As far as the length of time between announcement and retail date go, Samsung has left a lot of prospective Galaxy S5 users with a tantalizing wait. It has been one month since the company revealed all at Mobile World, and even now, we're still two weeks away from its official launch on April 8th. To fill in the time, below is a hands-on unboxing from T-Mobile, which goes through the contents found within the packaging, as well as first boot.
Like most companies involved in the ultra competitive smartphone market, HTC would never turn down the opportunity to drum up some consumer interest in a new product pre-launch. And HTC is on the verge of making an official announcement regarding the all new HTC One, or M8 as it is more commonly referred to, but it seems that the cat has been let out of the bag for the second time from another unofficial source. Leaks and product speculation certainly get the tongues wagging of those who may actually be going to purchase the hardware, but we don't know if HTC will be entirely happy about this latest HTC One hands-on video that has emerged.
Some things are just never going to happen. Some things are just highly unlikely. With Steve Jobs around it was unthinkable for Apple to bring the iTunes Store to Google's Android mobile platform, but in a post-Steve Jobs world, it's looking increasingly possible that those packing non-Apple hardware could be able to buy songs from iTunes.
This week has been a particularly busy one for the emerging smartwatch market, with Google having finally unveiled its Android Wear OS designed specifically for wrist-mounted gizmos. Straight after the announcement, Motorola teased its Moto 360 smartwatch, and even though we've several other devices to look forward to from partners including LG, HTC and ASUS, the Moto 360 immediately struck a chord. Finally, it seems, we have a smartwatch that oozes style and a sense of being a traditional watch as much as a toy for geeks, and now, we also have what is claimed to be info relating to the device's specifics.
The wearable tech industry is currently experiencing something of a boom, and even though this week's headlines have been dominated by the news of Google's smartwatch endeavors with Android Wear, its Project Glass face-worn computer still generates plenty of interest. Currently in beta, many developers have the Explorer Edition in their possession, with Google hoping that they can go ahead and create some great apps, and one company, Layar, has showcased a neat-looking augmented reality Glassware app that can scan magazines, recognize adverts, and subsequently relay relevant information to the user.
BlackBerry, a company that, not so long ago, was a superpower in the mobile industry, has been in free-fall for some time, and despite an executive shake-up that has seen the Canadian outfit appoint a new CEO, things don't look to be getting any better. One area that BlackBerry still clutches on to is enterprise, with many businesses still in favor of using the company's products for their robust security features, but according to the Wall Street Journal, one of its foremost clients - The White House - is assessing the possibility of switching to LG or Samsung.
After an extensive period of rumor and speculation leading up to the MWC announcement of the Samsung Galaxy S5, we're now on the cusp of its release. The device, which is expected to hit shelves on April 11th, packs a bunch of new perks, including a gold color configuration and fingerprint sensor, but there's more to the flagship device besides these rather showy features. To underline this point, the Korean electronics giant has released the Galaxy S5 Experience app, which allows those contemplating an upgrade to get a better idea and general feel of the device's various apps and services.
Save the Sony Smartwatch and the rather disastrous launch of the Galaxy Gear from Samsung, Pebble has had a fairly easy ride in the smartwatch industry, but with Google announcing Android Wear recently, the company knows that it has a big fight on its hands in order to remain relevant. Already this year, though, Pebble has made several key announcements and releases, and allied to the big software update and roll-out of the Pebble appstore, introduced the very stylish Pebble Steel. Now, those looking for the higher-end finish but who aren't too bothered about the fittings can pick up the Pebble Steel - sans the metal band - for a reduced price.
Apple-bashing from Samsung is nothing new, particularly given the ongoing court hearings between the two relating to supposed theft of patented technologies, but in a rare treat, the Korean outfit has taken a swipe at Apple, Microsoft and Amazon in one fell swoop with its latest Galaxy Pro Series Ad. The Galaxy Tab Pro and Galaxy Note Pro, which Samsung was heavily pushing at Mobile World last month, offer quite a few features built with the power user in mind, and with the advertising machine in full flow, the company has wasted no time in having a swipe at the Apple iPad, Amazon Kindle Fire and Microsoft Surface for their respective shortcomings.
Even though Motorola is no longer a Google subsidiary, it's still very much intertwined with the search giant's products, and having been the first to announce a smartwatch running the Android Wear software, the company then organized a Hangout to run a Q&A on the exciting upcoming gadget. Since the last 24 hours have been particularly busy in the world of tech - thanks largely to Google's announcement - there's a good chance that you missed that Hangout, but if you wish to catch up, you can watch it all on YouTube.
