5 things that could have made the Samsung Galaxy S5 better,AGREE?

The Samsung Galaxy S5 is finally here, but after all the waiting, rumors and leaks we can’t help but wonder - couldn’t it have been better?
Many will be quick to point out that the Galaxy S5 did not live up to all the hype. It did not have the rumored Quad HD display, nor a Snapdragon 805 chip, nor an iris scanner, after all. Truth is, it was almost impossible to live up to all these expectations as they were based on wishes rather than reality.
However, there are other things that Samsung could have done in the Galaxy S5 to make it better. Righ below, you can see the 5 features that Samsung could have implemented without going into sci-fi territory, but didn’t.

1. A smaller, more compact size 

Smartphones just keep on growing in size and the S5 is no exception - it’s noticeably taller and slightly wider than the S4, and we feel that’s a bit of an overkill. 

2. Optical Image Stabilization for the camera 

Since the Nokia Lumia 920 introduced smartphone cameras to optical image stabilization, we have praised the huge boost that videos and even images get from that. HTC and LG have already adopted the technology, and now that Nokia’s exclusive rights to using their particular OIS implementation have expired, Samsung could have used OIS in the Galaxy S5 camera, but sadly it chose not to. 

 

3. Stereo speakers 

The HTC One was a small revolution in smartphone audio with its loud and clear dual speakers located on the front. The Galaxy S5 features improved sound, but it’s just not in the league of the HTC One. 

 

4. 3GB of RAM 

After the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 launched with 3GB of RAM, we are now honestly surprised to see the S5 feature just 2GB on board. More RAM helps a lot in multitasking and seems like a logical step for Samsung to take, but it didn’t. 

 

5. Non-swipe fingerprint reader 

We have now lived with the touch-based fingerprint reader on the iPhone 5s for a few months, and while it does not work 100% of the time, it’s pretty accurate and convenient overall. It’s easy to use - just touch the home key and your phone is securely unlocked. The Galaxy S5 however requires a swipe and in a particular direction too, and is just finicky. We wish Samsung took the time to develop a touch rather than a swipe-enabled fingerprint reader. 

 

 

  

source:phonearena

Samsung might price the Galaxy S5 lower than the competition, or the Galaxy S4 at launch

Now that the Samsung Galaxy S5 is official, Korean media once again reiterates that it might be priced lower than the direct competition, like, say, the Sony Xperia Z2. The handset made waves with the inclusion of fingerprint biometry, and a unique heart rate sensor on the back, but those who were expecting a Quad HD monster, or metallic chassis, remained somewhat disappointed.

We've heard Bloomberg spread the "more affordable" rumor before, and at the time it stated that Samsung is still negotiating prices with carriers, mulling whether to price it lower than its usual flagship launch tag. Now, whether that means it's the carriers that will bear the brunt of the Galaxy S5 subsidies, and the end user will get it for cheaper than the usual $200 on contract, remains to be seen.  

Alternatively, Samsung might decide to ship it for less to carriers as well, eating some margin spread, and passing the savings down to consumers. If these rumors pan out, we win in both case scenarios, yet when asked to comment on the matter, Samsung replied "we'll reveal the specific pricing after consultation with international carriers," which is as boilerplate as it can be. 

 

 

 

source: ZDNet.co.kr

Categorizing BlackBerry's new handsets; image of BlackBerry Q20 appears

Francois Mahieu is BlackBerry's VP of Global Product Management, and in a published interview, he explained how BlackBerry divides its current handset line up into four categories. First is those phones that fall into the Affordable category. This is the heading that the new BlackBerry Z3 would fall under. That phone, introduced at MWC on Tuesday, is the first model produced under a five year contract inked by BlackBerry and contract manager Foxconn. Under the terms of the deal, Foxconn designs, produces and warehouses a series of low-end models targeted at emerging markets like Indonesia. BlackBerry is expected to charge $199 for the Z3 which is expected to have a 5 inch screen with resolution of 540 x 960.
The Classic category covers the just introduced QWERTY enabled BlackBerry Q20. This model brings back the TrackPad and the function keys. Classic phones are the ones that true BlackBerry fans desire. The High-End models are what those in the U.S. want to hear about. There is talk about a model powered by a quad-core processor launching this summer, and another model with a 64 bit octa-core processor is rumored to be coming this September. Unlike the manufacturer's high-end failures in the past, where the company was more than a generation late with its specs, Mahieu says that people will be pleased by the new 'Berrys in this category.
The last group covers Prestige models. Consider these phones like the BlackBerry P9982. These are high priced models that aren't expected to sell in volume.
Will BlackBerry be able to strike the perfect balance amongst all four categories and make a comeback? Once the BlackBerry Z3 launches in April as expected, the clock starts ticking on CEO John Chen's turnaround strategy.

