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Apple iPod Touch 5th Generation Expert Review

Graham Barlow — Wed, 31 Oct 2012 17:15:41 +0000

Rating:

In an age where your phone can hold all the music you own you may be wondering why you might still need an iPod Touch 5th Generation.

The answer is that the iPod Touch is not just an iPod anymore. While Apple still sells the old fashioned iPod Classic, the iPod Touch has taken over as the champion of the iPod brand – it’s essentially a media player par excellence that has morphed into a handheld gaming console thanks to the sheer number of excellent, and very cheap, games available via the App Store.

It’s this gaming and app angle that really gives the Touch its raison d’être. If you can’t afford the premium tariffs that the iPhone attracts and you still want to take advantage of the thousands apps that Apple’s App Store holds then the iPod Touch is your cheapest route to entry.

The latest iPod Touch 5th Generation takes the best features of the iPhone 5, like the taller 640×1136 pixel, 4-inch screen and the iOS 6 software update with Siri, and adds a few little quirks of its own, like a choice of coloured backs (black, grey, pink, yellow, blue and a sixth Product Red) and a new strap called an ‘iPod touch loop’.

Along the way the camera has been upgraded to an iSight camera with a built-in flash that’s capable of 1080p video recording and the processor has been upped to a duel-core A5 chip, giving it twice the processing power of the previous single-core A4 chip. Both the screen size and the faster processor are important for gaming, but more of that later.

Memory configurations have been simplified. The new 5th gen is available only in 32GB or 16GB versions.

Finally, the new iPod Touch runs iOS 6, the latest version of Apple’s mobile operating system in all its glory, which means that both Panorama – a new mode for taking panoramic photos, and Siri, Apple’s intelligent voice-activated personal assistant, are available here.

Note: neither of these two features work on a iPod Touch 4th Generation running iOS 6.

Design

The coloured new iPod Touch 5th generation is a very different looking beast to the previous model, which had a metallic silver back with tapered edges. While the metallic back initially looked nice it was a magnet for smudges and fingerprints.

The aluminium back of the new touch is the only part that’s coloured (the front is always white no matter what colour back you choose) and seems to be extremely fingerprint resistant – the only parts that attract smudges on the back are the small Apple logo and the word ‘iPod’, which are both made of glass.

There’s a little rubberised pad at the top right of the back, which covers the Wi-Fi antenna, since the aluminium covering would impede signal reception.

The flat back on the 5th generation model has genuine advantages over the previous tapered-edge design – now the sleep/wake and volume buttons are on a flat edge your fingers can find them more easily and it’s possible to change volume using just one hand when the touch is lying flat on a desktop.

Left to right: iPod Touch 4th Gen, 5th Gen, iPhone 5

The iPod loop strap (whose colour matches the back) feels like it’s made of leather and snags onto a little button on the back of the Touch that protrudes from the surface when pressed. It fits snugly enough and we didn’t have problems with it becoming detached. It’s a good idea if you’re using your Touch as a camera because it gives you that extra level of security against dropping it.

The new 5th Gen is a millimetre thinner than its predecessor, and 12mm taller. The larger screen means it can fit an extra line of icons on your Home screen and you can see more of web pages and apps that are designed to take advantage of the new screen size.

We found that we had to change the way we held the new iPod Touch in portrait mode if we wanted to reach the top left corner with our thumb though. While so far we’ve been used to resting the iPod Touch on our little finger, you now have to grip the sides with all four fingers if you want to get your thumb all the way to the top corner of the screen (which is where a lot of ‘back’ buttons are located in apps, like Mail for example).

It takes a little bit of getting used to but you can still use the Touch with one hand, at least in theory. In practice we found ourselves resorting to using two hands more often than we used to relieve some discomfort on our thumb.

As with the iPhone 5, the Touch’s 3.5mm headphone jack is located at the bottom of the device (which is where it was in the last generation model, too) and the 30-pin Dock connector has been replaced by a new more versatile Lightning connector.

While the new smaller connector has enabled some great improvements in terms of the size and thickness of the device it means that all your existing iPod accessories won’t work with your new device, unless you buy the £25 ‘Lightning to 30-pin adaptor’.

It also means that you’ll initially only have one charging lead that will work with your new device. Like most iPod Touch owners we found we’d acquired a few iPhone cables over the years and suddenly going back to only having one cable that worked was a shock to the system, and we had to keep remembering to take it around with us everywhere we went.

With the iPhone 5 you get a wall charging plug in the box with your Lightning to USB cable, but no such luck with the iPod Touch 5th Generation, so just bear that in mind.

Inside the box you’ll find some of the new Apple EarPods earphones – while still not comparable with noise-isolating in-ear solutions these new earbuds are still a huge improvement over the previous Apple earphones, with much better bass frequencies.

Performance

The iPod Touch 5th Generation feels nippy to use, and this responsiveness is one of its big advantages over the many different flavours of Android devices. But it’s the App Store that’s the real differentiator – apps in iOS just seems to look a little bit better, and the quality and range of apps is fantastic.

For apps that aren’t designed for the new larger 4-inch screen, Apple drops in black bars over the unused portions of the screen. In practice you hardly notice, and you have the added advantage that games that are properly formatted now look better than ever.

There are some useful built-in apps, like Calendar, Reminders and Notes but the iPod Touch really comes into its own once you connect it up to a Wi-Fi connection.

Apple iCloud

In Apple’s world everything is filtered through the iCloud, which is no bad thing. One Apple ID and password gives you access to everything from the App Store to Email, notifications, video chat using FaceTime and messages using iMessage.

With your free account you also get 5GB of storage space online and any photos you’ve taken are automatically uploaded once you’re in range of a Wi-Fi connection thanks to PhotoStream. It’s all terribly convenient and all terribly Apple. Of course, things don’t run so smoothly if you want to step outside of Apple’s walled garden, but when it all works this well why would you want to?

