iPhone 5C, a Slightly Cheaper and Redesigned Version of iPhone Gets Unveiled

The iPhone 5C was undoubtedly the more anticipated version of the iPhone in today’s event. The cheaper model of the series replaces the iPhone 5 (4S will continue though) and features an all new design which waves goodbye to the usual design language.

Design and Display

The iPhone 5C features the first plastic design in an iPhone for years. While the front is still glass, of course, the back is a single piece of hard-coated polycarbonate plastic, made stronger by a reinforced steel structure. iPhone 5C will be available in White, Yellow, Green, Red and Blue.

The Retina display measures 4 inches diagonally, the same as the iPhone 5 and 5S, having resolution of 640 x 1136 pixels. The 5C is also made of compounds which are Arsenic-free, Mercury-free and “Android-free”.

Hardware

The iPhone 5C is powered by an Apple A6 processor, the same breed in the line of processors which ran on the iPhone 5.

Software

The phone will come with iOS 7 pre-installed which will definitely match the colorful identity of the device it’s running on.

Apple claimed that iPhone 5C will be vivid realization of hardware and software together in one device.
Apple’s own productivity-boosting software, i.e. iWork, iPhoto, iMovie, Keynote and Pages and Numbers will also be free for this device.

Camera

The camera on the iPhone 5C is also an 8 megapixel BSI sensor with 5-element lens. It does 1080p Full HD videos at 30fps too. The front-facing camera is also improved to perform better in low-lighting conditions.

Miscellaneous

The battery of the iPhone 5C is not-disclosed right now but can last 10 hours during 3G talk-time and 250 hours on standby. Bluetooth 4.0, Lightning Port, dual-band Wi-Fi, LTE and headset jack is used for connectivity.

Pricing and Availability
The price of the iPhone 5C is set at $99 and $199 on contract for 16 and 32 GB versions. At launch, it will cost around 70,000 PKR in Pakistan but that figure will settle down later. Optional cases will cost $29.
As you might’ve noticed, the iPhone 5C is a lot like the phone it’s replacing. It does bring a new design however and maybe that will be one of its key selling factors. Being an Apple product, it is priced highly and of course, you can buy a 4S or a used 5 for much cheaper but for those who are buying an iPhone and planning to keep it longer, the 5C is probably your safer bet.

Read More

BlackBerry New Announces the Z30 Smartphone

While the BB10 OS was meant to turn the smartphone battle into a four-horse race, the response of the phones running it so far has been lukewarm. Lack of quality apps and high price have plagued the sales of the OS and as the market has become more and more saturated with time, there’s really not that much of a need for another mobile OS.

Still, the company has taken to the challenge by announcing its 4th smartphone running BB10 called the Z30. The smartphone isn’t radically different from the Z10 and comes with a larger display and SnapDragon S4 Pro processor.

The design of the phone is based on the Z10 and comes with no hardware buttons at the front. The 5 inch 720p display takes up a large part of it with the speaker, front 2 mp HD camera and a notification LED at the top. The display is a Super AMOLED panel.

The processor inside is of Qualcomm SnapDragon S4 Pro variety, clocked at 1.7Ghz. It’s followed by 2 GB of RAM, Adreno 320 GPU and 16 GB of storage, which also happens to be expandable this time.

The camera at the back is the same 8 megapixel unit with LED Flash and 1080p Full HD video. For connectivity, Bluetooth 4.0, microUSB 2.0, NFC, dual-band Wi-Fi and LTE are used.

There are some minor changes compared to the previous smartphones though. Running OS version 10.2, it comes with BB Priority Hub which is BlackBerry’s take on Gmail’s Priority Inbox and this time, the BB10 messages can be sent without having to close the current running app. Incoming messages can be seen directly from the lockscreen, while support for Wi-Fi Direct and multiple alarms is also home.
The 10.2 update is coming to the Q10 and Z10 smartphones in October.
Here are the full specs of the BlackBerry Z30:

• BlackBerry 10.2 OS running
• 5 inch 720p display with 1280 x 720 resolution
• 9.4mm thick
• 1.7Ghz Qualcomm SnapDragon S4 Pro, Adreno 320
• 2 GB RAM with 16GB expandable storage
• 8 megapixel back-camera with LED Flash, f2.2 aperture and 1080p Full HD video recording
• 2 megapixel HD front-camera
• Bluetooth 4.0, microUSB 2.0, NFC, dual-band Wi-Fi, LTE
• 2880 mAh battery

The phone is expected to hit the markets in the coming few weeks. Pricing is unknown as of now.

Read More

Jolla Phone, Compatible with Android Apps,New Made by Ex-Nokia Employees, Revealed

It has been almost 4 months since the Jolla phone running on Sailfish OS surfaced but its full specs are only being revealed now. The phone made by a small group of ex-Nokia employees (their company is also called Jolla) has been inspired by the great Nokia N9, and its abandoned Meego OS taken by the team to make Sailfish OS which runs on the Jolla.

