iPhone, iPad and iPod touch users are just becoming acquainted with iOS 6, released by Apple last week, but for Android users, accessing a new firmware is a different ball game entirely. Android Jelly Bean (4.1) arrived some months ago, with the fledgling Google Nexus 7 among the first devices to ship with the new OS as standard, but thanks to the fragmented nature of Android, users of even the most powerful devices have been left waiting.
iOS 6 has, among a slew of new features and enhancements, brought two significant new native apps to the table. The first was Apple's publicly-flogged in-house Maps app displacing the popular Google offering, while the second - which has been viewed much more favorably upon - was Passbook. Billed as the answer to general pocket clutter like tickets, vouchers and such, it provides an easy way for such passes and gift cards to be stored digitally, utilized with ease, and readily located when required. In essence, it's another example of Apple attempting to change everything, again.
It wasn't that long ago when Samsung answered consumer calls to offer some additional color options for those who wanted to purchase their flagship Galaxy S III Android device. Samsung introduced some nice alternatives in the range with colors which they claim were inspired by "earth's richest materials". We aren't really sure why Samsung felt the need to include a backstory with each color choice rather than just pushing out the new handset to consumers and let them make them choice. Nevertheless, the Amber Brown, Garnet Red, Titanium Grey and Sapphire Black options all added a new dimension to the powerful handset.
Custom launchers, or home screen alternatives, are aplenty throughout the Google Play Store, and if ever you're weighing up the Google side of the ongoing Android vs. iOS debate, the launchers are certainly apart of what makes the Big G's mobile OS tick.
The first drop test videos involving the iPhone 5 have surfaced, with the team testing Apple's sixth-generation smartphone against a variety of different objects, as well as Samsung's current flagship device, Galaxy S3. The test can't exactly be described as scientific, and while it doesn't give users any indication about how they will get on with the two devices or give any insight on their features, it does show whether or not Apple or Samsung has paid the most attention to build quality or product durability.
Because of just how many liberties Android offers before you even root your phone, apps that replace built-in functionality like the keyboard, launcher, and our category of interest today, the gallery app are very popular. We’ve covered a good variety of high quality gallery replacements over the last few months, and we’ve come across another interesting gallery app today called iGallery. Check it out after the jump.
Aside from Facebook, which is fast-approaching the magical billion milestone of users, Twitter is the most popular way for people to express themselves, sharing their lives, images and whatever they please - provided words are kept to the strict <140 character limit.
The last few weeks have been dominated by the announcement of new hardware from Apple and Nokia in the form of the iPhone 5 and the rather gorgeous looking Lumia 920, respectively. Media events held by Nokia and Apple concentrated on introducing the world to the two new pieces of kit and have succeeded in raising excitement levels for the future of the industry. Apple's new iPhone and the Lumia 920 are sure to be extremely successful in their own right, but it's also worth paying some attention to what the world's largest smartphone vendor - Samsung - has in store for us.
If the old saying bigger is always better is actually true, then it looks like HTC could be onto a winner with one of their latest pieces of hardware. We've been expecting HTC to announce something big (literally) for a while now and have even caught the odd glimpse of some prototype images that have been doing the rounds on the web for the last few weeks. As we brace ourselves for public release of the iPhone 5 at the end of this week, we can also get our hopes up about a great new HTC smartphone, possibly carrying the One X 5 moniker.
Despite all the negative comments about its neither-a-phone-nor-tablet display size, the Galaxy Note is now among Samsung’s more successful products. According to official figures released in June, the company sold a cool 7 million units of the device seven months since its launch. Samsung later announced the technically improved Galaxy S III-based Galaxy Note II. Now, while the next Galaxy Note announcement is months away, the folks over at Concept Phones have come up with an interesting mockup called the Galaxy Note X. Check it out after the jump.
