Archive for the ‘Mobile News’ Category
Monday, October 3rd, 2011
We’ve received word from a trusted Vodafone executive that Apple will be announcing two new iPhones tomorrow.
One will be the iPhone 4S, an updated version of the iPhone 4 in the same form factor. We know from previous leaks and that the new upgrades will consist of a dual core ARM CPU (the same one that’s in the iPad 2) and an improved 8 megapixel camera. The camera is noted to be quite good in low light as it uses backlit sensor, and also will include a panoramic photo mode.
The Vodafone exec noted that the phone would be available with much more internal storage than ever before – up to 64 GB versions will be sold. As the form factor isn’t changing too much, we’re already able to stock quite a number of iPhone 4S cases and iPhone 4S covers.
The next is far more revolutionary; the radical redesign of the iPhone called the iPhone 5. The iPhone 5 will be launching later than the iPhone 4S, but is much more interesting.We know from leaked design specifications of iPhone 5 cases and other leaks that the phone will be sporting a dual core CPU, a full gigabyte of RAM, that eight megapixel camera and a tear-shaped curved metal-clad back similar to the iPhone 3G.
The display also looks like it’ll be expanding based on the iPhone 5 case design documents, with the bezel shrinking to a minimum to accommodate a 4″ screen. There are other small hardware changes — the lock switch has switched sides, for example, and the home button may be expanded to serve as a multi touch area.
There are software changes too, which developers have seen firsthand with the iOS 5 developer preview. The most obvious change is that iCloud cloud storage has been integrated in a big way. There’s also improvements to notifications, making them for akin to the Android notification system. Several apps will also see updates, including Mail and Safari.
Twitter integration is another plus, but the biggest change may be voice control, courtesy of Apple’s acquisition of tech firm Siri last year. The system, which is described as a solid progression from the voice control found in current generation iPhones, is called Assistant, and is capable of both reading and transcribing incoming text messages and emails.
All in all, it looks like this generation is going to be a very significant upgrade. We’ll be covering Apple’s press event tomorrow, so check back here for the latest news on the iPhone 5 and iPhone 4S and corresponding iPhone 5 accessories and iPhone 4S accessories (such as those all-important iPhone 5 screen protectors).
We’d also love to hear your thoughts; hit us up on the social media links below or leave a comment!
Tags: iPhone 4S, iPhone 4S accessories, iPhone 4S case, iPhone 4S cases, iPhone 4S cover, iPhone 4S covers, iPhone 4S news, iPhone 4S screen protector, iPhone 4S screen protectors, iPhone 5, iPhone 5 accessories, iPhone 5 case, iPhone 5 cases, iPhone 5 cover, iPhone 5 covers, iPhone 5 screen protector, iPhone 5 screen protectors,
2 Comments
Thursday, September 29th, 2011
The HTC Explorer is the latest phone to be announced by popular handset manufacturers HTC. The sim free HTC Explorer sits on the budget end of the price spectrum, below the top-of-the-line Sensation and middle-range Wildfire S. The unlocked HTC Explorer is priced competitively, as you’d expect, coming in at just £179.95 at Mobile Fun. The phone will be released on October 28th.
So what do you get for just under £180? Well, you get a handset that can run the latest version of Android, version 2.3.5, at full force, including HTC Sense 3.5. The Explorer, as its name suggests, is an excellent introduction to new discoverers of Android, who want to try the system out without committing to the purchase of the latest flagship phone.
Internally, the phone features a 600 MHz processor and up to 32 GB of internal memory. All of the latest connection standards are supported, including Bluetooth 3.0, microUSB for charging and synching, Wi-Fi and assisted GPS. The front of the phone is dominated by the 320×240 3.2″ touch screen and the four capacitive buttons below it.
While the phone has only just been announced, we’ve already begun ordering HTC Explorer accessories.
This is certainly a great phone for newcomers to Android, or as a handy and inexpensive backup phone for more fanatical users. While its technical specifications aren’t the best, it can still run the best apps Android has to offer and has HTC’s legendary excellent build quality, making it a sound investment.
Conclusion
So what do you think of the HTC Explorer sim free? Let us know via the social media links below! If you’d like to ask us any questions about the HTC Explorer unlocked, then feel free to do so over the same channels. Thanks for reading!
Wednesday, September 28th, 2011
Speaking at their press conference just minutes ago, Amazon have announced the release of their latest e-readers, the Kindle Fire, Kindle Touch and Kindle.
Kindle
The Kindle (3? Button?) is a standard, smaller Kindle without touch capabilities. It costs just $79. It features faster page turns and free Amazon cloud storage, but no full keyboard. It ships today (at least in the US). The old Kindle is now called ‘Kindle Keyboard’.
The Kindle will be available for £89.99 in the UK, from the 12th of October.
Kindle Touch
Interestingly, the Kindle Touch has also been announced, at $99. Wow, that’s cheap. It uses an IR touch system, giving touchscreen features to the e-ink display. It’s the same size as previous Kindles but with a much bigger display, making the most of the obviation of the physical keyboard. It uses three ‘tap zones’, corresponding to next page, previous page and menu. There’s even integrated Wikipedia background info called X-Ray, e.g. showing information about the Treaty of Versailles on the specific page that it’s relevant to.
