iPhone & other smartphone's concepts & operating systems

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Off topic post - Introducing Windows Phone 8 (Continuation from my previous post)

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Microsoft officially unveils Windows Phone 8

The official launch of Windows Phone 8 is scheduled for this fall, but that's as specific info as we got. Things should become a little clearer in the following weeks.

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[Zakii]

Since this thread has not been limited to one topic only... and we discussed Android, other manufacturers and now posting news about Windows phone as well.. do you want me to change the title to something else?

If yes then please suggest the appropriate title

[p(-)0ENiX]

Since this thread has not been limited to one topic only... and we discussed Android, other manufacturers and now posting news about Windows phone as well.. do you want me to change the title to something else?

If yes then please suggest the appropriate title

Is the title below suitable for this thread?

"Smartphones' concepts & operating systems (Apple)"

I added Apple in brackets because I think the iPhone is still the primary subject of this thread. Most of the concepts I posted for example were related to the iPhone 5 or we can edit that part later too

[Zakii]

Is the title below suitable for this thread?

"Smartphones' concepts & operating systems (Apple)"

I added Apple in brackets because I think the iPhone is still the primary subject of this thread. Most of the concepts I posted for example were related to the iPhone 5.

You are in love with Apple so what can I say

How about

"iPhone 5 & Smartphone's concepts & operating systems" ???

Since most of your posts are in relevance to iPhone 5 and not the future versions of iPhone... if you want I can just write iPhone so this thread stays valid after the announcement of iPhone 5?

[p(-)0ENiX]

You are in love with Apple so what can I say

How about

"iPhone 5 & Smartphone's concepts & operating systems" ???

Since most of your posts are in relevance to iPhone 5 and not the future versions of iPhone... if you want I can just write iPhone so this thread stays valid after the announcement of iPhone 5?

I only care about Apple as long as they make good products lol.

Yeah, you can make the title "iPhone & other smartphones' concepts & operating systems".

[Zakii]

I only care about Apple as long as they make good products lol.

Yeah, you can make the title "iPhone & other smartphones' concepts & operating systems".

Done!

you can advise for better title later if you want me to change it again

[p(-)0ENiX]

Legacy devices denied WP8, offered WP7.8 instead

After several long months of contradicting rumors, the owners of the current crop of WP smartphones finally got official information regarding the eligibility of their devices for a WP8 upgrade. Sadly, the answer Microsoft delivered isn't the one we were all hoping for.

It was confirmed that the just announced Windows Phone 8 won't be coming to any of the existing WP smartphones. The reasons for this are yet unclear, with some pointing to the limited hardware and others speculating it's just an attempt by Microsoft to make users upgrade.

The consolation is that even if you don't change smartphones, at least some of the cool Windows Phone 8 features will be made available to you. Microsoft will be treating legacy hardware to a Windows Phone 7.8, which will enable the resizable live tiles as well as a few other features that weren't explicitly mentioned.

The Windows Phone 7.8 update will be brought directly to the users, which means carrier approvals won't slow down its rollout. There's no saying yet when the update will be delivered, though.

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In my opinion, Microsoft have made a major mistake by not ensuring that the previous generation of Windows phones are able to upgrade to standard WP8. The company most likely to be affected by this development is Nokia since their entire future depends on the Windows Phone OS. Meaning that those who purchased the Nokia Lumia 900 won't be able to upgrade to the latest & greatest resulting in a loss of consumer confidence & loyalty.

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Prasad

21 June 2012

Windows Phone user sends a disappointed letter to Stephen Elop, gets a response

Yesterday, Microsoft announced the newest version of their mobile operating system, Windows Phone 8. But while it’s a solid upgrade over the current Windows Phone 7.5, those who own the current devices have been left in the lurch, with just the new homescreen and a couple of minor features being offered as part of the Windows Phone 7.8 update.

