drooling idiot so fascinated by what he was seeing that all other sensory functions simply ceased. It was like the first time I saw the Matrix or that video with the Chimpanzee riding on a segway.

Project Butter; a concept, surely inconceivable on an Android device! But wait. No. There it is. Fluidity. Smoothness. Grace.

Google Search; a voice activated search engine that whilst being less conversational, is faster, more intuitive and more natural in it’s robotic vocal tones than Siri and unceremoniously dumps all over S Voice.

Google Now; a set of cards riddled with independently gathered information about YOU that is so eerily perceptive it would have George Orwell spinning in his urn!

Also there’s more. Little things. Flashes of brilliances and fine tuning. Needless to say I needed Android 4.1 Jellybean and I needed it yesterday! Without a moments hesitation I broke the vow that I swore never to unlock the bootloader and root my Galaxy Nexus and went about flashing the leaked Jellybean ROM to my device and suddenly, it all made sense. It all became clear.

I finally understood why in 1965, a little known rock outfit called the Rolling Stones (you’ve probably never heard of them) were unable to ‘get no satisfaction.’ Because back then, there was no Android 4.1 Jellybean!

In my opinion this update, although seemingly incremental, is the most important in the history of the Google OS. Android now matches iOS for both fluidity and functionality and pretty much surpasses it in all other areas save perhaps for ease of use and the app store, and in regards to the latter, it’s gaining, and quickly.

4.1 Jellybean is a joy to use and it has granted new life to my Nexus whilst at the same time reinforcing the fact that the Nexus line is the most future proof of all Android devices. Instant updates as they are released by Google are something that, for me at least, beats out the likes of quad core processors and beats audio.

The Samsung Galaxy Nexus coupled with Android 4.1 Jellybean easily makes for the best device I’ve ever used and one that I plan to enjoy until I get an almightly hankering for a slice of Key Lime Pie!

Jellybean will be officially be rolling out for the Galaxy Nexus, Nexus S and Motorola Xoom (Uhm..okay) in mid July. You can also grab the brand new Nexus 7 tablet now and experience the awesome sexytime of it all for yourself.

Until next time. Merry Christmas!

Return of the Groupie! and the Importance of smartphone philosophy

2012-05-30T05:32:00.000-07:00

I’m back! And what a wonderful world of smartphone joy it is that I’ve returned to! In my absence we’ve seen an HTC device become (in this humble blogger’s opinion) the best Android, nay, the best smartphone on the market today with only the mighty Galaxy Nexus (a very personal favourite and my current daily driver) able to match it’s greatness. I can already hear the fanboy expletives being screamed at computer screens across the realm of Geekdom however I stand by the statement and you’ll see why later.

Since I’ve been gone we’ve also finally seen the reveal of the much anticipated Samsung Galaxy SIII, a smartphone which I must admit even had me a little wet around the gooch in anticipation….I’m sorry. However the unveiling of Korean manufacturer’s flagship has left more than a few phone groupies (myself included) a little underwhelmed.

Sure it does everything it should do on paper and sure, it does it all really, really well but the antiquated design, Siri imitation and substandard build quality just fail to show the innovation and ambition that can put a device that one precious step ahead of it’s peers, something it seems HTC have taken heed of with it’s One series of smartphones. Sense 4.0 not withstanding, the One X is one of the most beautifully crafted and considered handsets I’ve ever had the pleasure of tinkering with. Yes I still feel Sense, even its Ice Cream Sandwich incarnation is annoying and convoluted however the device illustrates something that the Galaxy SIII failed to do, and that something is design philosophy.

Now this is something Samsung clearly knows how to pull of as they managed it splendidly with the Galaxy Nexus. As we all know a nexus device represents an Android clean slate, a device free from manufacturer meddling and running Google’s latest OS as envisioned and that’s exactly what the Galaxy Nexus was through and through. Even it’s beautifully monolithic design (a feat which in my eyes surpasses even the iPhone 4’s) with its lack of conventional buttons and its smooth, sleek chassis spoke volumes about the phone’s design philosophy. This is why I place the Galaxy Nexus above the SIII and on par with the One X.

In this day and age, simply making sure your device is outfitted with the best specs isn’t what matters *cough* LG! *cough cough.* A design philosophy, consistent within itself, is needed to strike a rapport between manufacturer and consumer. That rapport is invaluable. Love them or hate them it is something Apple mastered years ago and is something other manufactures are finally taking on board as seen in devices such as the Nokia Lumia 900 and the HTC One series.

It’s just a shame that Samsung, after showing such promise with the Galaxy Nexus (questionable build quality not withstanding) then decided to throw the baby out with the bathwater when they needed it most.

One small step for Apple. One not-so giant leap for tablet technology

2012-03-08T02:36:00.000-08:00

Now I hate to say I told you so but…well, you get it!

San Francisco yesterday was host to the next phase in the evolution of Apple's tablet technology and with the announcement of the ludicrously titled New iPad the guys and gals down at Cupertino officially put yet another stamp on the market whilst of course simultaneously attempting to belittle and undermine the progress of their competitors.

Now at first glance you may look at the new iPad and think to yourself that not much has changed. But take another look and…well…you'll probably still think the same thing. The chassis is similar enough to it's predecessor but let's face it, there was never going to be a radical redesign in that department. Where the true change lies (at least according to Apple) is inside the beast.

The new iPad introduces Apple's A5X dual-core chip which is said to have a greater knack for graphical output with Apple stating that it's on par with quad-core chips. I'm expecting the new iPad to fall in line with its predecessors and sport the same Imagination Technologies Power VR SGX-based chip.

