With the forthcoming iPhone 6, Apple is expected to break from tradition in a number of key areas. Notably, the display will see the biggest size increase since the original handset back in 2007, while the overall design will draw much of its inspiration from the iPod touch and iPad Air / iPad mini. Another tidbit we've continually heard over the past couple of weeks is that the front panel will be comprised of sapphire glass, as opposed to the Gorilla Glass from Corning that Apple has long since utilized. Following a leaked video yesterday showcasing the panel's ability to bend, another clip has today appeared offering a glimpse of how the front shell may cope with scratches.
Apple has continued to push the boundaries in its efforts to pack high-end technology into unfathomably small housing, but while we continue to marvel at the likes of the MacBook Air and iPad mini with Retina display, we've also been impressed with how Apple continues to thin-out the iPhone. This long-standing trend is set to continue with the next-gen model, with some suggesting that the iPhone 6 will be as slender as 6mm, but even though early adopters will likely be impressed by the svelte nature of the device to hold, the slimline finish will also mean that battery capacity will only see a modest improvement.
As it often does on a Monday, Apple threw out the third beta of its upcoming iOS 8 software a short while back, and although the changelog mentioned the usual bug fixes and general performance enhancements, the Cupertino giant has also delivered a little treat for those rocking an iPhone on T-Mobile U.S. As of iOS 8 beta 3, those subbed to the popular carrier can enjoy Wi-Fi calls, and apparently, the clarity of said calls is far greater than on a standard 3G / 4G cellular connection.
Some iOS and OS X users have noted of a minor glitch pertaining to the use of the stock Calendar, resulting in the wrong holiday dates being shown for certain regions. Thus, folks in countries like Lithuania are seeing the holidays of nations like Mexico and Hong Kong, and although this rather confusing scenario seems to have affected multiple users running on iOS 7.1.x as well as others on Mac, Apple has reportedly noted of the issue and will come through with a fix in a forthcoming software update.
iOS 8 beta 3 has been released, and in typical fashion, we took the latest beta from Cupertino out for a test run and found a few nuggets along the way. Here’s what is new!
Apart from the third beta of iOS 8, Apple has also seeded Developer Preview 3 of OS X Yosemite. Details on how and where to download it from can be found right here.
Turns out that making smartphones is hard, and although the folks at Foxconn are actually rather good at doing just that, there's always room for extra improvement. Whether that improvement comes in any form, Foxconn is apparently set to augment its existing workforce with 10,000 new additions.
Having visually compared Android L with KitKat, we found out that Google is pushing hard to take Android one step further from where it stands right now. But how does it compare to its fiercest upcoming rival, iOS 8? That’s exactly what we’re going to find out, by comparing Android L preview with iOS 8 beta, visually.
We cannot, it seems, help but get carried away by voice assistants, and even though Microsoft joined the party extremely late with the introduction of Cortana earlier this year, the amount of hype it has generated for the software giant will certainly do Windows Phone's cause no harm whatsoever. Having already been compared a dozen times to Google Now and Apple's Siri, Cortana has had the benefit of watching and learning from both, but while the Halo-based voice assistant has clearly borrowed from its two longer-serving rivals in many departments, Siri is now looking to Cortana for inspiration.
It has long since been suspected that Apple would come through with its very own brand of smartwatch, and this year, there's a genuine feeling that the company will finally bite the bullet and introduce the elusive product. Given Google's announcement of Android Wear at the beginning of the year, followed up at last month's I/O conference with more details and the announcement of Samsung's Gear Live, it would appear crucial that Apple doesn't allow its rivals to much leeway, and with the Cupertino's first major wearable set for release later on in the year, the company has just secured the services of TAG Heuer's Sales Director.