Naturally, the people are upset about it, since companies like Nokia were launching their flagship products like the Lumia 900 based on Windows Phone 7.5 not too long ago and people bought these thinking that they will be upgraded to Windows Phone 8 in future and get all the new features. One such customer was Luke who had bought a Samsung Focus in the past and then switched on to a Nokia Lumia 900.

His journey hasn’t exactly been smooth but despite that he stuck with the platform. Now imaging his chagrin when he learned yesterday that he was being rewarded for his loyalty by an update to the homescreen, for a phone he bought three weeks ago. So he penned a letter to Stephen Elop, Steve Ballmer and Ralph de la Vega, CEO’s of Nokia, Microsoft and AT&T respectively expressing his disappointment. Here’s a small portion of his letter:

I just watched the Windows Phone 8 announcement and learned that the Lumia will not be upgradeable to WP8, it will more or less get a skin with the new live tiles and a few other features… at the end of the day unless one of you responds and convinces me to stay with Microsoft Windows Phone, Nokia Lumia or Att wireless I will just wash my hands of all three companies and move over to Verizon. I hear Google makes some nice LTE phones over there.

Surprisingly, Mr. Elop chose to reply to his letter, with the following:

Thanks for your note, Luke.

As we showed today, we have a lot of exciting capabilities coming as part of a pattern of updates for the existing Lumia products. This includes some of the most significant visual elements of WP8 – for example, the new start screen. As we have always been, Nokia is committed to delivering a long term experience to any purchasers of our products.

It’s not much of an answer but there is not much that Elop can say at the moment and I presume he is as disappointed as Luke is at Microsoft’s ridiculous decision.

You can read the entirety of Luke’s letter in the source link below. Also, if you bought a new Windows Phone recently, let us know what you feel about the whole situation in the comments below.

Source

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AFP

21 June 2012

Joe Belfiore, corporate vice president of Microsoft, introduces the Windows Phone 8 mobile operating system in San Francisco, California, June 20, 2012. – Reuters

Microsoft shows off Windows for smartphones

SAN FRANCISCO: Microsoft on Wednesday ramped up its push to regain ground in the precious mobile computing market by giving developers a “sneak peek” at new Windows software for smartphones.

A key feature of Windows 8 Phone is that it will be keenly in tune with the similarly named next-generation operating system for personal computers as the technology titan creates a stage on which popular devices can play together.

“It’s the most advanced mobile OS Microsoft has ever made and will arrive on new phones later this year,” said Windows Phone program manager Joe Belfiore.

“Windows Phone 8 is based on the same core technologies that power Windows; the most successful and powerful operating system on the planet, and one used by more than a billion people.”

The early glimpse at Windows 8 Phone came at a gathering of software developers and press in San Francisco a day after Microsoft set the technology world abuzz by unveiling its own tablet computer to challenge Apple’s iPad.

“If you’ve seen Windows 8, Microsoft’s groundbreaking new release for PCs and tablets, you’ve probably noticed it bears more than a passing resemblance to the look of Windows Phone,” Belfiore said.

“Windows Phone and its bigger sibling will share common networking, security, media and web browser technology, and a common file system.”

Microsoft introduced its first tablet computer, the Surface, on Monday, in a major hardware launch clearly designed to take on long-term rival Apple’s market-ruling iPad.

Chief executive Steve Ballmer described the iPad challenger – complete with a built-in stand and ultra thin covers-cum-keyboards in a range of colors – as a tablet that “works and plays.”

“The Surface is a PC, the Surface is a tablet, and the Surface is something new that we think people will absolutely love,” he said at an hour-long presentation in a Hollywood design studio.

No prices or release dates were given, but the Surface is expected to go on sale in the fall, with retail prices “competitive with a comparable ARM tablet or Intel Ultrabook-class” computers, Microsoft said.

The Redmond, Washington-based technology firm has seen Apple and Google-backed Android gadgets commandeer the smartphone and tablet markets at a time when lifestyles are shifting away from desktop computers to mobile devices.

