Android Authority |
- Galaxy S4 model number or high-end TIZEN smarpthone confirmed: GT-I9500
- What can we expect in our mobile future?
- New HTC Droid DNA ad released by Verizon, says the device is an upgrade to yourself
- 32GB Oppo Find 5 model confirmed, Chinese Android smartphone coming to multiple markets in Q1 2013
- New $99 Acer Iconia tablet coming early 2013
| Galaxy S4 model number or high-end TIZEN smarpthone confirmed: GT-I9500 Posted: 25 Dec 2012 06:08 PM PST
Samsung is said to sell over half a billion cell phones next year, with almost 400 million of those being smartphones. Obviously, we expect Android to be the main mobile OS for Samsung's 2013 smartphones, although other operating systems such as Windows Phone and TIZEN will also equip some of them. Sam Mobile seems to have confirmed a model number for the next flagship Samsung smartphone, the GT-I9500, which will run either Android or TIZEN. According to the online publication, the GT-I9500 could very well be the Galaxy S4 because the number 4 is apparently unlucky in South Korea – the Galaxy S3's model number is I9300 – and therefore Samsung would skip I9400 in favor of I9500 (I9505 for the LTE version). It also seems that Samsung hasn't used the number 4 in high-end devices. At the same time, we could be looking at Samsung's first TIZEN handset here, even though that may not sound as interesting to Android fans. No matter what handset model we'd be looking at, it's worth mentioning that Samsung is reportedly testing software for the two handset versions, GT-I9500 and GT-I9505, as follows:
Will you buy a Samsung smartphone next year, or are you interested in trying out something else? |
| What can we expect in our mobile future? Posted: 25 Dec 2012 05:48 PM PST
It seems we're always looking for the next thing in the world of mobile technology. We get the best thing available and crown it king, only to find there is a usurper to the throne lurking around the corner. Maybe this one has a bigger screen, or a bigger processor. Will it have more memory? We operate in the cloud…so does that even matter? More importantly, will it ever end? Let’s take a minute to consider what the future holds for us. We’ve become enamored with all the goodies we can get in a device, but where will it end? The ScreenAs we prepare ourselves for CES 2013, news is oozing out that Samsung will have flexible displays ready for us to play with. Yes, those displays you see in commercials where it looks like they're holding a piece of cellophane are real. Not quite the same as the ad, i'm sure, but close enough. So, does that mean the display and, by virtue, the cell phone of the future will be like having a piece of heavy card-stock paper in your pocket? Our phones now have densities so high that we can't readily see the pixels with the naked eye during normal use. Studies show that anything over 300ppi is moot to the naked eye, yet we keep getting higher and higher with pixel density. Why is that? The same reason we climb mountains; because we can. Pixel density on small screens is directly related to resolution, and we're all guilty of falling in love with resolution. So what can we expect in the near future? I don't think the flexible display will be what we think of it. That technology is best served as a feature on a "regular" device, not as a standalone. A flexible display has a lot of promise, but it won't be the end-all which those cute commercials tell us it is. A flexible display on a normal device could do such things as pinpoint haptic feedback or build textures, which has a lot more to offer a greater number of people. While screen resolution gets better and better, companies will probably start to concentrate on their color quality rather than pixel density. Put five different devices side by side, and you will have five different shades of black. This is already a point of contention amongst users, and I look to the manufacturers to narrow the gap here.
The BatteryNot that long ago, a cell phone battery would last for days. All of us that had the old technology lament the battery life we get now. At best I get a full day out of my Nexus 4, which is sadly normal amongst devices now. I haven't had a smartphone yet that will last all day and through the night, which doesn't seem very smart to me. This category has the most promise, and the biggest risk. Batteries are not known for a long life span, or to keep up performance throughout. Their whole existence is a downhill slide into the recycling bin, slowly disappointing us more and more each day. We quietly hate them, but forgive them as we know the issue is not really them, it's the device…and us. A device battery is the final frontier on the hardware side of things. It's the one thing inside your device that has seen almost no improvements. A study at Northwestern University last year yielded a cellphone battery that "charges in 15 minutes and stays charged for more than a week." I let out a Keanu Reeves "whoa" when I read that. Imagine the convenience of a device that will stay charged for days on end! There is all kinds of new technology being developed for batteries, but we haven't seen it in our devices yet. Why not? Manufacturers have been slow to implement change in batteries because of manufacturing cost, but I believe they will begin to institute change soon. As devices get bigger and badder, the battery must follow suit…and let's be honest, at this point if there was a device that could stay charged with normal usage for a few days and remain slim and sexy, we'd jump all over it.
The hardwareAs batteries see the least improvement, hardware sees the most improvement…and for the same reason; manufacturing cost. The cost of building a new processor or smaller memory is minute in comparison, so we see upgrades here all the time. We have devices that can do much of what our computer at home is capable of, and a lot of that has to do with hardware specs…but where does it end? I think we're seeing a levelling-off point here. We've got all kinds of wonderful things like NFC, LTE, quad-core processors, lots of memory, etc. wrapped up in these tiny devices. Hardware is tangible, it has mass. We are at an impasse consolidating fast with sleek. We can't continue to get a slimmer, lighter device that will continually build on performance. Luckily, the much ballyhooed "cloud" takes care of a large part of the memory concern, but there is a faction of people who don't feel comfortable with anything less than 32GB or so of on-board storage, which is where I think we can expect devices to hold their ground. In terms of processors, we now have quad core devices with 8-core right around the corner (rumored to be in the Samsung Galaxy S4). If each is double the speed of it's predecessor, processors will be much like displays; we will get to a point we can't really tell anymore. Expect to see 16-core processors in a year or two, but not much beyond that.
