There's been plenty of speculation recently surrounding Apple's product plans for the remainder of the year. Conjecture and Internet based chit-chat continues to grow regarding what may or may not be included in iOS 8. Most of which will be either confirmed or denied when we get our first glimpse of the firmware in June at WWDC 2014. There's also mounting speculation about the fruit company's plans for the next-generation iPhone, dubbed the iPhone 6, with most focus being specifically placed on the device's display dimensions. Ming-Chi Kuo, of KGI Securities fame, has added fuel to that fire and put the cat amongst the pigeons by releasing a product timeline, indicating that Q3 could be a huge period for Apple.
The company has been applying a lot of man hours and internal resources into not only polishing and fine tuning the Messenger app, but also implementing, testing and experimenting with new features. This month's introduction of free-of-charge VoIP calling has finally accelerated the product to the point where Facebook feels comfortable enough to remove chat from its main app, a move that will be rolling out over the next eight weeks.
Siri may have become something of a modern cult figure since its introduction alongside the iPhone 4s back in 2011, but with the big announcement of Windows Phone 8.1 last week, Microsoft also took the wraps off Cortana, its very own Siri alternative. Given the very nature of the mobile market, we know that competition will be fierce, and as per a very funny, mocked-up parade of the respective voice assistants on an American chat show, the blue touchpaper has already been well and truly lit.
Instant messaging and communication apps are experiencing something of a boom right now, and it's no coincidence that since the announcement of Facebook's $16 billion takeover of WhatsApp, developers have been plotting various ways to tap into this clearly lucrative market.
Towards the end of March, a few schematic leaks emerged detailing 4.7-inch and 5.7-inch iPhone models. At the time, it was reckoned that said documents outlined supposed lower-end, 'iPhone 6c' devices, but now, one designer has put together some renders of what these handsets might look like if treated to the premium, flagship design language.
We had a rough idea that this year's Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) would kick off in June because, well.. it nearly always does. But with the Cupertino company having last week finally put any ambiguity to rest by officially announcing the WWDC 2014 event, we're now firmly fixated on what will be uncovered from June 2nd. Adding to the melting pot of information we already have regarding iOS 8 and OS X 10.10, more intriguing tidbits have emerged with regards to what Apple might have in store for this summer and beyond.
The iOS 7.1 update rolled out by Apple recently was by no means a significant improvement upon iOS 7.0.x, but alongside a couple of notable introductions like CarPlay and the new Calendar app, it did offer a fair amount of housekeeping improvements. Animations had been problematic for a number of users since iOS 7 first trickled out for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch back in September, but the Cupertino company toned down some of the transitions with iOS 7.1, including the somewhat fanciful 'pinch-to-close.' If you're stuck on iOS 7.0.x and want to benefit from the improvements that Apple has made to this particular feature, then a new jailbreak tweak released via Cydia has you covered.
As far as smartphone cases and covers are concerned, there's a style and finish to suit every requirement. If you're a bit of a fashionista, you can get yourself a hand-stitched leather sleeve, if you want something rough and ready, there's OtterBox, and if you're a bit of a geek and aren't afraid to show it, then the new dot view case for the HTC One M8 is delightfully geeky. If your forte is to take secret photos, however, then the new COVR Photo case for iPhone has your back, with a rather ingenious, albeit slightly stalker-ish contraption that allows you to take photos without anybody knowing what you're up to.
The ongoing Apple vs. Samsung patent trial has managed to capture and hold our attentions for a number of reasons. The bitter legal wrangle currently shows no signs of subsiding as both companies continue to flex their legal might in the hope of claiming even the smallest of victories over the other.
We all like to customize our devices. It's why multi-colored cases sell so well, and why we agonize over whether what color smartphone we want to buy every time a new one gets released. People like to think that they've got something different to what everyone else has because they like to be different.