Now here's where it gets interesting! Apple believe their new A5X chip to be, and I quote "twice as fast" as NVIDIA’s coveted Tergra 3 chip and say it will boast for times the graphics performance. Now if you know anything about this stuff you will know that the Tegra 3 chip GPU with it's 12GeForce graphic cores is an absolute monster when it comes to performance which leads me to believe that Apple are starting to believe their own hyperbolic marketing bullshit. I doubt it's even possible that their dual-core chip exceeds NVIDIA’s own at all let alone by such an epic margin. Hey, if I'm wrong and they have indeed invented the superchip then fair dues but it's crap like this that really winds me up about Apple in general.

I'll admit that a significant leap forward has been made in regards to the New iPad’s screen technology. Apple have moved away from the previous iPad’s 1024 x 768 LED-backlit display and upgraded to a 2058 x 1536 resolution display that incorporates 264 pixels per inch. This is pretty awesome regardless of how you look at it and it's something I can't wait to lay my peepers on. I think Tim Cook said something about it having like a million more pixels than the HDTV in your home but I'll chalk this up to the usual Apple hyperbole/bullshit.

The new iPad does also have 4G LTE connectivity for you lucky guys out in the states which apparently isn't too much a drain on the devices battery. It also sports a 5MP camera with something called iSight (sigh) and 1080p recording with video stabilization. It sports the same height and width as it's predecessor but comes in a tad thicker at 9.4mm as opposed to the iPad 2's 8.8mm.

So that's it really. I'm guessing they stayed away from calling this thing the iPad 3 because it really isn't that much of a leap forward over the iPad 2. It's conventional fare and is exactly what everybody who is familiar with this industry expected. Better screen. Faster processor. Siri (Which apparently isn't as vocal as it's iPhone cousin.) Better Camera and whatever else.

In this blogger’s opinion, there's nothing to suggest that the average consumer need purchase this above the more than adequate iPad 2. This is a device for tech junkies and elitist douchebags. Unfortunately, more so for the latter.

I just can't do it Captain; I don't have the power!

2012-03-07T05:37:00.000-08:00

Personally, I've always been astonished at how battery life on a mobile device has never seemed to be a priority with manufacturers. What's the use in giving us all this super fast processing power, hi-def screens, system intensive apps and the like if we're only able to squeeze roughly 8 hours of use from the device and in many cases much, much less!?

In my opinion battery life should be at the forefront of manufacturer's concerns, ahead of how many cores the thing has, the size of the screens and yes, even the size zero thinness we've all come to know and expect from our smartphones. That's why it was great to see Motorola release a dedicated battery powerhouse device in the Razr Maxx. 3000+ mAh batteries should be the standard. Despite a great performance in Europe even the Galaxy Note's hefty 2000+ mAh battery suffered when the device was introduced to the US and adopted the awesome but power-hungry LTE technology.

It should be simple enough really. Nokia have made a step in the right direction it seems by announcing the 1600.2487.8107.12070 ROM update which is said to triple to battery life of it's flagship Lumia 800 series of phones. Now while I think this may be a slight overestimation of the ability of this update (although I'll be happy to be proved wrong) it will no doubt come as great news to those who own what otherwise is an absolutely fantastic device. However considering that this is a single core phone with a relatively small screen it begs the question, 'Isn't this a problem that could have quite easily been avoided?' I mean, I know that the Lumia 800's unique hardware approach may have played a hand in the undermining it battery potential but surely not so significantly.

Anyway. That's enough of that. As you all know we're expecting iPad 3 news very soon so check back for my entirely meaningless opinions on Apple's latest offering.

Barcelona Blues

2012-03-05T02:29:00.000-08:00

Happy Monday my fellow freaks and geeks! Now before we get started, I would like to thank those kind few who people who actually emailed me (I know, right!) in regard to the blog.

It's the first whiff of correspondence I've had since I began writing this thing all those weeks ago, and although I'm certain that each of you is likely suffering from an incredibly intrusive malignant brain tumour bearing down upon the fragile layers of your cerebral cortex thus causing you to make so obvious an error in judgement and actually praise the "work" I've been doing I am nonetheless extremely grateful. Please people, continue to get in touch and I promise to answer each email personally…and leave comments damn it. Oh and to answer Jo from Montreal Canada's question; Sorry, I don't blog on weekends. Now down to business...

Mobile World Congress 2012 has at last come to an end, with everybody who's anybody in the smartphone world finally reaching under the bed for the crusty rolled up sock after having effectively blown their proverbial loads all over Barcelona.

What do I think of this year's hottest mobile trade show?..…..meh *shrugs shoulders.*

It was alright I guess but despite the surplus of devices unveiled it simply failed to excite me to the same degree CES did earlier in the calendar. I don't actually know why this is. On paper we got some great devices. We saw a lot of quad core stuff (although if you've read my early post you'll know that my excitement is significantly tempered when it comes to that particular trend) and the Nokia 808 Pureview really is an interesting concept, despite its inexplicable use of the Symbian operating system. But even so, I simply feel disappointed with the overall fare.

Perhaps it was due to the lack of established big name hitters such as the Galaxy SIII or maybe it is just my unrepentant vitriol to the notion that quad core processors are the solution to problems that run a hell of a lot deeper than speed and performance. Who knows? Maybe I just need to get my hands on one of these bad boys to have all my fears put to bed and shake the apathy from my bones. Actually thinking about it the HTC One X looks like it could be a huge leap in the right direction for the Taiwanese giants, providing they stick to their new manifesto and promise to release less than 18 bajillion phones every quarter. I know there’s also been a lot of love for Sony’s new Xperia range which many of you consider to be underrated (although I consider it quite suitably ‘rated’) and I think like seven of you are actually excited by yet another year of LG’s hollow chest pounding but aside from that I’ve found the feedback to be a very mixed bag indeed.

Am I being too cynical? What were your opinions on the show this year? Was the crusty sock joke too far? Feel free to let me have it in the comments.

Until next time.