Aspect ratio

The new screen size has the 16:9 aspect ratio that widescreen videos use, which makes it perfect for viewing movies.

The iTunes Store (available on the iPod Touch) is conveniently stuffed full of HD movies to rent or buy. You can of course watch movies you’ve acquired from elsewhere on your iPod touch by connecting it to your computer and using iTunes to transfer the movies across.

Annoyingly, iTunes will only play certain video formats, but software for encoding movies in a format that iTunes will play is plentiful and free, but it’s still an annoying hoop that Apple makes you jump through. It would be so much easier if Apple eased up on the restrictions on the file types that iTunes can handle.

Slip further under Apple’s hypnotic spell and get yourself an Apple TV and it’s a breeze to mirror your iPod Touch’s display on your HD TV for big-screen entertainment.

It’s worth noting just how versatile an iPod Touch is – there’s so much you can do with it, from playing music and movies to FaceTime video chat (thanks to a second front facing 1.2 megapixel, 720p, camera).

Camera

The 4th gen had a poor 5 mega-pixel rear-facing camera capable of only 720p video recording and 960 x 720 still photos with no flash.

The new iPod Touch features a much improved iSight camera – it’s still 5 mega-pixels, but with a better 5 element lens capable of much better still shots and 1080p video recording and a flash.

Low light test:

iPod touch 4th Generation

iPod touch 5th Generation

iPhone 5

Daylight shots:

iPod touch 4th Generation

iPod touch 5th Generation

iPhone 5

Inside shots:

iPod touch 4th Generation

iPod touch 5th Generation

iPhone 5

As you can see from our tests, the iPod Touch 5th Generation’s camera performed a lot better than the 4th generation, but it’s still slightly behind the 8-mega pixel iPhone camera. In terms of video it was hard to separate the iPod Touch video quality from that of the iPhone 5, both at 1080p.

Final Thoughts

There’s no doubt that Apple has done the right thing by upping the display to 4-inches, the new iPod Touch still feels like a modern, desirable device, but the question remains, with so many other full and medium-sized tablets, including the new 7.9-inch iPad Mini on the market, is a 4-inch device still relevant?

We liked:

The new iPod Touch colours are fun, the bigger 4-inch screen is a real improvement and the Retina display looks as gorgeous as ever. There’s no compromise here – this is the exact same display that you get on an iPhone 5. We also prefer the flatter back to the device, and the new iSight camera is a huge improvement.

The camera is good enough to use as your primary camera and 1080p video recording is a great addition. The new strap is actually pretty handy to have as well. In terms of ease of use, iOS still has the edge over Android, especially once you start using the iCloud facilities.

We didn’t like:

Using the new iPod Touch one handed in portrait orientation can be hard on your thumb. The new Lightning connector looks better than the old 30-pin Dock Connector, and doesn’t mind which way up you put your cable in, but it renders all your existing accessories useless, unless you buy the £25 adaptor.

And of course, you still have to use the bloated iTunes to transfer media across from your computer.

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GTA 5: More details on release and pre-order dates

Dale Lovell — Wed, 31 Oct 2012 16:18:45 +0000

Gamers eagerly awaiting the release of the latest instalment in the Grand Theft Auto series, GTA 5, can start placing pre-orders for the title from 5 November.

Rockstar Games also confirmed that we can “expect a host of new information” about the game next month.

Screen stills of the game, and the official trailer, have revealed that the game is going to be filled with high-octane action, brand new mini-games and some dazzling graphics. Here’s the latest on the forthcoming title.

GTA 5 release date

It was largely expected that GTA would be released at some point in spring 2013, but news that the game’s publisher has lowered its revenue forecasts for the current financial year appears to have narrowed down this window.

The current financial year ends on 31 March 2013, and the fact that Take Two has lowered predictions for this period (from around $1.70 billion to around $1.20 billion) points to the fact that GTA 5, as one of its biggest releases, will be launched after this date.

Echoing this idea, outspoken analyst Michael Pachter said:

“Spring is March 20 – June 20, so I would say that the ‘spring 2013′ launch means the June quarter and not the March quarter.”

This should put GTA 5’s release date in the 11-week window between 1 April 2013 and 20 June 2013. The fact that Rockstar has launched its last three games in May would fit in with this idea.

GTA 5: Will it be a hit?

Rockstar has said that GTA 5 is:

“largest and most ambitious” game that it has ever created and promises that it will deliver “a bold new direction in open-world freedom, storytelling, mission-based gameplay and online multiplayer”.

If it delivers on all these points, and we don’t doubt it will, GTA 5 could take the already successful series to even greater heights.

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Apple iPad mini vs Nook HD tablet

Alex Francis — Wed, 31 Oct 2012 13:45:28 +0000

Things are really heating up in the tablet market at the moment, with a slew of new devices hitting the shelves in the coming days and weeks.

It wasn’t so long ago that tablets were located firmly at the high end of the consumer tech market, but as their popularity has boomed their price has shot down.

Even Apple, a firm known for its intentionally expensive products, has dropped its prices for its latest tablet – the iPad mini.

OK, so the iPad mini’s price tag isn’t quite as attractive as that of the Kindle Fire or Nexus 7, but for Apple it is still very cheap.

The iPad mini is due out in the UK on Friday, but that’s not the only tablet hitting the shelves this week. The Nook HD, from Barnes & Noble, is also due to start shipping this week. So how do the two devices measure up?

Apple iPad mini

The iPad mini is a completely different direction for Apple in terms of more than just price. It is the first time that Apple has launched a product in response to the market, rather than dictating the market.

It saw that consumers wanted smaller, low-cost tablets, and set about coming up with the best one it possibly could. And by all accounts, that’s exactly what it has done.

Super light and super thin, you can see the iPad mini’s quality before you even turn it on. When you do turn it on, it’s as smooth and powerful as you’d expect from an Apple product.