One of the biggest benefits which this Linux-based OS will bring will be Android app capability. So while it is new, the OS won’t face any lack of apps. How well they’ll run is another point however.

As for the hardware, it comes with a 4.5 inch Estrade Display with qHD resolution of 540 x 960 pixels. Under the hood, it will boast a 1.4Ghz Qualcomm SnapDragon processor with 1 GB of RAM and 16 GB worth internal storage which will be expandable.

At the back sits an 8 megapixel camera with an LED Flash. At the front is also a 2 megapixel camera. A 2100 mAh battery will power up the Jolla.

Perhaps one of the team’s biggest achievement is the tight integration between the software and the hardware. The phone’s backplate comes in four different colours (red, orange, light blue and white). As soon as any of those are changed, the software of the phone updates itself with that particular color scheme. For example, if you’ve installed a red backplate on the back of your Jolla, the OS will turn into red, or shades of red too.

This peculiar feature prompted this small team of engineers to run an extensive online campaign termed “I am the other half”. And of course, the OS itself is gesture-based, given the inspiration and the history (that is, the N9 and Meego.)

When it will hit the markets at the end of the year, it will cost around 400 Euros or around 60,000 PKR. That’s a lot of money of course but fans of Meego should definitely give it a go if they feel adventurous (or if they want to stand out from the usual crowd of iPhones, Galaxies and Lumias.)

Read More

Dell Leaves Microsoft as the Only Company to Offer Windows RT Tabs

Dell has become another Microsoft OEM to drop the Windows RT platform as it pulls its XPS 10 tablet from the shelves.

This leaves Microsoft as the only company which is still making tablets running on Windows RT now.

Dell’s official website now lists XPS 10 Tablet, which is a 10 inch tablet running on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon S4 processor, as “unavailable”. It instead recommends users to buy the Latitude 10, another 10-inch tablet but running on Windows 8, thanks to an Intel Atom processor.

The news comes merely days after Microsoft announced the second-generation Surface tablets running on Windows RT and 8.

Still, while another Windows RT tablet is not off the cards completely, hardly anyone is expecting a product running on a failed operating system from a company which has seen a rebirth recently.

Until now, companies like Samsung, ASUS and Lenovo have already said no to the Windows RT long ago and one can’t expect a tablet from them either, probably they’ll return if the Surface 2 becomes an unexpected success.

Read More

Nokia Lumia 925 New Launched in Pakistan

Nokia has introduced the Nokia Lumia 925, a new interpretation of its award-winning flagship, the Nokia Lumia 920 in Pakistan.

The Nokia Lumia 925 introduces a metal design and showcases the latest PureView camera innovation, new features and third party applications coming to the Nokia Lumia range.

The Nokia Lumia 925 includes the most advanced lens technology and next generation imaging software to capture clearer, sharper pictures and video, including the best low light images.

The Nokia Lumia 925 also introduces the new Nokia Smart Camera mode, coming as an update to all Lumia Windows Phone 8 smartphones. Nokia Smart Camera offers an easy way to capture ten images at once and edit the pictures with options like Best Shot, Action Shot, and Motion Focus for creating the perfect high quality image.

Nokia also announced Hipstamatic’s new app, Oggl, will arrive on Nokia Lumia smartphones, allowing people to take and share high quality pictures with like-minded creatives and photography enthusiasts from around the world. In addition to sharing photos on Oggl, users can simultaneously share photos on social networks including Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, Instagram, Tumblr and Flickr.

“We keep innovating,” said Arif Shafique, country general manager of Nokia Pakistan & Afghanistan. “We’re advancing experiences on the Nokia Lumia portfolio whether that means great new benefits for an existing Lumia owner, or bringing new showcase devices like the Nokia Lumia 925.”

He further added: “We continue to change the way people think about smartphone cameras. The work Nokia has done with the Lumia 925 further enhances the imaging capabilities of the Lumia smartphones.”

A wireless charging cover can be clipped onto the back of the phone to take advantage of Nokia’s extensive wireless charging accessories and ecosystem.

The Nokia Lumia 925 introduces metal for the first time to the Nokia Lumia range, bringing appeal and unique benefits like increased robustness. The polycarbonate back comes in white, grey or black.

Currently the price for Nokia Lumia 925 in Pakistan is Rs. 53,000. Covers, sold separately, come in white, black, yellow, and red.

Read More

iPhone new 5S vs the Competition

Apple’s newly announced iPhone 5S is a pretty great update to the iPhone, thanks to its first-of-a-kind Apple A7 chip, the M7 motion co-processor and an improved camera with tricks you can actually use but how does it fare against the competition?
Let the specs comparison chart decide that for you.