The cameraThe camera is a huge deal to any cell phone user. I make the distinction here with "cell phone" rather than "device" because, well, taking pictures with a tablet is awkward and should not be encouraged. The inclusion of cameras on cell phones was originally kind of annoying because the camera was horrible. Now that we have 8MP cameras, it's pretty great. We no longer take cameras with us to special occasions because the camera on our phone will do a more than adequate job. We have our phones, which take great pics and very decent video…so why carry another device? The cell phone camera will get better, but there is a limit to what can be done with such a small hardware footprint. We can comfortably get 8 megapixels with the rear camera, but that's not enough for us. With the advances we're seeing with hardware, we can expect the same with cameras. While 8MP is great, 12MP or 16MP would be perfect. A phone will never really be a camera, but it can come really close! We should also expect to see improvements with the front-facing camera. The front-facing camera can be used for much more than those lame self-pics we're all guilty of, and once things like skype chats or hangouts become part of our routine, we will want a better front-facing camera. I don't think a 4MP front facing camera is far fetched or far off.
ConclusionKeep in mind that while I'm discussing the "future" of devices, I'm only talking about the next two years or so. It would be silly to project any further, because this industry simply moves too fast to be predictable. If you come back in 2 years and read this article on your 64-core device with a 12-inch screen that folds up like a napkin, I won't be shocked. Jealous, maybe…but not shocked. As an observer and lover of technology, I think the one thing not discussed is the one thing that will drive this discussion…but there is no way to predict it. I'm talking about services. Services drive our devices, plain and simple. A device is little more than a gateway to services, and should be thought of as much. It's why you have the slim, light, cool devices you do. Imagine if app data had to be loaded into the memory, or those games you love required a cartridge. You'd be lugging around half a suitcase all day! Services comprise everything you love about your device, whether it be checking your email, writing a quick to-do list, or playing a first-person shooter game…those are all services. What will the future bring us in terms of services? It's scary to think about. With so many bright developers and studios bringing us such a diversity of offerings, only time will tell what we will see. Related Posts |
| New HTC Droid DNA ad released by Verizon, says the device is an upgrade to yourself Posted: 25 Dec 2012 05:29 PM PST
The recently launched HTC Droid DNA (see our in-depth review here) stars in a fresh new Verizon commercial entitled "Extra Sensory." In it, the carrier emphasizes the Droid DNA's main features, presenting the device not as "an upgrade to your phone, but as an upgrade to yourself." Obviously, the whole DNA thing is exploited in the 30-second commercial, so don't be surprised to find phrases like "vision expanding to 5-inch 1080p HD display and camera," "touch acquiring NFC" or "hearing evolving with Beats audio." The HTC Droid DNA, known as the J Butterfly / Butterfly in other markets, is definitely one of the best HTC Android devices out there, but is it enough for the Taiwan-based Android maker to help it recover lost ground in the Android ecosystem? 2013 will certainly drive competition among top Android rivals to new levels, and we can only hope HTC will put up a great fight. Have you purchased a Droid DNA yet? Related Posts |
| 32GB Oppo Find 5 model confirmed, Chinese Android smartphone coming to multiple markets in Q1 2013 Posted: 25 Dec 2012 04:56 PM PST
The Oppo Find 5 is one Chinese Android smartphone that we have extensively covered this year, especially in the recent weeks, as we had a chance to offer you an extensive hands-on preview of the device. And now we have some good news for you for Android smartphone buyers that are interested in getting this particular handset in the following weeks. The company has confirmed via its Facebook page that the Find 5 will be available in a 32GB version, which will cost $569 in the U.S., or $70 more than the 16GB model. In addition to America, the phone will ship officially to a variety of countries in Q1 2013 including, in spite of what you may have initially heard: Canada, UK, Spain, Australia, Germany, France, Belgium, Malaysia, Sweden, Singapore, Finland, Greece, Denmark, New Zealand, Norway, Japan and Hong Kong. In fact, it looks like this is only a partial list of markets for the handset, so more countries will get the handset next year. As for the ones above, Engadget tells us that Oppo will try to launch the device "as close to the early January China launch as possible," although we don't have any official release dates yet. Are you buying an Oppo Find 5 next year? Related Posts |
| New $99 Acer Iconia tablet coming early 2013 Posted: 25 Dec 2012 04:40 PM PST
If you read the headline and thought “Another tablet?”, you may be on to something. As previously reported, Acer’s submission of a tablet device to the FCC is expected to hit shelves in the first quarter of 2013. The tablet, which has the potential to be competitive with Amazon’s Kindle, may not be coming to the U.S. at all. A person with direct knowledge of the situation said Acer is planning to target emerging countries before making a decision on whether to bring the tablet (reportedly named the Iconia B1) to the U.S. market. This may be a very smart move by Acer. With a very crowded tablet market here in the U.S. that gets deeper every day, a budget tablet may get lost in the shuffle. While we love our low cost electronics, something as plain as this may be lost on us. Reportedly aimed at the Chinese market, this could be a huge win for Acer. China is a huge country with a lot of potential for growth. Getting into the Chinese market with a popular device at this point would be wonderful for any company. Would a $99 tablet be something you could see yourself purchasing? Related Posts |
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