A dual-core A5 chip powers the tablet and iOS 6 makes usability second to none. There also the option of a bumper 64GB of storage, though this will set you back at least £529 – not exactly low cost.

Nook HD tablet

The Barnes & Noble brand may not carry the same weight as Apple, but it seems that the firm can make a very decent 7-inch tablet.

The Nook HD isn’t quite as light or as thin as the iPad mini, but it’s not far off – and packs quite a punch under the bonnet. Running a version of Ice Cream Sandwich, the Nook HD is powered by a dual-core 1.3GHz processor and 1GB of RAM.

That’s not forgetting the vibrant display, which blows all other 7-inch tablets screens out of the water. The 1440×900 resolution delivers 243ppi, beating the iPad mini’s 1024×768 display hands-down – although this does mean it is able to run full-sized iPad apps.

When it comes to price, there is obviously only one winner. The Nook HD comes in at £159 for 8GB or £189 for 16GB; both of which are cheaper than the iPad mini’s entry level price of £269.

But it’s not all about cost, and the iPad mini delivers a look, feel, and ecosystem that the Nook HD is simply unable to compete with.

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Loyalty to Apple dwindling among iPhone users

Sarah K — Wed, 31 Oct 2012 12:27:11 +0000

iPhone users are less likely to buy a handset from Apple than they were when the model first debuted in 2007, according to research by Strategy Analytics.

It found that 88% of US iPhone owners are likely to buy another Apple smartphone, down from 93% recorded in 2011.

In Western Europe, these figures are also down in a year-on-year comparison, falling from 88% in 2011 to a current figure of 75%.

According to Paul Brown, director at Strategy Analytics’ User Experience Practice, the drop in brand loyalty could be partly as a result of “negative press”. He said:

“There is no doubt that Apple is continuing its success in retaining existing user base while attracting new customers.”

“However, negative press prompted by a perceived lack of recent innovation by Apple has meant we are starting to see some growth in the number of previously highly loyal consumers who are now reconsidering whether or not they will purchase a new iPhone for their next device.”

Apple still at the top of its game?

Recently released figures reveal that Google’s Android OS increased its dominance over Apple’s iOS in the three months to 30 September.

While Android rose to a 67% share of the market, compared to 51% for the same period a year ago, iOS edged down to 16.5%.

However, analyst Michael Walkley from Canacord Genuity, argued that sales of the iPad Mini and the fourth generation iPad are to generate strong sales in 2012 and into 2013.

He forecasts that Apple will sell 193 million iPhones and 101.6 million iPads in 2013, putting it ahead of projected tablet sales for Amazon (10.7 million tablets) and Samsung (8.3 million tablets).

“With the impressive refresh of the 4th generation Retina iPad and launch of the iPad Mini earlier this week, we anticipate very strong holiday quarter iPad sales,”

As Christmas draws ever closer, it seems the battle lines have been drawn for big tech showdown in the coming weeks.

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Kickstarter Launches in the UK – Here’s How to Get Your Idea Funded

Jonathan Weinberg — Wed, 31 Oct 2012 11:41:29 +0000

Got a great idea bubbling away in your head but no money to take the plunge and get it off the ground? Well then, you need to take a look at Kickstarter.

One of the biggest and most well-known crowd-funding websites, Kickstarter has been responsible for 30,000 projects across America receiving the money they need to get started. They’ve raised more than $350 million so far.

And it has now opened up to those living in the UK, giving Brits the ability to write a brief pitch about their idea and put it out there onto the internet for anyone to invest in or contribute to.

Those providing cash can’t expect a financial return on the investment. That is not allowed on Kickstarter although some crowd-funding websites do run in this way.

Instead you must offer the likes of free goodies or an early look at newly-released products they’ve paid for.

But some people will donate just to feel warm and fuzzy in the knowledge they’ve supported an idea or project they believe will do some good.

So as Kickstarter launches in the UK, here are 10 things you need to know about it.

Find local projects

There is no specific UK Kickstarter site. Instead all the projects for this country can be found mixed among the main website.

However, you can search via city if you want to see what’s happening around your own area. Just type it into the search box and see what comes up.

Seek funding worldwide

Anyone around the world can pledge money towards UK-based projects and ideas.

So if you’re thinking about launching a page on the site, it could be worth considering a way to make them appealing to those not living on these shores in order to raise your funding level faster.

Be creative

Kickstarter allows projects to fall within a series of creative categories – Art, Comics, Dance, Design, Fashion, Film, Food, Games, Music, Photography, Publishing, Technology and Theatre. And it has to be a “project” with a clear goal and outcome. You can find out more about what is allowed and what isn’t here.

Have realistic expectations

Raising money is not easy. You obviously need an idea that will appeal to people, enough to make them take a risk and part with their hard-earned cash. But to make things a little less risky, you only get the money if all the funding you ask for is raised. So when setting your financial goal, be realistic.

Less than half of all Kickstarter projects achieve full funding so it will be tough, but it can be done.

No support, No money

You don’t pay anything to Kickstarter unless your project is funded successfully. If it does achieve full funds, then you give them five per cent of the amount raised as a fee.

It could be more attractive than giving away half of your business to an investor Dragon’s Den-style. There are also pledge payment processing fees to be taken into account too, which will also eat in to the total amount you raise.

Offer a great offer

Think carefully about the offers you will be giving back to the community who fund you.

It could be as simple as a special T-shirt marking their backing or a limited-edition product. The better the offer, the more likely you are to receive investment but always ensure you can see the promises you make through.

Use your backers for moral support

Having funding from a group of people who really care about your idea is also a massive bonus in the long-run.

Straight away you have a core of potential customers who will talk about your idea and do word-of-mouth marketing for you for free. So creating an idea that appeals to a niche group of people is just as good, if not better, than one that tries to catch all and appeal to everyone.

