After being showcased to the world from the hand of a gleeful Steve Jobs back in 2007, the Apple iPhone certainly changed everything. It completely altered the way the smartphone market operated, how consumers interacted with mobile devices, and has had a very lasting and sustained impact on mobile software. From the developers of apps in the App Store to companies built around the coveted handset, the impact of the iPhone is much broader than many would supposed, and this point is elaborated upon nicely thanks to a rather beautiful infographic created by Rand Group.
The introduction of the iPhone 5s during the final quarter of 2013 marked a significant hardware change in the mobile industry. Not only was the 5s the first consumer facing smartphone to introduce 64-bit architecture with the A7 chipset, but it was also the first publicly available smartphone to implement fingerprint scanning technology thanks to Touch ID. It's highly likely that biometric based detection and authentication will become increasingly popular over the next few years, with manufacturers coming up with their own unique uses. On the subject of biometrics, a new comparison video from Tanner Marsh gives a fairly comprehensive overview of fingerprint detection on what are arguably the market's two most powerful smartphones: the iPhone 5s and Galaxy S5.
Along with the iPhone 5's release back in late 2012, Apple also took the wraps off its new EarPods earphones, which represented a marked improvement upon the previous ear buds in terms of design, audible output, and comfort. Aside from packing a mic and some basic controls, there wasn't really much else to tell about the EarPods, but a new patent filing by the Cupertino company suggests that an accelerometer and beamforming mics could be thrown in to an improved edition, allowing the peripheral to include its very own voice-recognition facility.
Starting with iOS 7, Apple introduced a new security mechanism into all iOS devices that required a user to disable Find My iPhone before an iCloud account could be deleted or the device could be restored. This, of course, requires access to the password associated with that Apple ID. The system was heralded as a great step forward for Apple, but it seems that it is not completely secure, with the discovery of a bug that allows the whole process to be bypassed. More details and video demo can be found right here.
Plenty of Windows Phone users had been waiting on the announcement of Windows Phone 8.1 at BUILD 2014, and finally got their wish today as Microsoft reeled off an extensive list of new features soon headed to current Windows Phone 8 devices in the form of a gleaming new update. As well as the likes of Action Center and significant improvements to the lock screen and home screen, one of the key new features of Windows Phone 8.1 is Cortana, the voice assistant that will serve as the software giant’s very own take on Siri, and given the cult status of Apple's digital slave, Microsoft seized upon the opportunity to release a series of clips explaining why Cortana will be better.
New iPhone 6 concepts are a daily occurrence just now, and even though we think we know that Apple will be going bigger with its next flagship, pinning down a specific design or form factor is proving difficult. As Apple continues to keep its plans under wraps, this gives designers and fans a license to dream, and Sahanan Yogarasa, maker of today's concept, has done exactly that.
With the serious nature of the current court battle between Samsung and Apple, it's always amusing to witness the many ways in which the on-looking tech community continually trolls both companies. With Samsung having developed a reputation for copying its Cupertino adversary - this being the main reason behind the current court case in California - a funny little graphic has emerged from what looks to be a Thai comic, showing just how Samsung came up with its logo. (Hint: it copied Apple).
There's been plenty of conjecture and speculation surrounding Apple's next-generation iPhone over the last few months. We're fast approaching this year's Worldwide Developer Conference, a date which inevitably brings with it intensified scrutiny of the company's future product roadmap as well as a renewed sense of hope that the company will fall back to its traditional June iPhone announcement dates. It looks highly unlikely that we will get an official introduction to the iPhone 6 during WWDC, but if the latest reports are to be believed then we could be set to welcome in a new device with a 4.7-inch screen.
Even though the iPhone 6 isn't expected to arrive until September time, there's been a notable spike in the frequency of new details relating to the Cupertino's next big thing. From what we've heard, 'big' is the operative word here, with a 4.7-inch model apparently allied to a larger configuration packing a 5.5-inch display, and thanks to a leaked image via Chinese social network Weibo, we may have our first legitimate look at the device's rear shell.
You may remember the schematics leaks from a few days back, which supposedly gave us an insight into what Apple was planning with the next iPhone, aptly named the iPhone 6. But while it was certainly questionable as to whether the documents actually shed any light upon the enigmatic device, renowned designer Martin Hajek has turned the sketches and dimensions into some beautiful conceptual renders.