Das Boot

2012-03-02T05:02:00.001-08:00

Here’s a pretty interesting story I stumbled across whilst navigating precariously between the age old dichotomy of online tech journalism and girl on girl porn. Mozilla officially launched their Boot to Gecko mobile OS, which is kinda sorta not a mobile OS at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona this year.

Boot to Gecko running on a Samsung Galaxy SII

The whole thing is a pretty cool idea indeed and one which holds an intriguing amount of promise. The entire premise is that the OS runs exclusively through the web, like some kind of wonderfully malformed browser accessible through a clean and simplified UI that incorporates all the usual mobile phone jazz such as the dialler, SMS service and contact list.

Also apparently due to a built in API that let's the phone know when a web page goes offline the device itself will remain functional without an internet connection. Just how well this will work is unknown but it'll be interesting to test drive that's for sure.

As I said I think this is a pretty cool move and certainly a unique and interesting take on the current mobile OS ecosystem. With the phone's UI connecting directly to HTML 5 without the need for any kind of intermediary. Mozilla have again succeeded in pioneering open web operation allowing for what essential will be a solid user experience at a lower price that will also no doubt lure the thousands of devs already creating their apps for web use. Mozilla also stated that we're likely to see these phones in Q4 2012 as they announced support deals with Telefonica and Deutsche Telekom.

Anyway, enough of that. Back to porn.

Until next time.

"I'm not obsessing. I'm just curious."

2012-03-01T01:30:00.001-08:00

You know in American Beauty when Kevin Spacey sees Mina Suvari for the first time and realises that the answer to all of life's problems and the key to finally completing the life long pursuit of happiness is quite clearly…uh…statutory rape; well that's how I feel whenever I hear just an iota of information concerning the Samsung Galaxy SIII…except…you know…with out all the creepy lolita stuff.

More details concerning Sammy's flagship device have poured onto this beloved interconnected net of ours this week and they are suggesting some pretty juicy stuff. From what we hear (I say we, just me) via BGR, apparently the Galaxy SIII will sport a 1.5ghz quad-core Exynos processor, an awe-inspiring 4.8 inch full HD 1080p resolution display with 16:9 aspect ratio and intergalactic space travel via use of it's ability to transform into a Mass Effect-like Mass Relay. That last one isn't true (or is it?) but that full HD 1080p screen is something definitely worth salivating over, even if you are wearing expensive shoes.

What this means is that I will basically have a mini Blu Ray player inches away from my nads at all times! This sexy sonova'gun is also expected to ditch Sammy's current build quality philosophy (which at the moment seems to consist of Samsung having found away to transmutate leprosy into a tangible plastic) in favour of a ceramic chassis that will apparently continue the Size Zero trend at just 7mm thick.

After the runaway success (I've never fully understood that phrase) of the Samsung Galaxy SII in 2011 it only makes sense that the South Koreans would use it's successor as the main weapon in their arsenal against Apple's iPhone range and from what we're hearing (again, just me) it's looking like the war is about to get like, f*cking…SUPER-NUCLEAR!

Picture Perfect

2012-02-29T05:33:00.000-08:00

41 Megapixels! 41! Megapixels! 41 Mega….I could go on but I won't. It seems a new benchmark has been set for mobile phone camera technology for Finnish giants Nokia have indeed revealed the Nokia 808 Pureview, one of the last smartphones that will be running the veteran Symbian OS.

Now if I'm honest I'm not particularly one for happy-snapping on my mobile phone. Unlike the majority of girls I know, I don't take nine thousand and seven pictures every time I go to the pub on a Saturday (despite it being the same pub and my company consisting of the same congregation booze-addled morons) so that I can upload them onto Facebook and tag each one with disturbingly inane bylines such as 'Look at Gemma flashing her underwear. She's so mental lool.' I'm just not that guy.

But despite this obvious contemptible idiosyncrasy, even I can see that a whopping 41 Megapixels housed in the bosom of my phone is nothing to scoff at. Now unfortunately as nobody reads this blog (I think my mother actually clicked on a link I sent her once but soon lost interest in the endeavor when she found it was in fact penned by her "Timewaster" of a son) there's no chance of me being invited to an event as prestigious as Mobile World Congress. I don't think I'd fit in much anyhow. I'd likely do something retarded like breathe on the back of Steve Ballmer's neck and cause convention-wide panic.

What was my point? Ah yes. My point being that as I'm not invited to these things I haven't had a chance to actually use the Nokia 808 Pureview but from what I've read it doesn't actually take 41 Megapixel images and has a maximum resolution of 38 Megapixels. How this doesn’t instead make it a 38 Megapixel camera I don't know but I'm sure one of you guys will let me know with extreme vitriol and the world noob thrown in for good measure…Oh wait that's right. No one reads this thing.

Anyway the camera all shoots video at 1080p and at 30/fps and it performs a little ditty called 'Oversampling' which works by shoving 7 pixels into one when selecting standard 5 or 8 Megapixel pics. I really do want to hear more about the phones 4-inch 640x360 inch screen to see if it does the 41…no wait…38 Megapixel pics justice. In the rest of the device you'll find a 1.3GHz single-core processor, 512 MB of RAM, 16GB of storage, NFC and a 1,400mAh battery. All of that should suffice considering it's a Symbian device.

Well it's good to see Symbian going out with quite the bang indeed. Will I be picking up one of these bad boys? Almost certainly not but nonetheless I appreciate the leap forward in camera tech. Besides, the majority of my friends are hideously repellant so it's probably better for the world that I keep all pics taken of them within the 5 Megapixel range.

Until next time

Quad Core; You know the score

2012-02-28T03:18:00.001-08:00

With Mobile World Congress 2012 in Barcelona well underway, as expected we're seeing a plethora of quad core devices making their way into mobile space. I don't know about you but I'm tiring of the hearing the term 'Quad Core' already. Over the next year it's clear that these powerful chipsets will become the standard for both phone and tablet technology yet I'm am firmly of the belief that it will take more than simply doubling the process power to really win over consumers.