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AFP

21 June 2012

In a file picture taken on March 28, 2012, an Apple iPad sits on display at a store in Melbourne. – AFP

Apple fined $2.29 mln over Australian ‘4G’ iPad

SYDNEY: Apple was Thursday fined Aus$2.25 million (US$2.29 million) for “deliberately” misleading Australian consumers about the local 4G capability of its latest iPad.

The tech giant was also ordered to pay Aus$300,000 in costs by the Federal Court in a case brought by regulators, who said the penalty sent a message to global companies that there were consequences for breaching the law.

Justice Mordy Bromberg found that Apple misled people with claims in its advertising implying that the “iPad with WiFi + 4G” could connect with fourth generation cellular networks in Australia, when it could not.

The judgment ruled that the company engaged in conduct liable to mislead the public and contravened Australian consumer law.

“The conduct concerned was deliberate and very serious,” Bromberg said.

“It exposed a significant proportion of Australian consumers of tablet devices to a misleading representation.”

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), which initiated the proceedings, said it was delighted with the outcome.

“The $2.25 million penalty reflects the seriousness of a company the size of Apple refusing to change its advertising when it has been put on notice that it is likely to be misleading consumers,” chairman Rod Sims said.

“This decision should act as a renewed warning that the ACCC will continue to take action against traders who take risks in their advertising, regardless of their size.”

Apple offered in March to refund customers who felt they had been duped, and to publish a clarification about the popular tablet’s capabilities.

The product is now advertised outside North America as “Wi-Fi + Cellular” – a change that came into effect on May 12 - with a clear caveat on its Australian site that “it is not compatible with current Australian 4G LTE and WiMax networks.”

The iPad’s 4G capabilities are supported by some networks in the US and Canada.

Matthew Rimmer, an expert in intellectual property at the Australian National University, said Apple had been “careless”.

“It shows some of the dangers involved in overhyping products and sets a very important precedent,” he said, adding that other countries would take note of the outcome.

Asked if it could open the floodgates to similar law suits elsewhere, he said: “It all depends on the nature of consumer regulations in each country.”Earlier this month, Apple agreed to settle the case with the ACCC.

But Bromberg delayed an official ruling until he had details on how many iPads had been sold and were returned under the refund offer and further information on Apple’s financial position.

He said Thursday the risk of contravening Australian consumer law would have been “reasonably obvious” to Apple.

“In that context, and in the absence of any other explanation, the facts to which I have just referred suggest that Apple’s desire for global uniformity was given a greater priority than the need to ensure compliance with the Australian consumer law,” he said.

“Conduct of that kind is serious and unacceptable.”The iPad was the world’s best-selling tablet in the first three months of 2012, outgunning its Android-powered rivals, with sales more than doubling from a year earlier to send Apple’s profits soaring.

Apple was not immediately available for comment.

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GSMArena

21 June 2012

Samsung wins patent battle against Apple in Holland

The Dutch supreme court in the Hague has ruled that Apple provide compensation to Samsung for infringement of various 3G patents. The infringing devices include previous generation Apple phones and tablets, namely the iPad 2 and iPhone 4, but not the new iPad or iPhone 4S.

These later models were excluded because Apple switched to a new chipset provided by Qualcomm, who in turn have licenses for the patents from Samsung. As a Qualcomm customer, it was ruled that that the licensing covered Apple as well.

Samsung wasn't able to block the devices' sales altogether, but the Koreans claim they will now use the ruling to seek compensation.

"Samsung welcomes the decision of the court in The Hague, which again confirms that Apple makes free use of our technological innovations…In accordance with this statement, we will recover adequate damages that Apple and its products have caused."

This is the most recent blow struck between the two tech giants, who have been trading copyright infringement lawsuits across numerous courts around the globe.

Source | Via

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[p(-)0ENiX]

Due to the large number of Android users on this forum, I have decided to post a concept of an Android phone called the "Galaxy Nexus Black S".

