We have been hearing a number of different rumors about Samsung’s next generation Galaxy S smartphone, the Galaxy S4, and now it would appear that the Galaxy S4 will go on sale in April of this year.
That would mean that Samsung will either unveil the Galaxy S4 at Mobile World Congress next month, or at a separate Samsung Unpacked event some time in March.
Hello, holy wow, we've got a massive list of the hottest, most awesome gear this month. So. Many. Awesome. New. Phones. Enough small talk, let's get right to it.
Nexus devices are Google's brand ambassadors. They're built to show off the latest and greatest version of Android. Unfortunately, the hardware hasn't always lived up to the software. The LG Nexus 4 changes everything you thought you knew about about what a Google flagship phone could be. More »
AT&T has the One X. Sprint has the EVO 4G LTE. But it's been a long while since Verizon customers had an HTC flagship to call their own.
The Droid DNA would very much like to grab that mantel, please. More »
Say this for the LG Optimus G: it doesn't skimp. LG went for broke to shake off its mid-range reputation, cramming its latest flagship Android phone full of goodies. More »
Nokia has been alone on the vanguard of worthwhile Windows Phone hardware for a while now. But that's no longer the case. Here's HTC's 8X. And it's got enough firepower to go toe-to-toe with anything on Android or iOS. More »
Seven generations of iPod nano evolution have culminated in something pretty special. The latest iteration of Apple's mini music player is its thinnest, has the biggest screen ever (for a Nano), and tosses in Bluetooth to boot. More »
Yes, it's action cam season. Sony's entered the market, Contour has updated its line with the Contour+2. But what about the latest from the brand that's come to define the category-the Kleenex of action cams, if you will?
We've been putting GoPro's highly anticipated Hero 3 Black edition... More »
Back in April, the Sennheiser PMX 680i headphones became our pick for the Best Headphones for Running. We just got our ears on Sennheiser's 2013 models, the PMX 685i, and, oh my. More »
Here's the bottom line: The Vizio SB4021M is the best tool we found to attain good, instant home theater sound. And, at $220, it's relatively cheap. For the price, you'll be hard-pressed to find a better overall experience. More »
The Zebralight H502 may look like the runt of the litter-smaller and lighter without the overbearing luminescence of the others-but this actually works to its advantage. Barely three inches long and 2.0 ounces, the H502 slips into a pocket or purse without notice. And thanks to its forward-facing optics, the H502 can also easily be worn on a belt, shirt collar, or headband as well. More »
If you can afford one, hotshot, an AT&T LTE MiFi will change your life a little bit: you have Internet virtually everywhere you go, a wireless high-speed network in your bag. More »
Best Windows Phone: See Ya, Nokia Lumia 900!
Best Android Phone (T-Mobile): Shalom, HTC One S!
Best Android Phone (Sprint): Hasta la vista, HTC Evo 4G LTE!
Best Android Phone (Verizon): Good-bye, Samsung Galaxy Nexus!
The Best Action Camera: Peace out, GoPro Hero 2!
We just got an email from the guys over at UK mobile carrier Vodafone to let us know that they now have the black version of the Samsung Galaxy S III available on their monthly contracts in the UK.
Vodafone are offering the Samsung Galaxy S III for free on their contracts which start at 42 per month, there are also other contracts available with an up front cost for the handset.
When Samsung launched the Galaxy S III in the UK, the device was only available with 16GB of built in storage, and no there is a 64GB model that we have been hearing about for a while on the way.
The 64GB Samsung Galaxy S III will launch in the UK within the next two months, according to Clove, and the device will retail for 600 including taxes, this is the SIM free pricing, obviously it will be cheaper upfront on contract with the various mobile providers.
The winter weather will soon be upon us and that means gloves, but have you tried using a phone while wearing gloves? Well it is not easy and yet the solution to this problem is in fact a pair of gloves! These are of course specially designed gloves, that have a Bluetooth connection and built in microphone and speaker. However, none the less these are hi-Call gloves that allow you to use the phone in the cold.
These are the features and details for the very useful hi-Call Bluetooth connected glove;
Bluetooth talking glove! hi-Call is a Bluetooth glove that allows you to talk through your hand. The left glove has a speaker and a microphone sewed into thumb and pinkie, in order to speak to the phone, while protecting from cold. A pair of warm gloves, perfect for every sport, from skiing to running, with hi-Call you can control the touch screen of your smart phone thanks to the capacitive technology.
The Hi-Call Bluetooth glove is priced at 40 in the UK and $64 in the US
Source [Technabob]
As wireless phones continue to be integrated in every aspect of consumers’ lives, smartphones are quickly gaining a foothold as the centerpiece of mobile social media. The seamless connectivity offered by mobile social networking applications, such as Twitter and Facebook, play a critical role in overall smartphone satisfaction, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2012 U.S. Wireless Smartphone Customer Satisfaction Study–Volume 2 and the J.D. Power and Associates 2012 U.S. Wireless Traditional Mobile Phone Satisfaction Study–Volume 2, both released today.