I understand that Android needs more power to function as well as it's competitors simply due to the nature of the beast but if we analyze this brute strength approach we find that maybe this shouldn't be the case. I'm not suggesting for a second that Android phones and tables migrate toward a more closed off ecosystem ala Windows Phone 7 or iOS but if Google were to focus on first providing a clean, reliable user experience across all platforms there would be less need for all the battery-sucking processing power. After all, Less is more.

LG were first to jump on the Dual Core bandwagon way back when and whilst I will admit that the Optimus 2X was a fast and powerful phone I was left more than a little under-whelmed with the device. This is also true for a host of Dual Core mobile phones that were released in the following months. It seemed manufactures had lost all touch with what it actually was that the majority of users wanted in favour of flashy tech, convoluted UI skins and uninspired hardware. As loathe as I am to say it, what sets the likes of Apple, and now Microsoft apart are their philosophies. It's these philosophies that are etched into every facet of their OS' and which appeal to users the world over because they are weaved with love and genuine care.

Although Ice Cream Sandwich is a major leap forward for Google's OS it's still a way away from having any sort of identifiable personality, the sheer power of it's ever evolving processors being the only thing segregating it from it's peers and when it comes down to it, brute strength simply isn't enough. I've been keeping a close eye on the Mobile World Congress coverage so far and everything I've seen is pretty much what I expected. Sure phones are becoming more powerful, screens are more visually impressive and whatever else but if you really dig deep you wouldn’t be remiss for believing that very little had actually changed in the smartphone world.

Android, iOS and Windows Phone 7: The Highs and Lows

2012-02-21T08:00:00.000-08:00

With Mobile World Congress 2012 just around the corner there are probably a lot of you guys who will be looking to upgrade as your contracts expire and with the slew of new devices about to hit our shelves you'll need to be in the know to make sure that you get the perfect mobile phone to suit your needs.

The casual consumer, as evidenced, will likely fall prey to sales patter and side with either the iPhone or perhaps Samsung's Galaxy S2 range with little thought attributed to the choice and it's likely they'll never fully unearth the staggering feats their phones are capable of. It's likely they'll never even care. However for those of you that, like me, spend more time on your phones than on anything else throughout the day, this decision is doubtless one of incredible importance that will affect your day to day life.

Below is a brief rundown of the three top platforms in the industry today (Sorry RIM). The OS especially is the lifeblood of any device so it's important to go with one that you believe will best suit you.

The Good

Open Source Nature

The open nature of Google's OS makes Android a hacker or a modders dream come true allowing for nerds the world over to develop there own custom firmware and tinker with the OS to no end. If complete and utter dominance of your mobile device is something that interests you then the little green robot won’t let you down.

Inexpensive midrange devices

Due to the sheer number of Android devices on the market (It has to be over a thousand) there is undoubtedly a selection of older devices with justifiable specs that would be great for a parent or teenager not at all bothered about qHD screens or quad core processors. These devices are often fairly priced and will more than adequately suit the needs of their target audience.

Highly Customizable

Something I adore about Android is the sheer amount of customization the device allows for. Whether it be custom keyboards or imitative skins there is no doubt an app or launcher on the android market that'll turn your phone into a wonderful reflection of your personality. If unique and fun personalization is your thing then the opportunities are endless.

Widgets

Widgets have proved a love or hate aspect to the android OS but you cannot call into question their brilliant functionality. Widgets display a variety of information on the home screen and can often be re-sized or re-worked to fit your needs or personal taste. They also add a touch of vigour to your mobile device as they are often animated and impressive to the eye.

Powerful high-end tech

With an Android-powered smartphone released at least once every half-second, hardware evolution and innovation has been necessary, not only to help better power the OS but to keep consumers excited and interested. High-end android phones boast some of the most powerful tech available under their hoods and with a range of quad-core devices set to be released over the course of 2012 it looks set to continue that trend.

The Bad

Unreliable

More often than not, Android’s shaky reputation precedes itself. In my personal experience I have never used an Android device that hasn't lagged at some point during its operation, even when playing with the newly released Galaxy Nexus, which sports the latest and most refined iteration of Google's OS, Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0. The OS is also susceptible to force closes and crashes and user experience varies greatly between devices.

Fragmentation

A huge criticism of the Android OS is aimed toward the heavy fragmentation between devices as software updates are not universally shared across all devices equating in a very different user experience for those running different variants of the OS. This also leaves it up to the manufacturer to ensure their device is up to date which they often won’t. Plus their own updates could even prove buggy and incomplete as with the case of the LG Optimus 3D's recent Gingerbread update.

Battery Life

Due to the increased power under the hood of most Android devices and the incredibly system intensive apps, games and widgets (not to mention the LTE for the guys over in the US) Google's OS is a battery sucker and big time! Even Android phone devotees will admit they find it hard to make it through the day without a charge. The Motorola Droid Razr Maxx with its whopping 3500 mAh battery however has proved that this is a problem that can be solved.

Plethora of devices

There are too many Android phones out there, far too many. HTC releases more than perhaps every manufacturer combined and this can prove daunting to consumers who often do not want to choose between phones knowing full well that they do not understand nor have time to comprehend the ins and outs of each device. This leads to a lot of people playing it safe with a device like the iPhone as at least this way they know what they're getting and they know it'll work.

Custom Overlays

While others may see this as a pro I don't particularly like custom overlays and manufacturer installed skins believing they detract from the intended Android experience. I'll admit however this is more down to personal taste and I know there are tons of people out there who love UI skins such as HTC's Sense or Samsung's Touchwiz.