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Thrystan

April 18th, 2012

Galaxy Nexus Black S Concept, the Future Google Flagship

If you haven’t heard about Antoine Brieux/NAK Studio, it’s a real shame, since he’s a talented designer and I suggest you click his name and check out his work on our website. Now he has a fresh concept for us, the Galaxy Nexus Black S, a beautiful render that shows us how the future of Google phone flagships may look like.

It’s a pretty wide device, that packs a big 4.9 inch Super AMOLED+ display with 720p resolution and runs Android 4.0 ICS. It weighs 153 grams, measures 8.43 mm in thickness and also offers HSPA+, WiFi, Bluetooth, 32/64GB of storage, plus a 2050 mAh battery. The brain of the Galaxy Nexus Black S is a 1.4 GHz quad core processor, maybe an Exynos, maybe a future Snapdragon from Qualcomm. NFC, an accelerometer and a buttonless design fill in the blanks here, as well as 1.5GB of RAM, a plunge that no company has dared to make on the memory side so far.

The case is all aluminium unibody and you’ve got a virtual SIM card with PC adaptor included (not sure what that means). There’s a 12 megapixel camera at the back with continuous autofocus and a 3.2MP sensor upfront for videocalls. The standard 3 capacitive buttons are placed below the display and the case is slightly curved, just like the Galaxy Nexus unit from 2011. The side area of the handset reminds me a bit of the Xperia Play, if I may say so. It’s got a great metallic look that everyone will love.

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Some interesting trivia about this design is that its designer is the same person that designed the liquid metal iPhone 5 concept mentioned in the first post of this thread. That is why you would probably notice similarities between the 2 concepts.

[ANTIBODY]

http://www.defence.pk/forums/members...rt-phones.html

for android users there is a thread already present ---if you want to discuss android aswell then, we can merge both under the name of ''the smartphones thread'' or ''how to choose your smart phones smartly''

[p(-)0ENiX]

http://www.defence.pk/forums/members...-phones-9.html

for android users there was a thread

That thread has been discontinued for more than a year. I think this thread will be fine for Android & Windows Phones discussions too.

[p(-)0ENiX]

PatrickJ

21 Jun 2012

Image Source: @acordova via Paris Lemon

Android and iOS – A Picture’s Worth a Thousand Words

So yeah – that huge blue section of the pie chart on the left is the installed base for the latest version of iOS. And the tiny blue sliver in the pie chart on the right is the installed base for the latest version of Android.

Proving yet again that it sucks to rely on carriers and OEMs to release updates, and it sucks when a platform lets this kind of effect become possible.

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[Zakii]

probably one of the very few advantages IOS has over Android

Agree to this part for sure

[p(-)0ENiX]

probably one of the very few advantages IOS has over Android

Agree to this part for sure

If Google manages to come up with a solution to this problem, I am sure many other issues Android faces such as fragmentation will be solved as well. This will result in applications of superior quality, & an overall better customer experience. I myself might want to try an Android phone for personal use if this update issue gets resolved.

I like the HTC One X at the moment, but I don't want to risk not being able to receive an update. By the way, what did you think of the Galaxy Nexus Black S concept in post #234?

[p(-)0ENiX]

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John McKinlay

Jun 22, 2012

10 Things I Like About iOS

This is going to be a two-part article. This first part will talk about the 10 things I like about Apple’s iOS. The second part will talk about 10 things that I dislike about Apple’s iOS. I have to say one thing before I start this article proper and that is thank you. I loved reading your comments on five reasons why I won’t buy a Microsoft Surface. Most of you made good points and good arguments both for and against the Surface. Others need to learn that I am giving my opinion and that I’ve not got my hands around their neck forcing them to buy or not to buy a product. Now, here are 10 reasons why I like iOS.

It’s Neat

I don’t mean neat in some urban form of cool. I mean that it’s neat and tidy. You can’t add widgets to the screens or anything that would make my Obsessive Compulsive Tendencies go wild. I really do think that iOS is a great OS if you have OCD or OCT.