British projects are live

Already dozens of eager British inventors and those hoping to bring their idea into reality can be found on Kickstarter.

The site had let those from the UK build their pitch pages ready and today (October 31) they went live. Many are already attracting funding too, which just goes to show there’s an appetite for crowd-funding among UK consumers.

All UK-based projects are listed in pounds sterling.

Be social and spread the word

When it comes to raising support for your Kickstarter project, social media is your best friend. Using Twitter and Facebook to attract potential investors is one of the quickest ways possible to spread the word.

But as Kickstarter advises, ‘Do not spam’, because all you’ll do is turn people against you and turn people against the idea of crowd-funding too.

Have fun

If you can’t have fun with your business and ideas then what’s the point. If at first you don’t succeed with an idea and it doesn’t reach funding, then you can always try again another time.

Just remember though, you are legally obliged to see your project/idea through if you raise the required funding.

And if you’re looking to back a project or idea on Kickstarter, then remember that you cannot get a refund directly from the website.

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Google Nexus 10 vs New iPad 4 – Tablet Face-Off

Michael Sawh — Wed, 31 Oct 2012 10:42:14 +0000

Google may have called off the event, but it did not hold off the announcements as it unveiled for the first time its Nexus 10 Android tablet that will run on the latest Android 4.2 Jelly Bean OS update.

Following news of the iPad Mini and the new iPad last week, Google is set to take on the Apple’s larger tablet device once again this time with a pretty impressive specs list. Is it enough to worry the chaps at Cupertino though?

We take a look at how the Nexus 10 shapes up against the Apple’s new iPad 4.

Nexus 10 vs iPad 4: Build

Nexus 10: Google has swapped ASUS for Samsung when building its larger Nexus tablet and while we don’t know the specifics of the materials used, it’s clear that it is inspired by the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 2. At 603g it is lighter than the iPad 4, and at 8.9mm thick it just nips the Apple tablet in the slender stakes.

New iPad: Not shying too far away from the design characteristics of the new iPad, the latest Apple tablet is made from an aluminium and weighs in at 652 g (Wi-Fi) and 662g (Wi-Fi and 3G) and is just 9mm thick.

Nexus 10 vs iPad 4: Screen

Nexus 10: The standout hardware feature is the 10-inch display which boasts a 2560 x 1600 resolution and delivers an impressive 300 ppi for excellent levels of clarity. There’s also Corning Gorilla Glass 2 to improve viewing further and add another level of protection.

New iPad: Toting a 9.7-inch Retina display with IPS tech for wide viewing angles, the iPad 4 boasts 2048 x1536 screen resolution with 264 ppi which going by the numbers, is less than the Nexus 10. A fingerprint-resistant coating also means the Apple tablet should stay relatively smudge-free.

Nexus 10 vs iPad 4: Camera

Nexus 10:So far we know that the Nexus 10 will sport a 5-Megapixel camera capable of shooting 1080p HD video while the front-facing snapper will feature a 1.9-Megapixel sensor and can deliver 720p HD quality video for your Google+ Hangouts and Skype chats.

New iPad: With a 5-megapixel rear-facing iSight camera with autofocus, you can expect backside illumination and a f/2.4 aperture for low lit photography and face detection amongst other typical modes seen recently on the iPhone 5 and iPad 3. It also packs a front-facing 1.3-Megapixel FaceTime HD camera for 720p HD video chats and can also shoot 1080p HD video with image stabilization to keep things steady.

Nexus 10 vs iPad 4: Operating system

Nexus 10: The 10-inch tablet will run on Android 4.2 which is a new flavour of Jelly Bean bringing new features like the ability to take 360 degree panoramic photos, have multiple user profiles and a revamped Google Now. You can also expect UI slickness courtesy of Project Butter and many of the new features announced for the first variation of Android Jelly Bean.

New iPad: Set to get the iOS 6 treatment, the latest Apple OS promises a slightly tweaked user interface with a new look App Store and iCloud support, a smarter Siri that will launch apps, FaceTime over 3G and TomTom-powered Apple Maps. It’s still one of the best mobile operating systems and we expect it be as slick on the smaller Apple tablet as it is on current iOS devices.

Nexus 10 vs iPad 4: Power

Nexus 10: Under the hood is a dualcore ARM-based A15 chip similar to the architecture found in the iPhone 5 and a quadcore Mali T604 GPU. With 2GB of RAM, it’s should be within the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 realms of multitasking.

New iPad: Nestled inside the fourth generation tablet is the brand new 1.3GHz A6X dualcore processor which Apple claims will deliver twice the CPU performance and twice the graphics as the A5X chip which lies inside the iPad 3. In the RAM department, there’s 1GB to take care of multitasking.

Nexus 10 vs iPad 4: Connectivity

Nexus 10: There’s no news of 3G or 4G support, but the Nexus 10 does Feature a dual-band 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi with the same MIMO data transfer technology as seen in the Kindle Fire HD. That means users can expect strong Wi-Fi reception and smoother video and music streaming than most Android tablets currently on the market.

Bluetooth 4.0 is also under the hood with dual-side NFC (or Android Beam) and in terms of physical connections Micro USB and HDMI support but no sign of SD card support.

New iPad: Apple claims that the dual band 802.11n Wi-Fi on board will deliver perform twice as good as previous iPad models, while LTE compatibility on top of the standard 3G support means its primed for 4G and features the latest version of Bluetooth.

In terms of physical connections there’s the new slimmer Lightning connector with a 3.5mm headphone jack and a Micro-SIM card slot to take care of making calls and using that data plan.

Nexus 10 vs iPad 4: Battery

Nexus 10: Packing a monstrous 9,000 mAh Lithium polymer battery, you can expect seven hours of web browsing time, 90 hours of music playback and an impressive nine hours enjoying video from your Android tablet.