The Good

Consistency

iOS maintains it's experience through to it's core. The OS has been expertly, lovingly and painstakingly tailored to Apple's vision and it's one that they want you to share across the entire spectrum of the device, be it iPhone, iPod or iPad. This consistency allows for new users and users of similar Apple devices to become easily accustomed to new devices, being able to jump straight into the experience with relative ease due to instant familiarity.

Reliability

iOS is as stable as a table. I personally can not remember ever experiencing lag with my old iPhone 4 and this reliability is seen across the board. Even with a single core processor the phone was nippy and dependable, a testament to the OS' intuitive design.

App Store and iTunes

The App Store can not be beaten. Not yet at any rate. It still holds at least 200,000 more apps than Google's Android Market and the majority of these that are not cross platform are undoubtedly of better quality due to Apple's intense screening process for any of the Apps they allow in their store. iTunes also is a major ace up Apple's sleeve. It provides a one stop shop for music, videos and podcasts and has become so ingrained within today's culture that many will find it hard to switch from Apple and leave it behind. It's understandable as if someone has invested a sufficient amount of money and time into refining their iTunes library then what cause have they to leave it behind. Google Music has been released stateside but we’re yet to see if it has the legs to compete.

Hardware

Apple's hardware is innovative and without a doubt, the best in the business. The stripped down nature of the design and the premium high end feel of each device is at first as strikingly beautiful as it is functional. Yes the iPhone 4s featured little change to the revolutionary form factor of the iPhone 4 but hey, you know what they say, if it aint broke…

OS Support

iOS upgrades are universal and shared across all of Apple's devices. This is a major plus for Apple devotees as it ensures all of their devices will be kept fresh and up to date, preventing fragmentation.

The Bad

Expensive

One of the major sore points across all Apple products is the price. If you want to experience the vision of the folks down and Cupertino then you are going to have to pay for it…through the nose! Apple have never been ones really even consider those of us who have more sense than money with their only mid range devices on the market being former high end ones.

Limited customization

Apple wants you to experience Apple as Apple intends Apple to be experienced. Unless you Jailbreak the thing, your iDevice has been designed to a very particular specification. For instance the only change Apple allow you to make to your home screen is to switch the background wallpaper, a measly option really considering the wealth of customization available to users should they choose to side with Android.

Static Icons are dated

IOS will need to develop its own form of interactive widget and soon. Its icon dock hasn't changed since its inception and it simply feels flat and too much like a simple menu, which it is. With Android's fully functional interactive widgets and Windows Phone's beautiful Live Tiles Apple will be hard-pressed in future to one up the competition.

The Good

Metro UI

It's no secret that I am a huge fan of the Windows Phone UI, especially after the Mango update. Moving between apps and screens is so incredibly fluid with little to no lag whatsoever and it's just beautiful to look at. Those who like the stripped down nature of iOS yet fancy something fresh and genuinely exciting need look no further than Windows Phone 7.

Live Tiles

Live Tiles are similar to widgets in that they provide constantly updating information to the user from the comfort of the home screen. Where Live Tiles and widgets differ however is in design. Windows Phone's Metro UI consists of no icons whatsoever instead opting to use solely Live Tiles. It's these tiles that bring to life Windows Phone’s elegance and simplicity. They are instantly recognizable and perfectly implemented.

Sophisticated and intensive app integration

Everything in Windows 7 has been streamlined to provide a complete and seamless experience. This includes apps such as Facebook and Twitter which have been masterfully integrated into core aspects of the phone and all correlate beautifully within what Microsoft are calling the people hub. This attention to detail and conviction in their software design is what makes Windows Phone so attractive.

Little difference in experience between midrange and high end devices

I suppose this one is a good or a bad point depending on how you look at it but coming from the average consumer's angle (instead of the tech geek) this is a great thing as you will not get a hugely different experience if you opt to buy a mid range Windows Phone instead of a high end one. The OS will run fast regardless and unlike Android a mid range Windows phone can more than hold it's own against it's bigger, more expensive brothers.

The Bad

Windows Marketplace is limited and expensive

Windows Phone 7 is still comparatively in its infancy which means its Marketplace has a lot less to offer than both Android and iOS. It's only saving grace is that it does contain a good deal of high quality name brand apps however a lot of these are inexplicably priced a lot higher than they are on their competitor's respective markets. £2.29 for Angry Birds! F**k off!

Lack of expandable memory

Like iOS Windows Phone does not yet support expandable memory via Micro SD cards however unlike iOS Windows Phone fails to provide anything higher than 16GB internal memory. This proves a major downside especially if like me, you are a complete and utter media whore when it comes to your mobile device. There are rumours that this will change with a an update later in the year which is also said to allow Windows Phone to support dual core devices but until that happens you'll just have to make do with the limited space on offer.

Infancy

Windows Phone 7 is still relatively new when compared to Android and iOS meaning that there are still aspects of its overall design that will need refining over time. I won't go in to these now but be warned, if you're coming from a device where you are used to doing things a certain way, you may be surprised to find that there is no supported alternative on a Windows Phone.

Damn-asonic!

2012-02-21T03:12:00.000-08:00

Crap pun for the title, I know, but leave me be, it's still early in the week. Anywho, this one's just a quick update for you guys. I know this is a blog and not a news site but hell I found this story pretty interesting, if brief. Tech veterans Panasonic are set to make a pretty exciting return to the mobile game with the super-thin Panasonic ELUGA, set to land in Europe in the spring time.

The handset is said to measure a mere 7.8mm thick and sport a 4.3" qHD display, a 1GHz dual core TI OMAP processor, HSPA+ Connectivity, 8GB of memory and an 8MP camera. It's also said to have what is called an IP57-Certified body, supposedly making the device impervious to dust and even liquids.