Folders

I know that other OSes have had this feature for a lot longer than iOS, but it’s still great to have the feature on iOS. I can keep my screen tidy or organise my apps in a way that I can easily understand. I like that Apple has decided to keep the whole OS fairly simple to understand — or at least that’s how it feels to me.

Visual Voice Mail

When the iPhone and the iPhone OS was brand new, this was one of its main features and it’s a feature that has slowly died out and isn’t advertised a lot — if, indeed, at all — now. I still love Visual Voice Mail because I can see who’s called me and I can usually ignore telemarketers.

Music Creation Apps

I have many friends who use, and love, their Android phones. As such, I have used many of their music creation apps. I am extremely picky about the sound quality and how the sound is played, if that makes sense. The Android apps just don’t function as nicely as some of the iOS apps like Ocarina and others that I’ve already named. I haven’t tried Windows Phone 7, so I can’t comment on that, but I love the iOS apps at time of writing.

I Can Get the Latest Update

I know that this may rub some of you up the wrong way. However, I love that I don’t have to wait for O2 or whoever to decide to upgrade my phone’s OS. I’ve had some of my friends on Android who have moved to iOS because their carrier or manufacturer refused to update their phone to the latest flavour of Android. I have seen and played with Android and I would think about moving to Android if Google would find a way to force manufacturers and carriers to upgrade to the latest and greatest.

Reminders

I use reminders on an almost daily basis. When I leave the house I can remind myself of article ideas or to record some stuff for my YouTube channel and have iOS remind me when I enter a 500 meter area around my house. I have used a myriad of different apps to accomplish this, but they usually require you to remember that you made the reminder. It could just be me being lazy and wanting apps to make my life even easier, or it could be because I have an exceptionally bad memory is some areas and an exceptionally good memory in others.

Photo Stream

This is a great feature for me. I can take pictures on my iPhone and have access to them on my iPad. I could upload them to my computer and then download them onto my iPad using iTunes, but iCloud makes things just so simple. I can also edit and do stuff on my iPad or take a screenshot and my iPhone will have it in Photo Stream. This may not make any sense to you, but let me clear the smoke. My iPad is downstairs on a stand and I use it as my PC downstairs. In fact, I’m currently typing this on my iPad whilst I watch Formula 1 Free Practice One on the TV.

iCloud Backup]

This gives me peace of mind that, if anything should happen to my iPhone or iPad, I have a backup — with settings and all that other good stuff. This way, when I get a replacement unit, nothing will have changed and I can get back to business. This happened recently with my iPad and it has given me even more peace of mind because I know that it does actually work.

iMessage

I would like this feature better if it weren’t just free messaging to other iOS devices and there was a way to do BBM/iMessage to all phones. This is a great feature — don’t get me wrong — because I can keep up with other iOS users, but I know users on Android and Windows Phone 7, too, and it seems unfair (even though there are other apps that allow this to happen). I want something that’s built into every message app on every phone and handy for sending a message to fellow LockerGnome staff — except that I’d usually get told off because they’re asleep. (Sorry, lads!)

App Store

I don’t care about how many apps are in the App Store; I care about the kind and quality of the apps. While some will complain of Apple’s famous “walled garden” approach to application presentation, it does weed out a lot of potential garbage and makes finding something worthwhile all the easier.

Final Thoughts

These 10 things may or may not be available to iOS alone, but they are the 10 things that I like about iOS. I like having the freedom to choose the platform that I like the best. I also like the option to “vote with my wallet” should the platform that I’ve chosen fail my expectations. I don’t care for the whole slanderous and flatulent world of “you’re a fan boy because I say so” nonsense. I have the right to choose and use what I want and how I want to and I give no one the right to judge me on it because I don’t care!

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John McKinlay

Jun 22, 2012

10 Things I Dislike About iOS

This article is a counterpoint to my 10 things I like about iOS. I have used iOS since iPhone OS 1.1 and as much as I have — for the most part — enjoyed the updates that Apple has brought to the OS, there are things that I’ve not liked. No OS is completely perfect, and that is something that I’m sure most reasonable people would agree with.