	Apple iPhone 5S	LG G2	HTC One	Sony Xperia Z	Samsung Galaxy S 4
Weight	112g	143g	143g	146g	130g
Thickness	7.6mm	8.9mm	9.3mm	7.96mm	7.9mm
Pre-installed OS	iOS 7	Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean	Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean	Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean	Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean
Display size	4 inches	5.2 inches	4.7 inches	5 inches	5 inches
Resolution	640 x 1136 pixels	1080 x 1920 pixels	1080 x 1920 pixels	1080 x 1920 pixels	1080 x 1920 pixels
CPU	64-bit Apple A7, M7 motion co-processor	2.26Ghz quad-core Krait	Quad-core 1.7 Ghz Krait	Quad-core 1.5 Ghz Krait	1.6Ghz quad-core Cortex A15 and 1.2Ghz quad-core Cortex A7
GPU	Undisclosed but 2X faster than before	Adreno 330	Adreno 320	Adreno 320	PowerVR SGX 544MP3
RAM	-	2 GB	2GB	2GB	2GB
Storage	16/32/64 GB	32 GB	32/64GB	16GB	16/32/64GB
Expandable	No	No	No	Yes	Yes
Rear-camera	8 mp, True Tone Flash, 1080p video at 30fps	13 mp, Full HD 1080p video at 60fps	4 mp Ultrapixel, Full HD 1080p video at 30fps	13 mp, Full HD 1080p video at 30fps	13 mp, Full HD 1080p video at 30fps
Front-camera	1.2 mp HD	2.1 mp Full HD	2.1 mp Full HD	2.2 mp Full HD	2 mp Full HD
Connectivity	Lightning Port, Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi,	Bluetooth 4.0, NFC, Infrared, Wifi Hotspot, microUSB 2.0, USB-OTG	Bluetooth 4.0, microUSB 2.0, Wifi Hotspot, optional NFC, Infrared	Bluetooth 4.0, microUSB 2.0, Wifi Hotspot, NFC	Bluetooth 4.0, NFC, microUSB 2.0, USB OTG, Infrared, Wifi Hotspot,
Battery	1440 mAh	3000 mAh	2300 mAh	2330 mAh	2600 mAh
Exclusive Features	iOS, Touch ID, Siri, 64-bit processor, M7 processor	Rear-buttons, SnapDragon 800, software tricks	HTC Sense, Zoe, Blinkfeed, Ultra-Pixel camera	IP57-certified	Octa-core CPU, Software tricks

Some people might’ve been pondering over the inclusion of iOS as an exclusive feature but then again, the ecosystem and experience it provides is pretty much unmatched elsewhere (despite getting surpassed by Google Play recently).
Except for the 4 inch display, most of the things are changed, maybe not so in the naming department but certainly under the hood.
Also the Touch ID is quite an interesting addition which will certainly help in the popularizing of the technology. If you think that these additions make your life easier then you should go ahead and stand in the long queue, but if not, then the list of competitors isn’t short either.

Read More

iPhone 5s vs 5c: What is Changed and Which one is For You?

Apple recently unveiled two new iPhones for the first time ever, creating a stir worldwide in smartphone markets. While the iPhone 5s is mostly well-received and is enjoying much fanfare already, the iPhone 5c is a bit controversial. It brings a new design and is supposedly aimed towards new markets, in short, the cheaper version. Despite this, it comes with a hard-to-swallow price tag.

But regardless of anything, iPhone 5C is cheaper than the iPhone 5s. Which one should you be buying? Your decision should depend on the following factors:

Design

The iPhone 5s looks better than the previous iPhone 5 and also better than the 5c (despite the fact that it’s actually 5c which is replacing the 5). It is quite sleek, weighing in at just 112g and being 7.6mm thick. Compared to that, the 5c is a bit chubby at 132g heavy and 9mm thick.

Also, while the 5s is made of premium materials (high-grade aluminium), the 5c is made of polycarbonate plastic. But don’t let that fool you. We haven’t handled it ourselves yet but since it uses a reinforced steel structure within, it’s one of the sturdiest plastic phones yet. (At least according to journalists who’ve used it.) It still won’t be beating aluminium though.

The 5c comes in a wide range of colours (five to be precise) while the 5s comes in three colour combinations, which come with more serious looks.

As for the screen, both have 4 inch Retina Displays with Gorilla Glass.

One huge addition on the 5s is Touch ID, which is a great substitute for passwords. The fingerprint scanner can memorize multiple fingerprints, is made of sapphire and has 500 pixels per inch. That is something not found on the 5c.

Internals

This is probably where the 5s has taken the biggest strides. The new A7 is the first 64-bit processor in a smartphone which is twice as fast as the A6 found in the 5c. Graphics are twice as fast too. Also making an entry is the M7 motion co-processor.

Now, of course, the A6 is not too bad either and will get the job done if you plan on playing casual games but to really believe in the A7, you have to see the Infinity Blade III demo. If that doesn’t impress you, nothing will.

Software

On the software side, both the 5s and 5c are almost similar, with the former getting an edge due to the Touch ID. The technology has been incorporated cleverly in several aspects of the user interface such as software and music purchases in App Store and iTunes.