Now as I'm sure some of you have heard Panasonic were lining up to demo a phone at Mobile World Congress that is rumored to sport LUMIX camera tech under the hood and seeing as the Panasonic ELUGA doesn't even boast a flash it's likely that they'll also release a "high end" phone boasting beefier specs and the aforementioned camera technology. Not to mention it may even be an LTE device considering the trend although that is pure speculation and may not prove true if the device opens with a limited Europe-only release.

With MWC only around the corner, I'm sure we'll find out all this and much more very soon.

If it's broke...FIX IT!

2012-02-20T09:09:00.001-08:00

Reorganizing Internal Process...

If you recognize this ominous pop up message then it's likely you too have been stung by the haphazard calamity that is the LG Optimus 3D's Gingerbread update. Now I personally have championed LG in the past but let me tell you now, that ends here.

I bought the Optimus 3D. I wasn't given it. I didn’t win it. I bought it because I truly believed the 3D on this device was more than just a gimmick. I believed that it was a step forward for mobile devices and a somewhat significant one at that. For me the fact the phone sported a dedicated 3D space signified the leap forward hand-held tech had made and that anything could be possible for a mobile device, the only thing standing in the way being time. Hell I wrote an earlier blog post defending the thing!

More fool me.

For all it's 3D Prowess, none of it matters if the device can not perform it's basic functions without mishap. This all became evident after the long awaited update to Android 2.3 Gingerbread. Firstly let me say that the wait for this update was A LOT longer than LG promised it's consumers and that it's US counterpart, the Thrill 4G, is yet to see hide nor hair of Gingerbread. This however may be a blessing in disguise for our chums across the pond as since updating to Gingerbread this phone has been nothing short of reprehensible.

It's less the device than it is LG themselves. How could such a large manufacturer release an update with such a huge flaw? Well it's easy really. All you have to do is simply not give a flying f*ck about customer satisfaction.

For all those who don't know what I'm talking about, it's the so called 'Ghost Calls' in which, apparently for no reason whatsoever the phone decides not to register incoming calls nor let you dial out unless you completely remove the battery and reboot. After doing this you are then hit with message after message of missed calls that you were never made aware of from people who couldn't reach you because your phone is a steaming pile of horse sh*t!

I have missed important calls today because of this thing. I'm getting rid of it. It disgraces not only LG but also taints my Android experience. It's a shame really as there are great manufacturers out there who really do there best to ensure that Google's OS runs as smoothly as possible. LG is not one of them. Failing to even acknowledge the problem of these ghost calls let alone release an urgent patch to fix it highlights the cold apathy that this company exudes.

F*ck it! I'm off to finally buy a Windows phone :)

Size Matters...

2012-02-17T03:47:00.000-08:00

Now I have big hands (Ladies *wink*) but on first contact with the Samsung Galaxy note, those hands felt dwarfed. I genuinely couldn't fathom why anybody would ever require a mobile device that is dangerously close to being mistaken for a prop from the film Honey I Shrunk the Kids.

Yet it seems another niche has been discovered in the market and that is of course, Phablets. Phablets, for those of you who haven't figured it out yet, are smartphone/tablet hybrids genuinely classified by their size which tends toward the 5 to 5.3 inch range, with anything smaller being considered a smartphone and anything larger, a tablet.

Now personally, for me, a phone with a 4.3 inch screen is the sweet spot. I can easily navigate the device with one hand and it fits comfortably in the pocket. I'm a complete and utter media whore when it comes to my personal devices. I'm talking games, videos, music streaming, app downloads, the lot, so anything with a reduced screen size is inevitably a disappointment (*cough* iPhone 4s). The 4.7 inch screens found on a lot recent smartphones such as the Galaxy Nexus (which to be fair actually incorporates the screen size with minimal intrusion) are tolerable and again, great for media but I do find them just outside the range of complete and utter comfort in day to day use.

Which brings me to Phablets and the likes of the Samsung Galaxy Note and the upcoming LG Optimus Vu. Although new to US shores we've had the Galaxy Note over here in the UK for since about November which is sometime now and I will say this, as sceptical as I was at first, if you can get used to the size of this leviathan then you are in for one hell of a smartphone experience. If like me, media on the go is your thing then the 5.3 inch Super AMOLED screen will offer the best mobile experience possible, proving more convenient to carry and pull out than a tablet. Praise should also be heaped on the device's mammoth 2500 mAh battery which, despite the huge screen size will easily see you through the day and is second only to Motorola's Droid Razr Maxx in the entire Android spectrum.

It's proving to definitely be a love or hate thing with Phablets but if the size can be tolerated then evolution in this area of the mobile world should prove very exciting over the years to come. Would I personally carry the Samsung Galaxy Note on a day to day basis? It's hard to say. As previously stated 4.3 inches really is my own personal sweet spot but everybody's different and if you can handle the girth of the Galaxy Note, then you deserve to be rewarded, which I'm certain you will be.

I don't think you're ready for this Jelly

2012-02-16T03:16:00.000-08:00

Google's prolific OS is far from perfect with one of the main criticisms aimed at the fragmentation between devices. For instance my sister's Desire Z is still running Froyo whilst my colleague’s Galaxy Nexus is of course running it's latest variant, Ice Cream Sandwich. Now I was under the impression that Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0 was released in order to attempt to resolve this problem through unifying both phone and tablet OS' and providing a much more consistent user experience.

However news has since cropped up suggesting that Google plan to release yet another major update in Android 5.0 Jelly Bean, supposedly scheduled to arrive in the second quarter of 2012 and said to incorporate dual operating system functionality in which a tablet would be capable of both Android 5.0 and Windows 8 with the option of switching between the two OS' without shutting the device down.

Now I will say that this report is highly speculative and it seems to base it's entire assessment on the idea that Ice Cram Sandwich 4.0 has underperformed (a fact I find hard to determine considering it's infancy and limited rollout) yet the fact remains that if Google were to really release Jelly Bean 5.0 in Q2 of 2012 it would only succeed in further increasing the gulf between it's high-end and mid-range devices and highlighting Android's scattered fragmentation.

