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With the iPad 3 to follow in November?

Everyday on the world wide web there is a frenzy of rumour and speculation about the much anticipated iPhone 5 and the iPad 3, so it’s hard to separate the stories filled with substance and the stories filled with nonsense.

But there are a couple of reports doing the web-rounds at the moment generating enough heat and packing sufficient credentials to make us to sit up and take notice.

The first of which is a report that originates from the China Times (who has been semi-accurate in the past with its Apple-based foresight), and states that the next-iteration of Apple’s popular iPhone (the iPhone 5 / the iPhone 4S – who knows?) will be landing in the second week of September, giving a date of 6 September.

The report states that manufacturers are knocking up 400,000 units of the next-gen iPhone now, in preparation of an initial shipment of 4 million.

The report also adds fire to the iPad 3 in 2011 rumours, although a later than the usual September date is given. A Thanksgiving release (end of November) is apparently scheduled.

The fifth iPhone will be a slimmer design than previous models, if a 9to5Mac report rings true. It has got its hands on an “actual purported fifth-generation iPhone case from a source” which hints at the teardrop slim design as has been rumoured before.

Just to recap then, if the rumour mill rings true for all of its iPhone 5 predictions then we are looking at a smaller, thinner device with a curved display and a bigger screen packing NFC capabilities and a new nano-SIM.

Roll on September eh fanboys?

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Phones iPhone 5 iPad 3 Apple Rumours

Slimmer iPhone 5 coming 6 September? originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Thu, 28 Jul 2011 11:14:00 +0100

Facebook phone face-off

Many of us want little else from a smartphone other than the ability to fill our Facebook pages with gossip, pics and video while out and about. The result of this social networking skewed phone obsession is the blue button. The tiny dedicated Facebook key has become tattoo of choice for handsets marketing themselves towards the trendy ‘yoof’ and the social savvy.?

As of now there are four handsets that carry the Facebook stamp of approval; HTC’s Salsa and ChaCha, INQ’s Cloud Touch and the newly released Vodafone 555 Blue. Sure the INQ might not have its own dedicated button, but it’s so Facebook-heavy it seemed difficult to leave out. We opted for just the ChaCha in this battle as it felt like it was slightly more of a flagship HTC Facebook handset.

None of the handsets are exactly pushing the boat out on the power front. But then who needs speed when sending messages and photo sharing is all that’s important.? The deal-breaker is things like the battle between physical keyboard or touch screen, camera quality or how long the battery lasts. Oh, and price.

So which of the troublesome trio will emerge triumphant? Check out our spec-wars below..

Form Factor
1st: HTC Chacha114.4mm x 64.6mm x 10.7mm
2nd: INQ Cloud Touch114mm x 62mm x 13mm3rd: Vodafone 555110mm x 61.1mm x 12mm

All three handsets hover around very much the same size, being perfectly pocketable without losing too much of the necessary smartphone functionality. The inclusion of a physical keyboard in the HTC and Vodafone offering means that more of the device is taken up with QWERTY and less with screen, but then for many that is a plus point. Personally we like the feel of the INQ, it has a slightly different approach to build that just makes it more interesting to hold than the usual smartphone. The ChaCha keyboard however is very, very good. The Vodafone does its best in the design department but don’t forget, the 555 is aimed at emerging markets and as such is not as high end.

Display
1st: HTC chacha2.6 inch,?480 x 320 pixels, 256k colours
2nd: INQ Cloud Touch3.5 inch, 320 x 480, 262k colours3rd: Vodafone 5552.4 inch, 320×240, 252k colours

HTC has a bit of an obvious advantage over the competition in the screen department. The ChaCha has a slightly better display than its Facebook centric competitors, with increased viewing angles and a tiny resolution bump. It is however much smaller than the INQ’s and a bit more BlackBerry-like in its squashed-ness. Some may prefer this approach to smartphone design, personally we think the bigger the screen the better. The only problem is that the INQ’s relatively low resolution makes things look fairly muddy, it does however have quite a decent level of colour saturation. Vodafone has done a good job again with the 555, which just about keeps up with the competition in the colour department.?

Processor
1st: HTC chacha800 MHz
2nd: INQ Cloud Touch800 MHz3rd: Vodafone 555800 MHz

The processor is one of the most important things currently going in the smartphone wars. Those seeking the absolute best in graphics and speed are opting for dual-core handsets with things like Tegra 2 chips inside. Don’t however think that this means these Facebook phones will be slow, far from it. Things might get a bit sluggish when multiple apps are running, but for social networking all pack more than enough power – except perhaps the Vodafone, but then that depends on how complex its operating system is. One thing worth noting is that HTC has a bit more experience than INQ at skinning Android, meaning you may notice a slightly smoother experience on the ChaCha than the Cloud Touch. Neither are particularly slow however, unless plenty of applications are running.?