The iWork suite and iMovie & iPhoto are free too which should really boost productivity from your iOS device.

Camera

The cameras on both the 5s and 5c are of 8 megapixels. But again, the camera on the 5s is better, with a larger sensor, larger pixel size and a True Tone dual-led Flash. It also does 720p videos at 120fps, slow motion videos and of course, 1080p videos at 30fps. The 5c can only stand its ground in that last instance.

Pricing

The iPhone 5c is considerably cheaper, at $549 for the starting model. The 5s however, will be starting at around $700 for the starting model. That’s a difference of around 20,000 PKR when the phones will hit the Pakistani market initially.

Conclusion

The difference of 20,000 PKR is quite a lot but spending that extra money gets justified easily in the case of 5s. The upper-end model easily outclasses its younger brother in virtually every category.

Or you may as well get the iPhone 5 which can be found for even cheaper. It won’t be supported by its manufacturer as much though. One last choice is the 4S which is the cheapest right now but its aging hardware makes it a less than ideal choice.

And lastly, here’s the recap:

Why should I choose iPhone 5S

• More serious design
• Thinner, Lighter
• Touch ID, Better home button
• Apple A7, M7 processor
• Better 8 megapixel camera, True Tone, Slow-motion videos

Why should I choose iPhone 5C

• Cheaper
• More colorful, youthful and glossy
• Plastic can take more hits on the ground
• Basically a redesigned iPhone 5 (if that’s a plus point for you)

Read More

ASUS Transformer Book T100 Offers new Full Windows 8 Under a Tempting Price Tag

Windows 8 (and RT) tablets have rather been a failed alternative to the iPad so far. The previous generation processor coupled with the manufacturers’ resistance to spend more on projects with less profit margins has been holding the tablets back but tables might have finally started to turn.
ASUS’ newest response in the Transformer Book T100 is a 10.1 inch tablet with 1366 x 768 resolution and has an Intel Atom Z3740 Bay Trail processor under the hood. The hybrid also comes with Intel HD Graphics and 2 GB RAM.

For connectivity, microUSB, microHDMI, Bluetooth and USB 3.0 port (in the keyboard dock are used).
On the software side, it comes with full Windows 8 (and not the RT), and Office 2013 pre-installed right from the get go.
Compared to the $499 iPad, the Transformer has been priced really attractively. Starting at just $349 for the base 32 GB model and $399 for the 64 GB version, it also comes with a keyboard dock. Yes, that’s true, without spending a penny more.

That transforms it into a full-fledged PC which can run loads of Windows software. And if you thought the internals were weak, the Bay Trail platform is twice as faster as the Clover Trail which it succeeds so you might even be able to play a few games on it as well.

Read More

Nokia Lumia Running on Android Used to be Under new Development: Report

Since Nokia’s alliance with Microsoft in 2011, a lot of rumours have surfaced time after time claiming that the cell phone manufacturer was reportedly working on Google’s Android.

While these rumours delighted a lot of smartphone fans, they undoubtedly would’ve brought some cold shivers down Microsoft’s spine too and might’ve caused it to buy its largest smartphone partner for $7 billion two weeks ago.

Now according to The New York Times, those rumours might not have been too fake after all. Two sources who worked for the Finnish giant and requested to be unnamed have told the news agency that a small team had been working on Google’s OS as a potential “plan B”, in case Microsoft’s Windows Phone failed.

What’s more, the two people even claimed that Nokia’s engineers even managed to make Android run on the Lumia phones. Report says that Nokia could launch Android powered Lumia phones with-in next year.
That, of course, is not verifiable with the Finnish company being sold and nor is there any hope that that initiative will see life now. Still, it would’ve been quite spectacular had Nokia chosen to make phones for two operating systems instead of one but then again, it was Microsoft who was paying Nokia to stay afloat after all.

Read More

Nokia Introduces Another Low-End, Dual SIM new Phone, the 108

Nokia may have been brought by Microsoft but that hasn’t stopped it from announcing new featurephones. The latest phone in the chain is the Nokia 108 which will also come with a dual-sim version of the phone.

Specs-wise the phone is not much different from most other devices of its class. Upfront is the 1.8 inch LCD display with 160 x 128 resolution. Beneath it are the 5-point navigation keys and the 12 button keypad. An addition is the VGA camera on the back which the Nokia says is enough for first-time camera phone buyers.

Storage is expandable via a microSD card slot. A 950 mAh battery with over a month worth standby time and about 14 hours talk-time is completes the package. And as is the case with phones like these, the 108 is quite compact too, weighing in at just 70 grams.

An optional dual-sim version of the phone will be there at launch. As for the software, the phone (most-probably) comes with Symbian S40, and has music player and FM Radio applications.

The 108 and the dual-sim version will cost around $29 at launch which is just about as cheap as you can expect from Nokia. They’ll arrive in Q4 of this year. While they won’t be replacing your smartphone, it’s sometimes really helpful to help to have a secondary phone with extra-long standby time. Or to play Snake.