Mobile World Congress 2012 Preview

2012-02-15T07:23:00.000-08:00

The largest gathering of geeks ever (ComicCon, E3 and Mark Zuckerberg's house parties not withstanding) is about to take place with the 2012 Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. From the 27th of February through to the 1st of March, smartphone aficionados everywhere will congregate at the mobile world's largest trade show event in order to get a glimpse at industry's latest offers. Many of these we have of course seen through various leaks courtesy of our old pal the internet and others are expected simply through educated guesses made from an evolutionary standpoint. Here's a run down of what to anticipate from some of the major players in the game.

No Galaxy S3. Cue sad face emoticon. I'm afraid that this much is certain. Sammy have indeed decided not to hold a press conference at MWC this year, a major blow for fans of it's flagship Galaxy S2 device which wowed the world last year. Samsung have said that they will still be introducing new devices but I think we can all agree that this is of little consolation.

With the Taiwanese giants finally realising that less is indeed more, their 2012 mobile strategy is focused on concentrating on high-end devices instead of cluttering the market with a arbitrary release after arbitrary release, each barely different than it's predecessor with a name twice as daft.

Undoubtedly the most exciting of the expected HTC line-up is the HTC Endeavour. This bad boy is rumoured to be a quad-core Tegra 3 device sporting a 4.7 inch display, 4G LTE connectivity, 1GB of RAM, Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0 and an incredible 312 ppi display. Now that's a spicy meatball!

Another noteworthy addition is the HTC Quattro tablet, another quad core device sporting a 10.1inch 1280x768 display, 1GB of RAM and 16GB of internal memory. There are also rumours regarding devices thus far known as the HTC Edge, the HTC Zeta, the HTC Ville and the HTC Primo however there hasn't been much in the way of substance regarding these offerings so I guess we'll just have to wait until the show.

Having already demoed the Lumia 900 at CES it is unclear what Finnish Manufacturer Nokia intend to bring to MWC. It's expected we'll see another Windows Phone device of some sort and I've even heard tell of a tablet in the works though I very much doubt we'd see it at the show. There is also news of Nokia's Asha series, a slew of mid-range, affordable Windows Phone devices set to be unveiled.

LG have indeed promised to showcase a range of revolutionary smartphones for 2012. We're already anticipating the LG Miracle, a rumoured Windows Phone handset and leaks have revealed the LG Optimus 3D 2, successor to the Optimus 3D (Thrill 4G) however we're unsure if this is likely to be shown off at the event. There is of course also the LG P880 which is rumoured to sport the LG X3 quad core processor and 4.7inch a 720p HD screen. This could be one to watch.

There really isn’t much worth commenting on with Japanese tech powerhouse Sony. We expect to see more of their Xperia line, with the Xperia Ion and the Xperia S and likely a couple of other phones with random alphabet titles such as the Xperia P and the Xperia U. The worrying thing is that these phones are failing to really excite brining Sony's woeful presence in the mobile space into full view. Here's hoping that the end of their collaboration with long time partner Ericsson spells a bright new era for the long established tech company. Only time will tell.

Little is expected from struggling Canadian tech company RIM at MWC however what we do expect to see is a little more info regarding the Blackberry 10 OS and maybe even confirmation of the Playbook OS 2.0.

Other events worth mentioning are that of Microsoft, who we expect will demo the much anticipated Windows 8 OS and Nvidia who are expected to showcase their quad core Tegra 3 processor in a mobile device.

Stay tuned to The Phone Groupie for more Mobile World Congress 2012 info as it unfurls.

iPad SchmiPad!

2012-02-14T08:45:00.000-08:00

I for one am not terribly excited about the news that the iPad 3 is likely to be officially announced on the 7th of March and slated for a release date of the 16th. Now before all the Apple fanboys out there decide to plant their fingers on the home row and fire out a series of nerdy retorts, let me explain. This is a blog and not a news site so I'm free to lace each post with my opinions, however irrevocably biased they may be. I don't hate Apple. I just don't hold them in the same esteem as the majority of my peers.

Ipad 3 Back panel

The mere fact that people are getting overly excited simply because the leaked picture of the device's alleged back panel has floated onto the net says it all really. Sure, the tech geek in me is salivating at the chance to see a new toy demonstrated but unless Apple pull something entirely unexpected out of the bag I'm guessing the whole thing should prove to be pretty conventional fare.

The iPad 3 will be a necessary evolutionary step in an ever more competitive tablet market. It will likely incorporate the Retina display, possible LTE connectivity, Siri, improved camera functionality and perhaps the rumoured A6 chip (whether it be dual or quad core remains to be seen) but taking even these things into account I see little evidence as to why this product should be thought of as anything more than the iPad 2s.

My hope is that the design differs slightly from what we've already seen although if I have to submit to Apple's superiority in any regard it would be in the design department as their hardware innovations have been nothing short of (he says begrudgingly) revolutionary.

There is also rumour that Apple could possibly be releasing a smaller 8-inch budget friendly iPad alongside the iPad3. If this unlikely speculation proved true then I would have a lot more respect for the people down at Cupertino. Despite the fact that it would be interesting to see what Apple's idea of 'budget friendly' is, it would still mean that the tech giants are actually toying with the idea of moving away from solely making elitist devices for people with more money than sense and maybe, just maybe, considering the average consumer……pppfffftttt hahahahahahaha!!

All of this and more remains to be seen however until I'm proved wrong I still maintain my stance that the iPad 3 is nothing to get that excited about

The Skin I Live In

2012-02-14T04:13:00.001-08:00

I hate HTC's Sense UI. I also don't particularly care for Samsung's Touchwiz, am able to barely tolerate the latest variants of the overlay formerly known as Motoblur and am entirely apathetic to whatever it is Sony and even LG are doing with their Android UI skins.