Operating System
1st: HTC chachaAndroid 2.3.3
2nd: INQ Cloud TouchAndroid 2.23rd: Vodafone 555Vodafone designed

Running the latest version of Android is relatively important to any smartphone at launch. Google continually tweaks Android to add better features. Gingerbread was a particularly significant operating system jump bringing with it plentiful speed over its predecessor. This means that the HTC claims the crown relatively easily in the operating system department. Vodafone uses a dedicated Java based OS on the Alcatel designed handset. The idea is that it is extremely lightweight but allows very deep levels of Facebook integration. For those who simply want social networking on the go, it could be a sleeper hit.?

Facebook features
1st: HTC chachaFacebook button
2nd: INQ Cloud TouchFacebook-centric?3rd: Vodafone 555Facebook button

This is where things get interesting. Every one of these phones has much better levels of Facebook interaction than the competition, but each implements it slightly differently. Those with a dedicated blue button, are perhaps the pinnacle of social networking. It acts as a context sensitive key that will blink when it can be used. Instead of using the conventional Android Facebook app it uses either Facebook for HTC Sense or Vodafone’s offering. You can then send photos directly, status update, post on someone’s wall or with a long press update your Facebook places. It is all very well integrated and feels like it just adds to conventional smartphone use. The INQ is slightly different, using specially made widgets that include things like news, people, notifications and places. A combination of INQ Facebook layers and the conventional Android app help to complete the experience. It is a very thorough approach to social networking, but personally we think the HTC and Vodafone deserve the win on this one thanks to the dedicated context sensitive button.?

Camera
1st: HTC chacha5 megapixel rear facing, VGA front facing
2nd: INQ Cloud Touch5 megapixel autofocus forward facing3rd: Vodafone 5552 megapixel

What would Facebook be without photos, eh? The most enjoyable part of the social network is trawling through and endless stream of embarrassing drunk photos and holiday snaps. For the Facebook obsessed having a decent camera is important. Megapixel-wise, HTC and INQ obviously get the jump on the Vodafone. 5 megapixels is more than enough to get decent quality snaps up on Facebook. The HTC, however, slightly outperforms the INQ with a surprisingly good camera (when conditions suit) and a front-facing cam as well.?

Storage
1st: HTC chacha512 MB internal memory, MicroSD expandable
2nd: INQ Cloud Touch512 MB internal memory, MicroSD expandable3rd: Vodafone 55540 MB internal memory, MicroSD expandable

Having plentiful storage is important as you will likely need space for apps and photos. Android handsets often ship with included MicroSD cards, these unfortunately do not. This means until you pick up an expansion, 512 MB is all you get. If you upload snaps straight to Facebook and don’t store them locally on the phone then this won’t be a problem, if however you want to share shots in reception-free zones it can be problematic. The value for money approach to the Vodafone becomes a lot clearer here where only 40MB is included. Don’t forget, however, that the same rule applies, with instant uploads to the social network meaning you can regularly clear the handset out. Pretty sure that video will fill that storage quickly though.?

Battery life
1st: HTC chacha1250 mAh
2nd: INQ Cloud Touch1300 mAh3rd: Vodafone 5551000 mAh

Flagship smartphones often come with battery draining processors and ultra bright screens. This means the middle-crowd often find their handsets last a lot longer. In the case of the 555 this doesn’t seem to be the case, expect up to 3 hours talk time and no more. The HTC performs slightly better, managing 7 hours of 3G yapping. INQ slightly disappointed us with its battery life in our review.?

Network
1st: HTC chachaHSDPA/WCDMA, Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE
2nd: INQ Cloud TouchQuad Band GSM / GPRS / EDGE3rd: Vodafone 5552.5G,?EDGEDual-Band(900/1800)

3G connectivity is a bit of a must if you want to be browsing lots of website and constantly uploading and downloading information from Facebook. The Vodafone is sadly EDGE only, but the clever Java based OS could very likely mean you don’t notice the lack of speedy network connectivity. HTC manages to pull the win here, offering plentiful options for your mobile network enjoyment.?