Read More

Nokia Pakistan and Intel Pakistan Get Verified Pages on Facebook mobile

Apparently, Nokia Pakistan and Intel Pakistan have become only Pakistani brands to get verified page status on Facebook.
Facebook rollout this new feature of verifying well-known public figures and Pages with huge fan-followings – for example celebrities, journalists, government officials, popular brands and businesses – back in May 2013. Company said that verified page status will be extended to a limited and select profiles and pages in the start.
A rather straight-forward copy of Twitter verified accounts, with similar attributes, Facebook also marks the pages and profiles with small blue checkmark to indicate that a person or business is indeed the legitimate account holder. This blue checkmark is displayed across the website, search results and feeds to distinguish the verified pages from regular ones.
Facebook, however, hasn’t made public the criteria through which large-scale pages or celebrities can get verified page statuses. Also to note that no one can request to get verified page status, and this is something Facebook bestows itself based upon an unknown algorithm.
It merits mentioning here that Nokia Pakistan is number 2 Pakistani brand on Facebook in terms of fan-following after OLX Pakistan. However, Intel Pakistan stands pretty much down the line with 592,471 fans on its page.
It is assumed that global association of these brands might have played a role in getting verified page status. But it is anticipated that more brands are likely to get the same treatment in coming days.
Here are some of the top brands from Pakistan on Facebook:

• OLX Pakistan: 1,937,728 likes
• Nokia Pakistan: 1,456,860 likes
• Ufone: 1,315,424 likes
• 14th Street Pizza: 1,012,632 likes
• Pizza Hut – Pakistan: 943,968 likes
• Zong: 920,804 likes
• Samsung Pakistan: 858,490 likes
• Pepsi Pakistan: 780,146 likes
• Mobilink: 734,623 likes
• Pantene Pakistan: 718,719 likes
• Intel Pakistan: 592,471 likes

Read More

iPhone 5S new release date: where can I get it?

Who's stocking Apple's latest offering?

Related stories

• Apple iPhone 5S vs. Apple iPhone 5
• Apple A7 chipset to make iPhone 5S 31% faster than iPhone 5?
• Apple iPhone 5S officially launched as Cupertino's new flagship

The anticipation is over - Apple has unveiled the iPhone 5Sto the world and announced it will be available September 20. But now we're onto the next question: where can we actually pick one of these up and which 4G networks is it compatible with?

Well, we have the inside information on who will be stocking the new iPhone and when you'll be able to grab it. Here's the 411.

• Want more deets on the iPhone 5S? Right this way then. Or perhaps you'd like to read our hands on review?

Apple Store

If you're looking to pick up the iPhone 5S SIM-free, the Apple store has the handset available for £549 for the 16GB version, £629 for the 32GB and £709 for the 64GB.

EE

EE will be stocking the iPhone 5S, as it announced via a tweet soon after the reveal, and will have the handset available on 4GEE, Orange and T-Mobile from September 20.

You'll be able to pre-order on September 13 and those of you with eligible devices can upgrade via EE's new 'swap' program (conveniently announced yesterday) if you're six months or longer into your contract.

Three

Three has put up a pre-registration page for the iPhone 5S and has confirmed it will have the iPhone available for pre-order on September 13 and will make it available from September 20.

It also told us that both the iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C will be compatible with its 4G network.

Vodafone

Vodafone was one of the first to tell us that it will be stocking the new iPhone 5S but isn't giving any specific details on price and availability just yet. However Apple has confirmed that the 5S will support 4G on Vodafone's network, and there's a page for you to "register interest" over on Vodafone's site.

O2

O2 has confirmed that it will be stocking the iPhone 5S and that it will work on the network's 4G. There's currently a registration page and O2 has said pre-orders will be made available on September 13 before a September 20 release.

In terms of contracts, O2 told us that the iPhone 5S will be available on its Refresh tariffs, which will let owners upgrade to a future handset without shelling out for the remainder of the contract.

You'll be able to get the 16GB iPhone 5S for £36 a month with a £119.99 upfront cost, which includes unlimited minutes and texts as well as 1GB of 3G data.

Or if you're hankering for some 4G action, you can pay the same upfront cost but for £47 a month you'll get 5GB of data at superfast speeds on top of the unlimited texts and talk time.

• Catch up on all the details about

Read More

Apple Reveals iPhone 5S new

Apple has ended the one-year wait which starts off for next device just as the latest iPhone is announced.
This year, they made an amendment to the usual tradition by announcing two phones instead of one. The iPhone 5S is the top-of-the-line phone as evident by the ‘S’ and brings some incredible changes to the table.

The Display and Design

The design of the iPhone 5S follows the footsteps of the previous iterations and is made of high-grade aluminum with high-chaffered edges. It will be available in three colors: Black-Slate, White-Silver and White-Gold. One major change comes in the home button.