The Wireless Smartphone Customer Satisfaction Study finds that customers who regularly use mobile channels of social media and gaming applications are more satisfied with their device and spend more per month for wireless service than customers who do not. In 2012, 67 percent of smartphone customers indicate they have downloaded social networking applications on their device and report spending more than 100 minutes per week using those applications. Overall smartphone satisfaction among customers using social networking applications is 810 (on a 1,000-point scale), which is 55 points higher than among smartphone customers who do not. Additionally, 69 percent of smartphone customers indicate they have downloaded gaming applications and spend an average of 81 minutes per week playing games. Satisfaction among customers using gaming applications is 61 points higher than among those who do not (813 vs. 752, respectively).
“As the capabilities of wireless phones and their applications continue to expand, allowing customers to more often use their device, handset manufacturers have an opportunity to shape the customer experience and impact satisfaction with better application integration and social networking options,” said Uma Jha, senior director of mobile devices at J.D. Power and Associates, in the press release.
The Wireless Smartphone Customer Satisfaction Study also finds that customers who use gaming applications spend $13 more per month, on average, for their wireless service than those who do not use gaming applications. Likewise, mobile social media application users spend an average of $12 more per month on their service than do customers who do not use social media applications.
The two studies measure customer satisfaction with traditional wireless handsets and smartphones among owners who have used their current mobile device for less than one year. Satisfaction is measured in several key factors. In order of importance, the key factors of overall satisfaction with traditional wireless handsets are: performance (29%); ease of operation (26%); physical design (24%); and features (21%). For smartphones, the key factors are: performance (33%); physical design (23%); features (22%); and ease of operation (22%).
For the eighth consecutive study, Apple ranks highest among manufacturers of smartphones in customer satisfaction. Apple achieves a score of 849 and performs well in all factors, particularly in physical design and ease of operation. HTC (790) follows Apple in smartphone rankings.
LG ranks highest in the Wireless Traditional Mobile Phone Satisfaction Study with a score of 726. LG performs well in all four factors.
The studies also find the following key wireless handset usage patterns and purchase trends:
The cost of a traditional wireless mobile phone averages $56, compared with an average of $66 in 2011. The decline is primarily due to discounts provided by handset providers and wireless service carriers to incentivize sales. Currently, 44 percent of customers report having received a free mobile phone when subscribing to a wireless service.
Features have become less of a differentiator in the smartphone selection processes due to an influx of competitive offerings from newer manufacturers. Nearly one-half (47%) of customers this year indicate they chose their smartphone primarily because of particular features, such as a camera, the operating system, or social media integration or gaming capabilities, compared with 57 percent just one year ago.
Nearly one-fifth (19%) of customers this year primarily chose their smartphone based on price, compared with 14 percent a year ago. This may be driven by offers of free or heavily discounted devices from wireless carriers, as 22 percent of customers indicate their smartphone was free, an increase from 18 percent a year ago.
Nearly two in 10 current smartphone owners report experiencing a software or device malfunction. Malfunctions have a significant impact on overall satisfaction, a gap of 90 points between customers who experience software malfunctions and those who do not (799 vs. 709, respectively). Additionally, satisfaction among customers who indicate their device’s software crashes at least once a week averages 663.
The 2012 U.S. Wireless Smartphone Customer Satisfaction Study–Volume 2 and the 2012 U.S. Wireless Traditional Mobile Phone Satisfaction Study–Volume 2 are based on experiences reported by 8,736 smartphone owners and 6,272 traditional mobile phone owners. Both studies were fielded between January and June 2012.
For more information on customer satisfaction with wireless service, wireless retail sales, cell phone handsets, customer care, prepaid wireless service and business wireless service, please visit JDPower.com.
Source: J.D. Power and Associates
MacDailyNews Take: Look at the “Power Circle Ratings.”
All other “smartphones” are “about average” or worse. Only Apple’s iPhone is “Among the best.” There is a whole rating “Better than most” separating Apple’s iPhone from the also-rans, wannabes, knockoffs, and road kill.
Nobody can say that the BBC has not been busy over past couple of weeks, not only have they been covering the Olympics, they have managed to roll out an update for the iPlayer iOS app too. The app now supports retina and playback features, as well as some bug fixes.
According to the BBC, this is what they have done to update the iPlayer iOS app;
We’ve had some great feedback from all the passionate BBC iPlayer users out there and have made some updates.
You asked for better playback so we’ve improved the video performance
Better accessibility, including more Voice Over controls to make it even easier to enjoy BBC iPlayer’s fantastic content
Beautiful retina graphics for the new iPad
Bug fixes and general tidying, so you’ll notice even smoother performance
We hope you enjoy the updated BBC iPlayer, let us know what you think @BBCiPlayer.
The updated BBC iPlayer app is available free from iTunes now!
Source [The Next Web]