New iPad: The Apple tablet should make it through the day with Apple promising 10 hours of battery life over Wi-Fi and nine hours over 3G/4G before you have to hook that Lightning connector up again, which is good news considering the comprehensive tech that has been packed inside.

Nexus 10 vs iPad 4: Price

Nexus 10: Available in 16GB and 32GB flavours, the former will set you back £319 which is significantly less than the 16GB Wi-Fi only iPad 4. For the 32GB model the price jumps to £389 which is slightly cheaper than its iPad 4 Wi-Fi equivalent

New iPad: Kicking off with the 16GB Wi-Fi only model, those looking to snap up the iPad 4 will need to part with £399 with those requiring 32GB or 64GB of internal storage having to splurge £479 and £559 respectively. On the Wi-Fi + 3G front, wannabe iPad 4 owners looking to access the web at will need to part with £499, £579 or £659 depending on their choice of 16GB, 32GB or 64GB storage options.

Nexus 10 vs iPad 4: Verdict

So comes out on the specs shootout? Well, there is clearly not much between the two tablets. From the screen technology to power, the Nexus 10 has the potential to go toe-to-toe with the latest iPad, but some might be disappointed that there is no 3G/4G support and seems to have followed the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 2 in the design department.

Specs are irrelevant if it’s not backed up by the performance and as we are yet to get our hands on time with the Nexus 10 or the new iPad it’s impossible to make a judgement on which one is better. What we can say is that the Nexus 10 clearly has the features (and the price) to be an iPad conqueror.

Nexus 10 or New iPad? Which one would you buy? Let us know in the comments section below!

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4G finally launches in the UK but is it worth the extra money?

Anna — Tue, 30 Oct 2012 15:57:10 +0000

4G has officially launched in the UK, paving the way for smartphone users the length and breadth of the country to have access to superfast mobile internet.

Everything Everywhere (EE) will initially launch its range of 4G products and services in ten major cities, before extending the service to other parts of the UK.

Offering speeds up to five times faster than 3G, 4G will be available on the Apple iPhone 5, as well as devices from HTC, Samsung, Nokia and Huawei. Here’s what we can expect from the speedy fourth-generation internet service.

4G roll out details

4G is also expected to roll out to include Belfast, Derby, Hull, Newcastle and Nottingham before the end of 2012, with further towns, cities and rural areas expected to get the service in 2013. This will cover 70% of the population, increasing to 98% by 2014.

EE will be the sole UK provider of the superfast services until next year, with 4G services from Vodafone, O2 owner Telefonica and Three available from next spring.

A pretty penny

The HTC One XL, Samsung Galaxy S3 LTE, iPhone 5 and Huawei Ascend P1 LTE are all available at launch, while the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 LTE and Nokia Lumia 920 (an EE exclusive handset) will be added in November.

EE consumer tariffs, including VAT, start at £36 a month for 500MB of data, unlimited calls and texts on a 24-month contract.

Those who want to bump up their data allowance will pay £41 per month for 1GB, or £46 per month for 3GB, £51 for 5GB and £56 for 8GB. A 12-month SIM-only option will also roll out from 9 November.

Vodafone is also offering a ‘4G phone promise’, giving customers the chance to bring in an eligible phone and have 70% discount on the remainder of their contract, in exchange for a 4G-ready device.

4G services are expected to be roughly the equivalent of wired broadband, offering between five and seven times faster mobile internet speeds and uninterrupted web browsing on the move.

If 4G heralds the end of buffering when downloading movies, and dodgy connections, it’s sure to get the thumbs up from smartphone fans. Right!?

We’re interested to hear what you think about 4G in the UK and the current price plans available. Worth it now or worth waiting for? Let us know in the comments section below!

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Windows Phone 8 devices: Will they be a success?

Dale Lovell — Tue, 30 Oct 2012 13:42:18 +0000

Microsoft has launched its Windows Phone 8 operating system, with smartphone fans in Europe able to get their hands on a range of models from this weekend.

The line-up includes the Nokia Lumia 920, Samsung Ativ S and HTC Windows Phone 8X as Microsoft tries once again to take on the likes of Apple and Google in the smartphone stakes.

CEO Steve Ballmer has gone as far as saying that the thing that separates Windows Phone 8 from the competition is its “new, killer hardware.”

Here are the features that will help you decide if Windows Phone 8 has got what it takes to compete with leading players in the market.

Windows Phone 8: What’s new?

Some of the key improvements in Windows Phone 8 include live tiles on the start screen, as opposed to static grid icons, which constantly update with fresh information. For example, an email app will show the latest message received.

Other improvements include better hardware support with multiple resolution support (800×480, 1280×768, and 1280×720), multi-core CPU support and removable storage support.

A Data Sense feature will also help users manage their data usage, and according to Microsoft, testers got 45% more web browsing with the feature switched on, before hitting their data limit.

A number of new apps including versions of Facebook, Twitter, Skype, Angry Birds, and Urban Spoon will also be available in early 2013, with as many as 120,000 apps available. Users also get a year-long free subscription to internet music stream service Pandora.

Windows Phone 8: Will it succeed?

Analysts predict that the software will help Microsoft gain ground in the smartphone market, after its Windows Phone market share rose from just 1.8% in 2011 to 6.6% this year.

IDC predicts that Windows Phone 8 could knock Research in Motion’s Blackberry of its number three position by as early as next year, and that by 2016, Microsoft will enjoy a 14.2% market share.

If analysts’ forecasts are correct, there could be a bright future ahead for Windows Phone 8.

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Amazon Kindle Fire HD 7" Tablet Expert Review

TechRadar — Tue, 30 Oct 2012 12:17:53 +0000

Rating:

Amazon changed the tablet game late last year with the introduction of the Kindle Fire, a $199 7-inch tablet that – while limited by a slim offering of apps and lower-end hardware – really upended the lower end of the market and proved a dramatic success.