The Kindle Touch 3G is $150, and both will be shipped on November 21st.
Kindle Fire
This is the first Kindle to include a color touch screen, hence the new moniker, and comes in a very similar 7″ form factor as BlackBerry’s Playbook tablet.
Perhaps most interestingly, the Kindle Fire is only $199… this is very close to the HP Touchpad pricepoint that sparked massive fire sales a few weeks ago when it was reduced due to HP’s reorganisation. The Fire also comes with a free month of Amazon Prime. All of this will likely put massive pressure on tablets to lower their prices to compete.
The Fire uses the popular Android mobile operating system, but with a custom UI that is similar (if much more fully featured) than its Kindle predecessors. As well as books, the Kindle Fire store will include streaming music and video. There’s even a newly termed ‘Kindle Single’, which is apparently a novella-length article ideal for mobile reading.
Internally, the Fire comes with standard wireless connectivity (no 3G yet). There’s a dual core processor, though, and a decent (but not massive) amount of internal storage. With most of your purchases sitting happily in the Amazon cloud (and they are world leaders in that field), internal storage isn’t that important though.
Many popular Android applications are also on board, including Fruit Ninja. There’s a Webkit-powered browser as well called Amazon Silk, which leverages the cloud to cache web pages, images and stylesheets. It looks pretty awesome, and I’ll be interested to see how it performs in the wild.
We’ll update this story as we get more details, what do you think so far?
Friday, September 23rd, 2011
This article series looks at the upcoming releases from top smartphone manufacturers, almost all of which are looking like they’ll be released over the next two or three months.
It’s an exciting time to be buying a smartphone, with cool phones like the iPhone 5, the HTC Vigor and the Galaxy Note coming out. Many of these new phones are sporting much wider displays, some of which are capable of 720p, and CPU power is also vastly increasing.
Today, we’ll be looking at LG’s upcoming LU6200.
LG LU6200
This is quite a recent release, so we don’t know too much about this one. It’s set to be a South Korean exclusive at launch, but already has a European / US street name, the LG Optimus LTE. The device features an award-winning 720p IPS (in-plane-switching) screen more commonly found in high end monitors. IPS monitors tend to use less power and feature much better color reproduction than TN displays, although they are much more expensive.
Features:
- 4.5″ HD IPS display (720 x 1280)
- Dual core 1.5GHz CPU
- 4g capabilities
- 8 megapixel camera
- LTE capabilities
Release Date: 2011.
Certainty: 70%
We’d say there’s a good chance of the LU6200 getting a European release.
Accessories:
None yet.
Conclusion
So what do you think of LG’s lineup? Please let us know via the normal social media channels, or leave a comment below.
Next week, we’ll be wrapping it all up and providing an at-a-glance comparison of these upcoming phones.
Friday, September 23rd, 2011
This article series looks at the upcoming releases from top smartphone manufacturers, almost all of which are looking like they’ll be released over the next two or three months.
It’s an exciting time to be buying a smartphone, with cool phones like the iPhone 5, the HTC Vigor and the Galaxy Note coming out. Many of these new phones are sporting much wider displays, some of which are capable of 720p, and CPU power is also vastly increasing.
Today, we’ll be looking at Motorola’s Defy+ and Nokia’s N9.
Motorola’s Upcoming Releases: Defy+
Motorola Defy+
The Defy+ is Motorola’s upgrade to their rather popular everything-resistant phone, the original Defy. The new phone has a faster processer and improved battery.
Features:
- Water resistant
- Drop resistant
- Scratch resistant
- Dust resistant
- Android Gingerbread
Release Date: Late September
Certainty: 95%
It’ll be here, sometime quite soon, although we don’t have a date nailed down yet.
Accessories:
We’ve got a host of Motorola Defy+ accessories for the SIM free Motorola Defy+, including Motorola Defy+ cases and Motorola Defy+ chargers. Hurrah!
Nokia’s Upcoming Releases: N9
Nokia N9
The N9 is one of the most anticipated phones of 2011, after a series of clever promo videos were released featuring its advanced, yet ill-fated MeeGo operating system. In the Nokia flagship store in Finland, all pre-orders for the 64GB version have been filled after three days, hinting that the phone and its OS may not be as dead as previously expected.
Features:
- MeeGo operating system
- 3.9″ AMOLED screen
- 8 megapixel camera with 720p video capture
Release Date: October
Certainty: 80%
The sim free Nokia N9 will be released in Finland and Australia, but won’t be officially released in the UK.
Accessories:
Here at Mobile Fun, we’ll be stocking both the unlocked Nokia N9 and a full range of Nokia N9 accessories, including really nice Nokia N9 cases.
Conclusion
So what do you think of Motorola and Nokia’s lineup? Please let us know via the normal social media channels, or leave a comment below.
Tomorrow, we’ll be looking at LG’s offerings, including the mysterious LU6200.
Tags: Motorola Defy+ accessories, Motorola Defy+ available, Motorola Defy+ case, Motorola Defy+ cases, Motorola Defy+ details, Motorola Defy+ specifications, Motorola Defy+ specs, Nokia N9 accessories, Nokia N9 case, Nokia N9 cases, Nokia N9 details, Nokia N9 release date, Nokia N9 rumours, Nokia N9 specs,
Comments Off
Subscribe to feed