Pricing
1st: HTC chacha?219.99
2nd: INQ Cloud Touch?219.993rd: Vodafone 555Around ?70

I don’t think anyone can argue with a ?70 phone that you can upload data straight to Facebook. That is an astronomically cheap price tag for a handset that, whilst may not be Android savvy, can still pack a punch in the social field. The ChaCha and INQ are currently shipping for around the same cost, meaning that it is a dead heat on the price front. With the INQ you do get the best packaging ever seen with a phone, with the HTC you get a keyboard. Difficult eh??

Verdict

Personally we find choosing between the three very difficult. The Vodafone is not quite on the same level as the other two in the specs department, it is however extremely good value at ?70. HTC has a keyboard, INQ doesn’t but we think that is a matter of personal choice. Pricing on the pair is around the same which makes things even more difficult. If we had to choose one it would reluctantly be the HTC. The INQ innovates in so many different ways but can’t quite match up to the ChaCha’s build quality or seamless integration. That said it is definitely worth keeping an eye out for future, more powerful, INQ handsets which will likely be a lot better.

Related links:
Review – HTC ChaCha
Review – INQ Cloud Touch
Hands-on – Vodafone 555 Blue

Tags:
HTC Salsa INQ Cloud Touch Vodafone 555 Blue Phones Facebook Social networking Features

HTC ChaCha vs INQ Cloud Touch vs Vodafone 555 Blue originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Fri, 29 Jul 2011 11:59:00 +0100

First no iPad 3, then no jobs

Foxconn, the Taiwanese manufacturer who has, until recently, built a vast number of Apple’s iPhone and iPad products, is to replace some of its workers with 1 million robots in the next 3 years.

Terry Gou, founder and chairman, announced that the robots will manage simple, everyday tasks such as spraying, welding and assembling and the move is to improve efficiency and cut rising labour costs.

And cheerfully, he announced this at a workers’ dance party. That they’d lose their jobs. At a dance party. Where they were, presumably, enjoying themselves. Dancing.

Foxconn presently employs 10,000 robots, but wants to increase this to 300,000 in 2012, 1 million by 2014.

It has also been, reportedly, rocked by the news that Apple has awarded its iPad 3 contract to rival Taiwanese manufacturer Pegatron – which, ironically, sounds more like the name of a robot (a Transformer). Perhaps the loss of such a large order has prompted Foxconn to act.

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Tablets Phones Robots Apple Foxconn iPad iPad 3 iPhone

Apple manufacturer Foxconn to replace staff with robots originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 01 Aug 2011 09:35:00 +0100

iPhone 5 earlier than expected

The iPhone 5 could be due out later than expected according to a story posted by website All Things Digital.?

Sources told the site that the new Apple handset should be arriving late in October, rather than September.

Many believed that AT&T’s decision to stop employee holidays in September was to do with prepping for an iPhone launch.?

“I don’t know why AT&T’s calling for all hands on deck those weeks, but it’s not for an iPhone launch,” sources told All Things Digital, pointing to October as a release.?These rumours go against China Times reports that the new iPhone will be landing on the 6 September.

Specs-wise, there is a lot less solid information to go on, short of 9to5 Mac getting its hands on a new iPhone case design, which points to a thinner phone, there is little else.?The more logical rumour, that the dual-core A5 processor and 8-megapixel camera will be used, seems likely.?

Not long now then until a new Apple device is set to arrive. Fanboys’ bank accounts will likely need to go through a quick state of recovery from the Mini and Air if they plan on picking a new handset up in September

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iPhone Phones iPhone 5 Rumours ios

New iPhone due out in October not September originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Mon, 01 Aug 2011 15:16:00 +0100

Gamescom 2011 announcement

Nokia has been marred by a traditionally sluggish release cycle, but it looks like the company has finally pulled its socks up and may very well be headed for a Windows Phone 7 release as early as August.?

Invitations for a Microsoft and Nokia joint event at this months Gamescom suggest “exciting actions and surprises” that will “make it an evening to remember.”

Possible Windows Phone 7 handset then?

Given that there will be three “Nokia handsets with Windows Phone” raffled at the event it seems highly likely. What is less probable is that the new phones will be ready for sale, more likely an announcement.?

Exciting times in the Nokia camp. Those who can’t wait until Gamescom should check out Elop’s Sea Ray demo to get an idea of what things could be looking like.?

Tags:
Nokia Windows Phone Windows Phone 7 Phones Mobile phones Microsoft Gamescom2011

Nokia Windows Phone to arrive in August? originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 02 Aug 2011 15:17:00 +0100