No other manufacturer could compete on both price and features until Google and Asus dropped the similarly priced Nexus 7 this summer. The gorgeous screen, sleek form factor, and pure Android 4.1 UI made Amazon’s once-impressive entry seem immediately antiquated, but we all knew the online retail juggernaut wouldn’t rest on its laurels for long.

Design & Build

While the standard Kindle Fire has been lightly revised and reissued for a mere $159, the new Kindle Fire HD is Amazon’s true effort to fight off the Nexus 7 and upcoming Nook HD. With a totally new build, notably enhanced display, and front-facing camera, it’s a marked enhancement over the original Fire model, but are Amazon’s custom UI and ecosystem still holding it back for power users?

Whereas the base Kindle Fire model sports a rather clunky, utilitarian build, the HD feels smoothed out – it’s a little taller (7.6 inches vs 7.44) and notably wider (5.4 inches vs 4.72) when held in portrait orientation, though it’s also slightly slimmer (0.4 inches vs 0.45). Weight-wise, it drops only .2 oz to 13.9.

The larger bezel all around means that while the tablet takes up a bit more real estate on the whole, it’s an easier device to hold while reading or watching videos without covering up the actual screen – a far cry from the compact Nexus 7 in this regard.

From the front, it looks a bit like a smaller black iPad without a physical button, albeit one with the 1.3 megapixel camera – used solely for Skype video chats at this point – placed on the left side for use in landscape. A hard and slightly cheap-feeling plastic border surrounds the bezel, though it’s the back of the Kindle Fire HD that won’t be mistaken for a competitor.

Sleek and stylish, the rubberized slate-color back is marked by a deep black racing stripe of sorts, which Amazon not only uses to mark its territory with an etched “Kindle” logo (standard Amazon branding is below) – it also houses the speaker grates, which allow the Dolby Audio dual-driver stereo sound to come through. Or blast through, rather, as we’ll detail later on.

The Kindle Fire HD does have physical buttons blended subtly into the top of the frame near the 3.5mm headphone jack – a power button and a volume rocker, the latter an appreciated addition over the standard Fire.

However, they’re a little too subtle in the build. We still fumbled to locate them naturally after several days with the device, and without more obvious placement, it’s easy to lose track of which way is up on the tablet. Yes, even with the camera lens on the left side bezel.

The base 16GB model of the Kindle Fire HD (which we reviewed) sells for $199, while a larger 32GB version retails for $50 more at $249. Expandable storage is not an option with any model of the Kindle Fire, and don’t expect to get a power adapter in the box – you’ll need to buy that separately, provide your own from another device (the Nexus 7′s works), or charge only via USB.

Additionally, Amazon has larger 8.9-inch models coming in November for $299 for 16GB and $369 for 32GB, while a 4G LTE-enabled model sells for $499/$599 at the same capacities.

Display & Interface

With a 7-inch display that weights in at 1280×800 resolution and can run 720p HD video, the Kindle Fire HD sports a massive upgrade over the original model, which has a lowly 1024×600 screen. The difference is immediately noticeable, though the specs are on par with the Nexus 7.

As much as the Nexus 7 screen impresses with its 216 pixels per inch (PPI), the Kindle Fire HD manages to one-up it in terms of contrast and color saturation, with deeper and more vivid colors on Amazon’s device. It makes the Nexus 7 screen look a bit blue-heavy by comparison, but its contrast qualms are well documented.

While certainly not on par with the new iPad, the Fire HD’s display is definitely impressive for a 7-inch, budget-friendly device, with its bright colors and sharp images popping during games, movies, and more.

Interface

Amazon’s custom UI overlay returns on the Kindle Fire HD, but it’s been significantly overhauled since last fall’s debut – and now it’s running on a base of Android 4.0: Ice Cream Sandwich, allowing for zippier overall performance. Once again, though, it’s a smooth and user-friendly interface, but one that’s not very flexible or customizable.

Running in either portrait or landscape orientation, the center of the home screen is highlighted by a constantly updated carousel of recently used items, be they apps, games, movies, books, magazine, or even the Silk web browser. Items can be tapped and held to remove them from the carousel or add them to favorites.

Serving Amazon’s needs, below the carousel in portrait orientation is a “Customers Also Bought” bar of recommendations for the top item, showing other apps, games, or media that you can purchase. In landscape, the larger carousel icons simply dominate the view.

Above the carousel, you’ll find a list of categories – Shop, Games, Apps, Books, etc. – to find your purchases and enter individual stores, as well as a search bar (portrait view only) that can scan your items, Amazon’s stores, or the web.

While using apps, you’ll find a small navigation bar on the bottom or side of the screen, which includes home and back buttons, a settings pop-up, a search icon, and a small star that allows access to the favorites pop-up.

Tapping the little star on any screen serves up the favorites, bringing up a list of app, game, and media icons that you’ll designate. Though nice to have this accessible from nearly anywhere, it’s in no way preferable to an always-on favorites bar. As such, finding items outside of the carousel means browsing the individual categories.

Each category dials down into a separate library of both local items and those that can be downloaded from the cloud. It’s also here that you’ll find links to the individual stores for apps, videos, music, books, magazines, and more, and Amazon certainly isn’t shy about pointing you towards its myriad digital offerings.

Sadly, much as the home screen interface scrolls more smoothly than on the last-gen Kindle Fire, the store menus are at times remarkably sluggish, bringing you to half-blank pages that take several seconds to load up icons. It’s unclear why the stores creep along at times, but it’s a noticeable and recurring issue.

One of the most divisive features of the new Kindle Fire models is the initially unavoidable Special Offers that appear on the lock screen. These oft-colorful full-screen ads attempt to sell everything from movies to laptops and credit cards, but you can pay a one-time fee of $15 to eliminate them from the device.