Image of the BlackBerry Q20, note the TrackPad and function keys



 source: Crackberry

Whoops! Archos CEO doesn't understand "water resistant", kills phone during demo

One of the more important things to learn in this new age of more water protected smartphones is the difference between "water resistant" and "waterproof", even if you don't bother learning the specific differences in IP ratings. That is a lesson that Archos CEO Loic Poirier learned the hard way while trying to demonstrate the water protection found on the Quechua 5'' Phone.

Poirier apparently didn't read the documentation on the Quechua phone before trying to do the demo. The device is rated for the IP54 standard, meaning that it is protected against "splattering with water". Poirier obviously thought that the device was fully waterproof, because he put it into a glass container, then proceeded to fill that container with water from the tap until the device was fully submerged. Not surprisingly, the handset was completely dead when Poirier took it out to finish the demo. Whoops!  

The Quechua brand is known in France for being designed for the outdoorsy type, popular with hikers, bikers, and other mountain folk. The Archos website says the device is rated at IP54 and designed to "withstand the most demanding outdoor conditions", which does not include going for a swim.  

 

 

source: Dailymotion via Android Police

Xperia Z2 goes on pre-order, here are the prices

The Sony Xperia Z2 was announced at the MWC yesterday and is up for pre-order right away. Here are some of the prices and timeframes we've collected from several sites.



First off, the Xperia Z2 is available for pre-order from Sony Mobile's own site. All country-specific sites we tried promise a delivery in April, but prices vary quite a bit from them.
In the UK, it's £600 (€730), but Clove UK lists it at £564 with the first stock expected in April. The side does have a note saying the official price and availability are yet to be confirmed.
In Germany, Sony's site offers the Z2 at €600, but several other sites have it at the same price.
In the Netherlands the phone is €650 and PLN 2,800, €675, in Poland. That's still better than France, Italy and Spain where the Xperia Z2 flagship is €700. In Sweden, it's SEK 6,000 - €810!
In the US, the Sony Xperia Z2 should be available from T-Mobile at $600.

Apple users in security warning

Users of Apple's OS X operating system are being warned to take care when browsing online as they wait for a solution to a security flaw. 

A software update was released last week to owners of iPhones, iPads and iPods to protect users from "an attacker" who may "capture or modify data".
It was later discovered that the problem also existed on Apple laptops and desktop computers running OS X.
A security fix has not yet been issued.
The problem was first spotted on Apple's mobile devices which run the iOS 7 operating system. It relates to the way secure connections are made between Apple's safari browser and websites, including banking sites, Google and Facebook.
These sites have digital security certificates that allow an encrypted connection to be established between a user's computer and the website. This means any data that is sent over the connection should be secure.

Dropped the ball 

However, a vulnerability in the code for Apple's iOS and OS X operating systems meant the security certificates were not being checked properly. This meant hackers could impersonate a website and capture the data that was being sent over the connection before letting it continue its journey to the real website.
Apple released a fix for mobile devices running iOS 7 last week but a spokesperson issued the following statement about OS X: "We are aware of this issue and already have a software fix that will be released very soon."
According to researchers the security flaw had existed for months but no-one had reported it publicly.

 A security fix has already been issued for users of iPads, iPhones and iPods 


Graham Cluley, a security analyst, said it was a failing by the company that it had not been identified earlier.
"It's pretty bad what Apple have done, they've seriously dropped the ball. How much the problem has been exploited is hard to say. Hackers may now be trying to take advantage while users wait for the security fix."
He advised users to take care when using the web and consider using an alternative browser to Safari until the problem was fixed.
He also urged users of Apple's mobile devices to upgrade to the latest iOS version as soon as possible and for OS X users to keep their eyes open for a security update and to implement it as soon as it was available.



source:bbc

BlackBerry unveils the Z3 and the Q20

Update: specifications of the Z3 came in and the 5" display boasts a qHD resolution and is powered by a 1.2GHz dual-core Snapdragon 400 chipset and 1.5GB of RAM. Internal storage is 8GB, but there's no information if there's a microSD card slot available. 

At the back, there's a 5MP camera, while at the front there's a 1.1MP one. Music lovers would also like the fact that the Z3 features an FM Radio, too. 


Here’s a quote from John Chen, Executive Chairman and CEO at BlackBerry regarding the Q20.

 
"In my first 90 days on the job, I consistently heard from our ardent BlackBerry customers that the hard buttons and trackpad are an essential part of the BlackBerry QWERTY experience, that made their BlackBerry smartphone their go-to productivity tool. I want these customers to know that we heard them, and this new smartphone will be for them. Today, we’re delighted to announce the new BlackBerry Q20 smartphone, which is designed to give you the distinct experience that every BlackBerry QWERTY loyalist and high-productivity business customer absolutely loves. With the BlackBerry Q20 smartphone, you’ll get the familiar hard buttons and trackpad that you want, along with the best email service, the best keyboard experience and the best battery life possible." 


  

The Menu, Back, Send and End buttons and the trackpad will be made an integral part of the device and user interface and in conjunction with the 3.5" display, BlackBerry says the phone will offer the best email experience on the market. The company also states that the Q20 will be made of premium materials, which will result in reliability and durability, but doesn't specify which ones.