The button has seen its biggest change ever with a built-in 170 micron thick fingerprint scanner in it, called Touch ID. The technology’s use has been maximized in iOS 7 so alongside usual things like unlocking the device, it can also be used for things like iTunes purchasing verifications and other stuff. Multiple users’ fingerprints can also be memorized.

The iPhone 5S is very slick at just 7.6mm thin and 112g heavy. It’s also very environment-friendly, being made of components which are arsenic-free and mercury-free.

The display of the phone was one thing which was almost completely forgotten in Apple’s event. It’s still a 4 inch Retina with 640 x 1136 resolution. In an age of phablets with the Note III being announced only 6 days back, it’s a bit disappointing that Apple hasn’t enhanced the display. That was undoubtedly one of our bigger expectations.

CPU And Other Internals

The iPhone 5S has seen a major overhaul under the surface. The new chip called the A7 is twice as faster as before and 40 times as faster as the 2G. It does 2 times as many general purpose and floating point registers and packs twice as many transistors (1 Billion) as the A6.

The bigger innovation is that it’s the world’s first 64-bit smartphone processor. It will have support for OpenGL ES 3.0 and Xcode. The A7 will also have 64-bit kernels, libraries and drivers. The graphics are twice as fast as well. Overall, the iPhone 5S is 56 times faster than the original iPhone. Half of that spectacular figure is a direct blessing of A7.

The 64-bit chip is still compatible with the 32-bit apps. Also announced was an M7 chip which looks after motion-sensing in real-time and will be great for fitness apps.

The hardcore capabilities of the iPhone 5S were proven in the dazzling demo of Infinity Blade III which is also the last game of this series.

Software

The iPhone 5S comes with iOS 7 pre-installed, of course. That alone brings quite a lot of change including flat icons, better lockscreen, Control Centre, Notification Centre and a male Siri. Apple also announced that all of its essential editing and productivity apps, i.e. Keynote, iMovie, iPhoto, iWork and Pages and Numbers will be free from now onwards. This offer is limited to new iPhones which will be bought in the future only.
As for the rest of the iPhones, the iOS 7 update is coming on 18 September.

Camera

The iPhone 5S’ camera is still of 8 megapixels with a 5-element lens and f2.2 aperture. The sensor area is 15 percent larger. iOS 7 automatically corrects white balance & exposure balance and creates a local dynamic tone map for a better image.

That’s accompanied by a new dual-LED Flash dubbed “True Tone” which consists of a blue and an amber LED and operates on up to 1000 different levels to make photos appear natural. Auto Image Stabilisation and Burst Modes have also seen an entry with the latter being triggered whenever the shutter icon is held. It shoots at a rate of 10 images per second.

As for the video, the 5S captures 1080p video at 30fps, alongside 720p video at 120fps. Slow Motion videos can also be shot. For doing that, 720p videos are shot first while the portions to be slowed-down are chosen afterwards. A combination of the two can also go along, together. Facetime camera has also been improved to perform better in lowlight.

Miscellaneous

The phone’s battery is of 1440 mAh capacity and provides 3G talk-time of 10 hours and 250 hours of standby. Bluetooth 4.0, LTE, Wi-Fi and Lightning Port are used for connectivity. And as usual, a nano-SIM card is used.

Pricing and Availability

The phone will be available in Pakistan for the usual price tag of around $800 or Rs. 85,000 at launch. This price is likely to go down around Rs. 70,000 with-in one month of the launch. Special covers will cost $39 each. The iPhone 5S, alongside the 5C will be put up for sale on the 20^th of September. By the end of 2013, it would’ve hit 100 countries.

The iPhone 5S is the high-point for Apple. A lot of future-proofing has been done this time especially on the inside. Had Apple increased the display size to 4.5 inch, the package might’ve become even more tempting but even without it, the 5S is no slouch by any means.

One more thing to note is that unlike others, Apple hasn’t gotten itself into the numbers race. The camera is still 8 megapixels, screen still Retina. Why fix something which isn’t broken? For that, Apple deserves a pat on the back.
As for the phone itself, we’ll let the sales figures decide.

Read More

Samsung new Galaxy Note III Takes on other Phablets in a Spec Sheet

Samsung’s latest Note III, with its brilliant S-Pen, vivid display and a beefy hardware is a great phablet in its own right but will it be able to beat other phablets head-to-head? 