I don't believe that manufacturer designed custom overlays are any longer necessary on the Android platform, especially since the arrival of the latest Ice Cream Sandwich update. Although I'm sure many of you will disagree I believe that Android should always provide a stock experience for each of their devices out of the box.

Then, if you insist on hampering you phones performance by adding carousel effects to your page swiping and lord knows what other kitsch crap, that's your prerogative and you should be able to do so via the Android Market. It's what makes Android great. Kinda like, I may not agree with what your doing but hell, I'll fight for your right to do it.

The Android Market is where manufacturers should house their overlays (for free of course) or perhaps they could simply have a specific app dedicated to transforming UI of the phone, similar to the HTC hub found on HTC's Windows Phone devices. I don't know, I don't particularly care what they do with them. I would prefer they binned them altogether to be quite frank.

Google acquisition of Matias Duarte, the man who pioneered the webOS interface, has clearly proved a wise move with Ice Cream Sandwich feeling more polished and clean than ever. I just think that this desired stock experience is the one we should all get to enjoy regardless of what hardware it's on.

HTC Sense 4.0

The whole thing that ignited this train of thought by the way were the shots I saw of the leaked Rom Update Utility for the forthcoming ICS powered HTC Endeavour which of course featured the updated Sense 4.0 skin. As you can see by the shots HTC have once again successfully warped the clean stock experience into something unashamedly overbearing which will no doubt lead to lag, force closes and crashes and what I like to call 'battery rape.'. Hey perhaps this is what people want but I for one could quite happily do without.

Phone Wars: Episode....I've lost count...

2012-02-13T14:10:00.000-08:00

So as I’m sure you've all heard, the late Steve Job's desired 'Thermonuclear' war against Google has taken another turn with Apple now setting their sights on the Samsung Galaxy Nexus in the U.S, a device which allegedly infringes upon 4 of Apple patents. I think even Apple must recognize that the actual patents in question are somewhat insignificant however this has little to do with the technology itself. This is about systematically annihilating the competition. This is what happens when business becomes almost personal.

I think I read something about how Apple and Samsung are currently engaged in around ten legal battles across something like twenty different countries around the world. This shows the sheer scope of what Apple are trying to do. For the folks at Cupertino this is about more than just winning the legal disputes and hampering their competitors progression. This is about undermining the credibility it's rivals.

If Apple were interested in financial gain from these lawsuits then they'd be going about it the wrong way. They could easily reach a settlement and licence their tech to companies like Samsung for a fee which would in turn also allow Apple a peek at the ways in which their rivals were evolving but this doesn't interest them. What interests them is smiting each and every company that they genuinely believed to have copied their ideas with furious vehemence and zero mercy.

However with Google easily able to circumvent Apple's restriction through simple alterations and modifications (which in turn may even lead them to innovate), all that this legal chest pounding and teeth baring succeeds in is stagnating progression within the industry with the only ones that really lose out being you and I, the consumer.

The Third Dimension

2012-02-13T08:44:00.000-08:00

The LG Optimus 3D (Thrill 4G to our US cousins) was not a bad phone. Hell, I'll admit it. I actually got one. The tech world dismissed it's 3D capabilities as nothing more than a gimmick, which it undoubtedly was, however I've always felt that the feat of bringing dedicated 3D space to a mobile device had always been overlooked. I know that HTC also brought out their EVO 3D but on that device the 3D functionality always seemed a lot more tacked on than it did on the Optimus 3D, not to mention the 3D itslef was of poorer quality.

I've always felt LG have received pretty rough treatment from the mobile press. They may not be as flashy as Apple or Samsung but where others see 'Generic' I see 'Subtlety.' The company has never shied away from heavy hitting devices and has kept their high-end hardware consistently up to date and exciting (if not always perhaps aesthetically pleasing.) Perhaps this is why the Optimus 3D was overlooked. Perhaps people simply saw the name LG and never really got excited about the prospect. Or maybe it's the simple fact that with all the 3D films and 3D TV's being released, the world is suffering from overexposure to the third dimension.

The whole 3D movement has become synonymous with a tacky add-on and perhaps for people to see it as anything more on mobile devices it would take a company like Apple, instead of LG or even HTC to pioneer the idea. I say Apple because the media and consumer alike seem to genuinely believe it every time the folks down at Cupertino tell them that they're revolutionizing the entire technological infrastructure…again. If Apple had started the 3D bandwagon on mobile phones, the landscape of mobile 3D might be very different today.

Apple's 3D tech

That said, looky here. It seems Apple have filed a patent for their variant on mobile 3D technology and wouldn't you know it, they've invented 3D! Well apparently it's a new kind of 3D tech that is capable of gauging depth and displaying a 3D environment based on the user's eye movement. This apparently will also lend itself to the actual UI.

Now believe it or not I have nothing against Apple themselves and I applaud advancement and progression and feel they genuinely do innovate with the majority of their products. My gripe is with the public perception of Apple as saviors of techdom but I'll get into that another time. All I'm saying is that if when Apple do 3D, everybody starts raving about how it's the greatest thing since Natalie Portman I will be a very unhappy individual.

LG Optimus 3D 2

For those of you still interested in the good old fashioned parallax-barrier 3D display however, shots have indeed been leaked detailing the LG Optimus 3D 2. The chassis is reported to be a mere 9.8mm thin. I personally had no problem with the original Optimus 3D's size as I appreciate a bit of heft to my devices (It makes me feel like it wont snap in half if I look at it the wrong way) but I'm sure there are those of you that will adore this change. The display is also rumored to be a high-resolution IPS-LCD. My guess is the device will make it's official debut at MWC at the end of the month.