We imagine power users will feel inclined to cut the ads right away, but we didn’t mind them. They’re unobtrusive, and from the ones we saw, they can actually be fairly beneficial. We tapped one and got a free credit towards nearly any TV episode download – well worth our few seconds of time and lock screen real estate.

Internet & Connectivity

Amazon’s innovative Silk browser – which uses cloud data (thanks to the company’s vast web hosting capabilities) to speed up page rendering – started off pretty strong on the Kindle Fire and only improved via a series of updates over the past several months. Unsurprisingly, it proves an impressive browser on the Kindle Fire HD.

Is the performance head and shoulders ahead of what we’ve seen on the Nexus 7, the new iPad, or other tablets? Not really – but it is a reliably smooth and capable browser that rarely gets bogged down or fumbles elaborate web layouts. Flash is no longer available, disappointingly, but that’s becoming more and more common with modern mobile browsers.

In practice, Silk isn’t remarkably different from the browsers we’ve seen on other Android devices. It supports multiple tabs and bookmarks, plus you can nix the task bar on the bottom (or right in landscape view) for a more full-screen look. Pinching or double tapping on text to zoom are both expected features that work well here.

Email

One of the more desired enhancements in the Kindle Fire HD software lineup is that of an enhanced email client, which does end up being pretty capable. Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo!, AOL, and Exchange accounts are expressly supported, though you can add your own if your provider falls outside of that list.

Loading up our Gmail account, we were able to star, move, and mark unread emails, as well as access all of our folders. Swapping between emails is a smooth process in portrait view, with “Newer” and “Older” buttons at the bottom of the screen, while landscape view splits the screen with a message list pane on the left.

Likewise, the virtual keyboard worked well in both email and Silk, with responsive keys that are nicely large in landscape view – though that perspective does deliver one nagging annoyance. The back button is located to the right of the keyboard, right where we’d expect a Delete key (which is actually below, above Return), so don’t be surprised if you accidentally flip back a few times on mistake.

Connectivity

The Kindle Fire HD is the first tablet with dual-band, dual-antenna Wi-Fi, which uses MIMO (Multiple In, Multiple Out) tech to allow simultaneous transmission over both antennas to improve speed and reliability. Amazon claims it to be the fastest tablet around – reportedly up to 41% faster than the new iPad’s dual-band, single-antenna design.

In our testing, the device did indeed perform admirably during everyday use, from web browsing to large downloads (like apps and HD television episodes) and video streaming. Moreover, we tested the strength of our Wi-Fi signal on both the Kindle Fire HD and Nexus 7 and found that it deteriorated at a noticeably lower rate on Amazon’s device the further we walked from the router.

Much like the Nexus 7 and most other tablets in this price range, the Kindle Fire HD does not support cellular connections. It does, however, include Bluetooth support this time around for keyboards, speakers, and more, plus the HDMI-out port can be used to display your video clips and other media on a TV or other secondary screen.

Battery Life & Storage

Amazon pegs the Kindle Fire HD as offering 11 hours of use via its 4400 mAh internal battery – a step up from the 8.5 hours listed for the standard Kindle Fire. In our use, we found it landing more in the still-impressive range of 9-10 hours; and with the brightness cranked to maximum, it came in closer to about eight hours.

That’s a very respectable sum for a tablet of this size, and 10 hours still puts it ahead of the Nexus 7, though it’s roughly on par with the much pricier new iPad. You’ll get a lot of on-the-go media viewing from the Kindle Fire HD.

Media storage may be another issue, based on what you’re storing. As noted earlier, the device ships with 16GB of internal storage in the $199 model, while another $50 doubles that to 32GB. Both sums are double what is offered in the Nexus 7 – a definite perk, whatever your choice.

External storage is not an option here, though Amazon assumes you’ll be using the device with a steady Wi-Fi connection as to make the most of the benefits of the cloud. Otherwise, be prepared to keep a close eye on the storage usage tally as you pick and choose your media and apps.

Media

No surprise: the Kindle Fire HD is designed as a media consumption device, seeing as Amazon stands to profit immensely from your digital dalliances, and it proves a much more capable device than its predecessor at fulfilling such needs.

Beyond the seriously impressive display, the Kindle Fire HD also offers perhaps the loudest speakers we’ve ever heard on such a device, letting you prop it up to enjoy a flick with friends sans external amplification.

And it’s not just a booming signal, but a pretty clear one, as well. The stereo sound is head and shoulders above what we’re used to from handheld devices, and while you’ll likely always find better results with headphones or external speakers, the build-in option is a surprising standout here. No wonder Amazon made it so visually prominent on the back plate.

Naturally, Amazon is no slouch when it comes to offering a huge array of digital media, be it full-length films, television episodes, music albums and songs, eBooks, digital magazines and newspapers, or audiobooks. If you’re firmly entrenched in the Amazon ecosystem, the Kindle Fire HD will be a very beneficial portable companion.

Amazon Prime subscribers naturally get the best deal of all, though, thanks to the double-punch of ample access to its Instant Video collection – for Netflix-like streaming movies and television shows – and the Kindle Lending Library, which lets you choose one free book to read each month from a list of many thousands.

What’s impressive about the Kindle Fire HD is that Amazon isn’t simply trying to compete on physical features and price, but also helpful digital perks. For example, the X-Ray feature for streaming movies shows you IMDb-provided actor and film info, while a similar function for eBooks lets you find info and biographies. [Just imagine that Shaun of the Dead is playing behind the overlay in the screen below.]

Immersion reading also lets you sync up Kindle book text with Audible audiobooks to experience real-time highlighting, and you can use the Whispersync function to pop between the audiobook and eBook without losing your place. Amazon aims to wrap you up with its interconnected media ecosystem, and such features certainly go a long way towards furthering that intent.

Apps & Games

Beyond Silk and the email client, the Kindle Fire HD comes with a handful of other apps preinstalled, such as Skype (which utilizes the front-facing camera), OfficeSuite (for opening Microsoft Office docs), and IMDb for… well, movie trivia.

