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.
The modern high-end smartphone is the ultimate example of the convergence of technology: besides being, you know, a phone, these devices are our music players, video players, alarm clocks, organizers, dictionaries, calculators, internet communications devices, full HD video recorders and go-to cameras.
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 iPhone 5 has been officially available through Apple and the carriers for two days now and although it has been heralded as a success, there are still a few issues that have some users expressing a little concern. One of the biggest talking points has been the removal of Google Maps in favor of Apple's own vector based mapping system, which in itself wouldn't be too much of an issue but Apple have gotten things drastically wrong in some users opinion.
Those of you who have installed iOS 6 or purchased a device like the iPhone 5 will notice that it no longer has the YouTube application bundled as part of the OS. Google have released a fairly decent app onto the App Store, but at the moment it doesn't come with a native iPad version meaning that users needs to run it as an iPhone app on the iPad. It is also yet to be updated for the new iPhone 5.
Yesterday, it was confirmed through multiple benchmarks that, with its custom ARMv7 dual-core chip dynamically clocked between 750MHz to 1.2GHz, Apple’s iPhone 5 is indeed the fastest smartphone available in the market today. It bests every other high-end Android smartphone (Galaxy S III, One X, Galaxy Nexus, you name it!); doesn’t matter if they come with four cores or are clocked at higher frequencies.
One of the possible reasons why Apple shifted to their own mapping solution in iOS 6, besides reports suggesting that their five year long Maps license from Google had expired, is the company’s general preference to having complete and absolute control over how user’s use their products. In addition to that, data from users of maps is very valuable; data that Apple would like to keep to itself rather than hand it to a third party.
Apple made a song and dance of the new iPhone 5's camera improvements, and although the resolution remained at 8-megapixels (translating to "unchanged" among the overwhelming majority), Apple not only improved its build quality by incorporating a Sapphire lens, but also claim it performs much better in low lighting conditions.
Yes, the new iPhone 5 is thinner, lighter, and generally more aesthetically-pleasing than its predecessor and, in fact, any iPhone before it. Aside from those three key improvements, the other noticeable alteration is that of the new display. In terms of pixel density, it's the same as both the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S, but that is where the similarities end. As well as being more vibrant than any previous Apple smartphone display, it's noticeably larger, and while the width remains the same, the additional block of real-estate at the top of the device pushes the diameter up to the 4-inch mark.
You remember the ongoing battle between Samsung and Apple over what does and does not constitute patent infringement? You know, the one that ended with Apple being awarded $1 billion in damages and Samsung left to lick its wounds? Bet you thought that was the end of that, didn't you?