We will try to find that in a spec sheet below:

	Samsung Galaxy Note III	Sony Xperia Z Ultra	Acer Liquid S2	Huawei Ascend Mate
OS	Android OS	Android OS	Android OS	Android OS
Dimensions	151.2 x 79.2 x 8.3 mm	179.4 x 92.2 x 6.5mm	166 x 86 x 9 mm	163.5 x 85.7 x 99.9mm
Weight	168g	212g	-	198g
Display size	5.7 inches	6.4 inches	6 inches	6.1 inches
Resolution	1080 x 1920 pixels	1080 x 1920 pixels	1080 x 1920 pixels	720 x 1280 pixels
Processor	1.9Ghz Exynos Octa-core	2.2Ghz quad-core Snap-Dragon 800	2.2Ghz quad-core Snap-Dragon 800	1.5Ghz quad-core Huawei K3V2
RAM	3 GB	2 GB	2 GB	2 GB
Storage	32/64 GB	16 GB	16 GB	8 GB
Card slot	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Camera (rear)	13 mp with 4K video	8 mp with Full HD 1080p video	13 mp with 4K video	8 mp with Full HD 1080p video
Camera (front)	2 mp	2mp	2 mp	1 mp
Connectivity	NFC, Infrared, microUSB 3.0, USB-OTG, Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi	Wifi, NFC, microUSB 2.0, USB-OTG, Bluetooth 4.0	NFC, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, microUSB 2.0	Wifi, Bluetooth 4.0, microUSB 2.0, USB-OTG
Battery	3200 mAh	3050 mAh	3200 mAh	4050 mAh
Price	Undisclosed	$937	Undisclosed	$480

But of course, specs don’t narrate the whole tale, there is something called exclusivity too. Sony Xperia Z Ultra, for instance, is the only one which is waterproof and that supports input from even a pencil. 

The Galaxy Note III comes with its own stylus in the form of S-Pen with all of its tricks while the Huawei is easily the cheapest. Acer is a mix of them all and given Acer’s emphasis on competitive pricing, won’t be that expensive either.

Either way, it depends on the end users, that what matter most to them.

Read More

Samsung Launches the 3rd-Generation Note: the Note III

Samsung’s Note is undoubtedly the world’s most popular phablet.Nobody had expected it to sell this tremendously when it was first launched around three years ago. Instead, it sold in millions. More importantly, it helped trigger the phablet revolution, something which started to make sense thanks to its S-Pen.
So when Samsung took the stage to launching the Note III yesterday, the world knew something special was coming up. The newest iteration of the world’s most popular phablet features an even bigger screen, 13 megapixel camera with 4K Ultra HD video and either an SnapDragon 800 or Octa-core Exynos processor.
The Note III has seen a different approach in design this time. Gone is the polycarbonate plastic back of the previous generations and instead, matte leather has made an entrance. So no metal this time but we guess leather isn’t too bad either.
The display is now a 5.7 inch unit with Full HD resolution and pixel density of 386ppi. (That last bit is actually just a numbers game as anything above 300ppi is just useless). Despite the larger display, the Note III is even lighter and slimmer than before at just 168g and 8.3mm.
Under the hood you get either a quad-core Qualcomm SnapDragon 800 or Samsung’s own Exynos Octa-core processor. The former will be available for the LTE version. That will be accompanied by Adreno 330 graphics, 3 GB of RAM and either 32 or 64 GB of expandable storage.
At the back, the camera has a higher resolution of 13 megapixels now, along with 4K video at 30 fps or 1080p video at 60fps. A 2 megapixel Full HD camera follows at the front. For connectivity, the phone uses microUSB 2.0, USB-OTG, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC, Infra-red, dual-band Wi-Fi and optional LTE. A dual-sim version of the phone will be available later too.

As usual is the case with Samsung’s top-of-the-line smartphones, the Note III comes with software tricks (or gimmicks, whatever you call them) of their own. This is a tradition which was started by Samsung itself.
Air Command is a menu which comes into action as soon as you pull the redesigned S-Pen out or when you press the S-Pen button while flashing the stylus above the display, giving you multiple options regarding note-taking and stuff.
The first option is Action Memo which turns your notes into nifty, useful stuff. For example, scribbling down a phone number will result in the call being taken while an address will open Google Maps instantly.
The next in the line-up is Scrapbook which collects anything you highlight on the screen via the S-Pen. That is followed by S Finder which simply searches for your asked query from your notes or any other highlighted stuff.
The 4th in the list in Screen Write which just does what it is supposed to do while the last one is Pen Window. Its an immensely gripping concept where you draw a square on the screen and choose apps to float around on the screen. This amazing idea lets you run several of your important apps at once, while still using as much screen-estate as you want.
Samsung has also taken a response against HTC’s Blinkfeed by enhancing its own My Magazine app. The Note III will get its own Flip Leather cover in a huge variety of colours.
Here are the full specifications of the Note III:

• Customized Android 4.3 Jelly Bean
• 5.7 inch display with Full HD resolution of 1080 x 1920 pixels
• Optional dual-sim & LTE versins
• 168g heavy
• 8.3mm thick
• 2.3Ghz SnapDragon 800 processor/1.9Ghz Octa-Core Exynos
• Adreno 330 GPU
• 3 GB RAM with 32/64 GB expandable storage
• 13 megapixel camera with 4K video at 30fps or 1080p video at 60fps
• 2 megapixel Full HD front camera
• microUSB 2.0, USB-OTG, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC, Infra-red, dual-band Wi-Fi, 4G LTE, FM Radio
• Redesigned S-Pen, S-Pen related apps and tricks
• 3200mAh removable battery

Note: Some specs may differ in the International and LTE versions
The Note III will be available later this month for an unknown price tag. The price of the previous generation Note will get even more cheaper which will make it an even more attractive deal.
While this year’s Note III features some big changes, the users of last year’s Note don’t necessarily need to upgrade if they still manage to extract juice from their device. But then again, that varies from user to user.

