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.
So after all the talk, all the leaks and a healthy dose of speculation, it's finally been announced. The leaks might have left us with less of a surprise than Samsung would have liked, but the Galaxy S5 is now official, and everyone's talking about it.
Even in the midst of Mobile World Congress, Apple has managed to end up grabbing headlines after an analyst claimed that the company's iPhone 6 will be available sooner than expected. In fact, according to Mizuho Securities analyst Abhey Lamba, the highly anticipated new iPhone could be on stores as early as July, months before the usual September release timeframe that Apple has used in the past.
BlackBerry is one sinking - if not already sunken - ship, and perhaps the entire technology world agrees with that, except maybe the new CEO of the company, John Chen, who recently told CNet in an interview that the company was working on a phone that would make customers come back to the struggling platform in masses, effectively turning the ship around!
Apple just released iTunes 11.1.5 for Windows and OS X and is available for download immediately. More details regarding what the update brings and where to download it from can be found right here.
Unlocking a smartphone with the intention of freeing it up to use on any network has always been a contentious point amongst users. Some consumers approach the subject firmly with the mindset that they own the device and therefore have the right to have it unlocked for use on any carrier they like. Others take a more cautious approach, remaining baffled by whether or not the act of unlocking is actually legal. If you are one of the many that remain unsure about the legality of the issue, then the US House of Representatives may have just cleared the situation up by passing a bill relating to device unlocking.
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.
Mozilla, the company best known for its work on the extremely popular Firefox Web browser, has used this year's Mobile World Congress in Barcelona to showcase an affordable, entry-level smartphone. The company has taken the opportunity to show off a functioning prototype of the $25 smartphone that will be targeted at emerging markets and the developing world. We've known for quite some time that Mozilla were on a mission to create a truly affordable smartphone that would benefit individuals in rising markets, but this early-stage prototype running Firefox OS is the first example of the progress made so far.
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.