No Widgets

Although I did say that I like the neat and tidy OCD/OCT friendly iOS home screen, I would like to have the ability to add widgets. I’d love to be able to do what Android users can and see the weather at a glance. I’d even love to have the dynamic tiles that Windows Phone 7 users have.

[CENTER]No Dynamic Background

I do like having a static background, but a dynamic background image like Windows 7 would be an awesome feature. I know that it may reduce battery life or some other reason that Apple has for not bringing this to iOS, but I’d still love to have it. It would be great to have a background that would change with the time of day. A view of the ocean that changes to suit the time of day would be something that I would certainly be interested in, but I doubt I’ll see it any time soon.

Newsstand

This app annoys me no end! I don’t use it and I don’t want to use it. I want to put it into a folder because of the next reason. However, Apple has closed that loophole. I don’t mind it so much on my iPad, but I really dislike it on my iPhone because I don’t want to use that screen for reading — although I can and do use it for reading certain things.

Inability to Delete Standard Apps

Is it just so hard for Apple to allow us the choice to delete apps that we don’t want to use like Compass, Stocks, or Contacts? Contacts, especially, because they are already housed within the Phone app; why is a second app required? I don’t want to jailbreak my device to get the ability to delete things that I don’t need!

No True Multi-tasking

I don’t think the multi-tasking that iOS has is true multi-tasking. In my opinion, true multi-tasking is not stopping the app when you leave it. Although, by that definition, the Music app is clearly able to multi-task — you are stopping the app but still allowing music to play. I understand why Apple has built this the way it has, but I’d like to have more control over it.

Notification Centre

I just don’t like notification centre. I like that it’s a step up from the original push notifications, but other than that I hate it. I’ve only gotten notifications for the apps that I need to get notifications from, but they still annoy me. There are also some apps — now removed from my iPhone and iPad — that will disregard notification centre’s settings when you don’t want notifications from them.

Camera App

The Camera app is good, but extremely basic. I would like to see the ability to take three or more shots at once, a way to make it easier to take shots without blur, or even a way to intentionally add motion blur to a shot. I don’t want the app to turn into Instagram, but it would be nice to have some more features.

iCloud Syncing

As much as I like iCloud and having that backup as peace of mind, I dislike how long it takes for photos in the photo stream to get from one device to another. It’s supposed to be done, by my understanding, over Wi-Fi and shouldn’t take too long, but I’ve had pictures on my iPad that my iPhone never gets a hold of. It’s not a big deal, but it is mildly annoying.

Secure Locking

I want a better way to securely lock my iPhone and iPad apart from using a pin number. I like the Android ***-to-*** style security, although I’m not sure if it is entirely secure. However, it would make getting into my iPhone and iPad a lot less of a fuss and bother. I have to — on average — unlock one of my iDevices every hour or so and it really does get annoying.

iTunes

I hate iTunes with a passion that cannot be described — as this is a family website. As much as iTunes is an optional way to sync your iDevice, you do still have to use it if you want to keep iTunes as a second backup. You also need to use it if you’re going to jailbreak your device. I find the program extremely infuriating and I would like if iOS didn’t have to use it in any form. However, I doubt that will ever happen.

Final Thoughts

I do think that iOS is a pretty decent platform, but I’m under no illusion that it’s perfect. No platform is perfect: fact. There are many things that many people hate about iOS, Android, Windows Phone 7, OS X, Windows, and Linux. The point is that, when you find a platform that you are happy with — in my case Windows 7 and iOS — then that’s all that matters. It’s a bit like friendships in that aspect. If you can like a person despite their faults, then that’s all that matters.

Which operating systems are you “friends” with?

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What is everyone's opinion on the 2 articles above? I am going to be posting more articles & updates from the smartphone & tablet world soon.