Read More

Sony Announces Super-Sized Phablet the new Xperia Z Ultra

Sony is the latest company in the increasingly growing number of companies producing out monstrously large phones. The new phablet, the Xperia Z Ultra has a giant 6.4 inch Full HD display and the latest SnapDragon 800 processor.

The Xperia Z Ultra happens to be amazingly thin, in fact, it’s the world’s thinnest 1080p Full HD display smartphone at only 6.5mm. It is quite heavy though, at 212g.

The Xperia Z Ultra’s 6.4 inch display comes with Sony’s new X-Reality and OptiContrast tech and is of Full HD 1080p resolution. It’s also super-sensitive just like the new Lumias and Galaxy S4, which means you can virtually use any object to work on the phone, including pencils.

The Xperia Z Ultra is the world’s first phone to pack a SnapDragon 800 processor. It comes with 2 GB RAM and 16 GB internal expandable storage. The back hosts a 8 megapixel camera with 1080p Full HD video recording and HDR mode. LED Flash is missing here unfortunately.

The Xperia Z Ultra happens to be water-resistant. It comes with IP58 certification which means it can dive deeper than 1 meter for more than 30 minutes.
The phone runs on Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean.
Here are the full specs of the Xperia Z Ultra:

• Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean
• 6.5mm thick
• Weight: 212g
• 6.4 inch display with 1080p Full HD resolution
• Super-sensitive, shatterproof display
• IP58 certified water-resistant
• 2.2Ghz quad-core SnapDragon 800 processor
• Adreno 330 GPU
• 2 GB RAM with 16 GB internal expandable storage
• 8 megapixel camera with 1080p Full HD and HDR mode
• Bluetooth 4.0, microUSB 2.0, USB-OTG, NFC, 4G LTE
• 3050 mAh battery

The phone will be available in Q3 this year for a price tag of 719 Euros which will be equivalent to around PKR 95,000. That price tag might be tough to swallow but due to its high-tech specs, it will probably find quite many buyers.

Read More

The Google Play Edition of Samsung Galaxy S4 and HTC One Go on Sale

A while back, Google announced that it would be selling the Samsung Galaxy S4 and HTC One with Vanilla version of Android OS onboard. That day has finally arrived and both of the phones have finally gone on sale on Google Play.

The Google Edition of the phones are deprived of their exclusive software features and are exactly the same in this department. It is agreeable that HTC Sense and Touchwiz UI add a lot of features over Vanilla Android but with both of them gone, the phones will feel a bit snappier, that’s for sure.

Specifications-wise, the duo is exactly the same as there original counterparts. The Galaxy S4 version packs a SnapDragon 600 chipset underneath instead of the octa-core version but that won’t be hurting anyone much. Instead, it will yield better battery life. HTC One, on the other hand, will be packing the same quad-core SnapDragon 600 version as the original phone.
Here are the specs of the Google Edition of Galaxy S4:

• Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean with Stock Android
• 7.9mm thick
• 130g heavy
• 5 inch display with Full HD resolution of 1080 x 1920 pixels
• Corning Gorilla Glass 3
• 1.9Ghz quad-core Krait 300 processor with SnapDragon 600 chipset
• Adreno 320 GPU
• 2 GB RAM with 16/32/64 GB expandable memory
• 13 megapixel camera with Full HD video recording, image stabilization and HDR
• 2 megapixel Full HD front-facing camera
• Wifi Hotspot, microUSB 2.0, USB-OTG, NFC, IR Blaster, Bluetooth 4.0
• 2600 mAh battery

Here are the specs of the Google Edition of HTC One:

• Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean with Stock Android
• 9.3mm thin
• 143g heavy
• 4.7 inch display with Full HD resolution of 1080 x 1920 pixels
• Corning Gorilla Glass 2
• 1.7Ghz quad-core Krait 300 processor with SnapDragon 600 chipset
• Adreno 320 GPU
• 2 GB RAM with 32/64 GB non-expandable memory
• 4 mp UltraPixel camera with Full HD video recording, image stabilization and HDR
• 2.1 megapixel Full HD front-facing camera
• Wifi Hotspot, microUSB 2.0., NFC, IR Blaster, Bluetooth 4.0
• 2300 mAh battery

The Galaxy S4 Google Edition will be costing $649 at launch. The HTC One will be cheaper at $599. Their original versions can be found at lower prices in the market currently but you know, the Vanilla Android lovers are always there so the deals won’t be too bad after all.

You should expect to find them in any of the popular online stores in Pakistan soon.

Read More