Samsung's recent unveiling of the Galaxy S5 was met with a collection of moans and groans from analysts and consumers who were expecting something a little more "premium" from the Korean company. Rumors of a S5 model built with a more advanced technical specification and higher quality exterior have been circulating for quite some time, and although Samsung dampened a few spirits during the recent Mobile World Congress presentation, it appears that all hope is not yet lost. In an effort to appeal to the higher-end market, and compete directly with the likes of HTC, Samsung look set to introduce a premium Galaxy S5 model that would be the backbone of a luxury F line of devices.
When it became clear that the Nokia X was going to be the first Android-powered phone from the Finnish company that Microsoft now owns, it left many of us particularly excited. Android coupled with Nokia's hardware chops promised to mean something rather special, but alas it wasn't to be. The recently announced Nokia X may indeed have Android coursing through its veins, but it's not quite as we'd hoped.
Google has a history of taking parts of its own build of Android available for everyone, and when the Google Now Launcher made an appearance on the latest Nexus 5 smartphone everyone began hoping that it would make the leap to the Play Store sooner rather than later. Today, that's exactly what has happened. Unfortunately though, it's not quite available for everyone.
Not to be upstaged by the big Samsung announcement at this year's MWC, Sony has also come through with its latest and greatest new smartphone – the Sony Xperia Z2. Another waterproof handset, it shares similar design traits to its predecessor, but in terms of both the hardware and software, the Japanese company looks to have been hard at work. I got a chance to spend a few minutes with the device in Barcelona, and as well as a hands-on video below, I'll be letting you know what I think of this most recent addition to the Xperia family, and moreover, whether it can serve as a genuine competitor to the Samsung Galaxy S5.
The annual Mobile World Congress gathering, organized by the GSM Association, has been taking place in Barcelona for the last couple of days. Tech giants such as Sony, Samsung and LG use the event to introduce and showcase their latest tech in front of the world's press, but MWC also hosts the Global Mobile Awards that rip through various categories to filter out and award the best-of-the-best of the last 12 months. The awards may be packed full of random and obscure categories that don't necessarily appeal to the average technology enthusiast, but there was some great news for Apple and HTC, with both companies receiving a best in class award for one of their products.
I’ve expressed my disappointment with the Galaxy S5 already - in all fairness, it’s nothing but a modest upgrade over last year’s Android flagship from Samsung, the Galaxy S4. However, it’s still become a coveted piece of technology, and we’re sure that the sales numbers for the new device will be impressive as ever.
It takes courage to stand out of the crowd and take something existing, play around with it in ways unprecedented, and present something that is both unique and unsettlingly different. Yet, if you do have that courage, such experiments can pay off well. This is exactly what Russian startup Yota Devices did with their unique YotaPhone, and now we get to see the prototype of the second-generation YotaPhone.
The quality of mobile gaming is definitely improving, but some of us are old enough to remember the excitement that Nintendo's original Entertainment System (NES) and Game Boy brought into our lives. We've seen emulators galore being released over the last few weeks that bring the pleasure of the old school Nintendo experience to our iOS and Android devices, meaning that it shouldn't really come as a shock that a new Game Boy emulator from Ben Midi has appeared for iOS, Android and Windows users.
Samsung’s Galaxy S5 is one of the biggest smartphone releases of the year. It’s one of those devices which millions of Android users have been eagerly waiting for, and it well and truly builds upon the success of last year’s major release, the Galaxy S4. But is the Galaxy S5 the device you should buy this year? Is it a worthy upgrade over its predecessor, the Galaxy S4? Lets find out in our head-to-head specs comparison.
The announcements at MWC 2014 are flowing, and we’re covering them as they happen. One of the big guns that unveiled some remarkable tech today was Samsung, and boy, did they have things to offer. Other than the shiny new flagship in the Galaxy lineup, the Galaxy S5, Samsung showcased three new contenders in its Gear lineup, showing just how serious the Korean manufacturer is about this line of business.