Many thousands more are available via Amazon’s built-in storefront, though it’s still a pale shadow of what’s on offer on Android devices that utilize Google Play (formerly the Android Marketplace), which is not featured on the Kindle Fire HD.

Apple may lead the field by a wide margin when it comes to new and useful apps and games, but Google Play is a fair runner-up. Amazon’s store, by comparison, lags far behind in its selection of both, which proves disappointing all around.

Many of the top headliners are here: Twitter, Facebook, Flipboard, Evernote and more on the apps side, along with games like Angry Birds Space, Skylanders Cloud Patrol, Minecraft Pocket Edition, and Temple Run. It’s what’s found – or rather, not found – beyond those known quantities that disappoints, as you’ll see a lot of off-brand takes on familiar themes or otherwise underwhelming experiences.

And though simpler, more casual games run perfectly fine on the dual-core 1.2Ghz processor, more advanced entries can show why this is still a budget tablet. Top racing game Asphalt 7 Heat in particular looks downright silly on the Kindle Fire HD compared to the new iPad or even iPhone 4S, as textures and buildings just on the horizon sloppily pop into view.

Getting around the app storefront is not a fluid or well-organized process, either, which is part of the reason why finding the apps you want often proves fruitless. As noted before, the search results and chart listings creep along with regularity.

And nothing has changed on the Google front since the original Kindle Fire: despite Android 4.0powering the ship, the Fire HD still doesn’t offer Google Maps, Voice, Earth, Navigation, and other flagship apps. Hey, iOS 6 devices aren’t the only ones to lack native access to the company’s mapmaking prowess.

Final Thoughts

The Kindle Fire HD offers a significant step up from the original Fire model, with a new build and a fantastic display, though it’s not the only notable $200 tablet out there. Considering the super-streamlined interface and limited app and game selection, can Amazon’s best-yet effort compete with the Nexus 7?

We liked

An excellent 1280×800 display is a huge improvement over the fuzzier screen of the regular Fire, and it even bests the similarly-specced Nexus 7 in terms of contrast and color saturation. It shines with movies and vividly animated games.

You’ll get roughly 10 hours of use from the device – without the brightness cranked up all the way, of course – which is really stellar for the price point. Paired with the slick display, you’ll want all of those hours to watch and play everything in sight.

With dual-band, dual-spectrum Wi-Fi, the Kindle Fire HD aims to offer simultaneous transmissions, faster speeds, and more reliable connections. In our testing, we saw consistently stellar network performance, and the cloud-enhanced Silk browser still offers a quality web browsing experience (for the tablet size).

Amazon’s media offerings are still hugely appealing, between its book, movie, TV, music, and magazine selections. Beneficial features like X-Ray make these digital releases even more alluring, and the booming speakers mean you can kick back and watch a film without needing external amplification or headphones.

It’s a really great value, too. At the same price as the Nexus 7, you get double the storage with a slightly better screen and myriad other helpful features. And overall, the build here is rather nice, especially with the distinctive plastic strip on the back.

We disliked

Amazon’s app and game offerings have no doubt improved since the original Kindle Fire release, but they still lag way behind what you’ll find on Google Play or the iOS App Store. Google Play access would go a long way towards appeasing such issues, but Amazon isn’t likely to give up its potential share of the profits anytime soon.

The interface may run on Android 4.0, but unlike a pure Android install, there’s no real way to customize the look and feel of Amazon’s overlay – which is streamlined and simple. That’s perfect for casual users and tablet newbies, but others will feel stifled here. And the app storefront curiously runs rather slowly.

We appreciate the addition of a physical volume rocker, but both that and the power button are difficult to locate along the plastic frame. Subtle placement can go a long way, aesthetically, but the usability suffers in this regard.

As with the Nexus 7, external storage, cellular connections, and back cameras are MIA here. No surprise, considering the price, but they’re worth noting.

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New Google Nexus devices – What you need to know

Sarah K — Tue, 30 Oct 2012 11:36:51 +0000

Despite the fact that Hurricane Sandy put paid to Google’s Android event in New York yesterday, the search engine giant still forged ahead with its new range of devices.

As we expected, Android 4.2 and a new LG-made smartphone are in the mix. But what we didn’t predict was that Google would also showcase an updated 7-inch Asus tablet, and a 10-inch Samsung tablet. Here’s what we can expect from the line up of devices.

Samsung-designed Google Nexus 10

The Samsung-designed Nexus 10 naturally features a 10-inch display, and according to Google is the “highest resolution tablet on the planet” at 2560×1600. This trumps the iPad 2, which offers 2048×1536.

As with all the three new devices, the Nexus 10 runs on an updated version of the Jelly Bean OS, Android 4.2, and is powered by a dual-core ARM Cortex A15 chip with Mali T604 GPU.

The device also features two cameras, a 1.9MP front-facing camera, and a 5MP camera at the rear. Additional features include micro-USB and micro-HDMI ports and nine hours of battery life.

The Nexus 10 lands on 13 November, in a 16GB version (£319) and a 32GB version (£389).

Google Nexus 4 smartphone

Created by LG, the Nexus 4 smartphone will feature a 4.7 inch display with 320ppi. The device also runs on a powerful a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro chip, as well as Android 4.2.

Although the device only has one 8MP camera, the new OS features panoramic software for creating 360-degree photos. Sadly the device doesn’t have 4G capability, which rolls out in the UK today.

The Nexus 4 also arrives on 13 November in an 8GB version (£239) and 16GB version (£279).

32GB Google Nexus 7

Google also unveiled an updated Nexus 7 tablet, running on Android 4.2 and with an internal storage capacity of 32GB. The updated tablet will come with a price tag of £199.

With new devices and an updated version of Jelly Bean, Google can expect a pretty successful pre-Christmas period.