Samsung is well known for pushing the boundaries in the mobile division, never shy to pack in seemingly excessive hardware like the Galaxy S4's octa-core Exynos 5 processor. As well as continually pushing the overpowered SoCs, the Korean company also enjoys pushing the displays sizes up further and further, and although there must eventually come a point whereby the limit is reached and the screen cannot get any bigger, it doesn't look as though that time will be coming anytime soon. With the Galaxy Note II at 5.5-inches and the Galaxy S4 offering 5-inches of real estate, the latest reports suggest the company is ready to turn things up a notch with a new line of 5.8-inch and 6.3-inch 'Galaxy Mega' handsets.
BlackBerry has spent the past year preparing and reinventing itself for another serious assault on the smartphone market, and although the company did try sticking with the old formula and essentially flogged a dead horse for far to long, the company looks ready to be taken seriously again. BlackBerry 10 looks like an intuitive, innovative operating system much more in line with the likes of iOS and Android, and with the BlackBerry Z10 certainly strong enough to hold its own against many of the market's considered elite, the Waterloo, Ontario-based company is looking for customers once more.
Earlier on, sources revealed that Facebook's big revelation at Facebook Home on April 4th would entail an all-new operating system from the social outfit, based on Android. Much in the way Amazon offers its own, custom OS atop Google's open-source ecosystem, Zuck is said to be about to reveal a similar offering tailored to the world's largest social network, and now, AndroidPolice has gotten its hands on a system software dump of the very first device said to carry the new software.
Google's Maps is by far the navigation utility of choice not only on the company's very own Android platform, but also iOS, where millions of iPhone, iPad and iPod touch users have downloaded the search giant's third-party offering from the App Store. Why do we all love Google Maps so much? Well, besides being one of the most accurate and feature-rich experiences in the field, it is also incredibly easy to use, and the swiping, tapping and pinching gestures make the whole process pretty seamless. Thanks to mobile device enthusiast Carl Sednaoui, we've got a little video demonstration of a feature many of you may have missed within Google Maps, which allows users to zoom in and out effectively using a little-known one-handed shortcut.
We told you just recently about the invites that Facebook has sent out, asking the press to join Mark Zuckerberg and co at the company's Menlo Park HQ. Whilst the invite makes mention of a new home on Android, the context of such a phrase was rather cryptic, leaving us all to wonder just what Facebook has up its sleeve. Now, thanks to claims by a fellow blog, it seems we may have some answers.
With a bunch of new devices from Samsung, HTC and Sony joining an already crowded smartphone market, this Spring is certainly a good time to be upgrading your handset. With so many reviews offering varied, mostly opinion-based coverage on which deserves your hard-earned cash, PhoneArena has tried to keep things objective by posting a display performance comparison of each of the industry's most sought-after handsets. Included in the line-up is the iPhone 5, Samsung's current and upcoming Galaxy S4 and the current Galaxy S III, Sony's waterproof Xperia Z, the HTC One, and Nokia's Lumia 920. Check out the comparison after the jump!
There's not much we like more than a good emulator here at Redmond Pie. There's something about taking a modern, high specification smartphone and making it run software that was written long before anyone could ever have dreamt about such a think as an iPhone or Galaxy S. We'd call it magical, but Apple might try and take us to court over it.
Learning to play a new instrument, particularly if you've never familiarized yourself with anything like it before, can be a little daunting. But the Web is a vast library of learning resources, and now, it only takes an Internet connection and access to a decent app, video or tutorial in order to get started. The very first thing one must master - particularly when using a stringed instrument - is tuning; and although it can be a tricky process, it's also essential for getting a good feel of the instrument. Tunable, an app for iOS and Android, not only wants to make tuning just that little bit easier, but with a very beautiful interface, users can also marvel at the stunning visuals produced during the process. More details and download links right after the jump!
One of Android’s biggest complaints, or rather, complaints related to the smartphone and tablet OS, is the relatively poor battery life, where most users find it hard to even make it through one full day on a single charge. For this very reason, there exists a slew of battery saving and optimization apps not just in the Google Play Store, but also all over the XDA-Developers forum. Most of these apps deliver what they promise, and are generally very functional. However, there is always room for some new contender in such a market, especially if the approach that it takes is different (and new) compared to existing ones. One similar app in this category is Optimus Battery Saver.
Not so long ago, Google felt it necessary to remove the useful Play Store feature which allowed users to see which apps you'd paid for in the past. What we're left with, is a general summary of every app you've ever downloaded (even those deleted from your device), and while this is not a problem for many, the old system certainly didn't need any alteration. Thankfully, the old system that allowed you to view only purchased apps has made a dramatic return, in the form of a third-party utility called My Purchases.
