Apple releases iOS 7.0.2, fixes lock screen security bug

Apple has released an update for iOS 7 – iOS 7.0.2. The update fixes a bug that let users bypass the passcode security lock screen. The issue was discovered in a matter of hours after iOS 7 was released to the public.

The OS update reads, “Fixes the bug that could allow someone to bypass the lock screen passcode. Reintroduces a Greek keyboard option for passcode entry.”

Passcode on the lock screen gives you a basic level of security. When the passcode is active, no one can access the content on your phone, unless they know the passcode. Bypassing the passcode on iOS 7 was a bit tricky. Users needed to access the control center by swiping up from the bottom of the display and accessing the alarm clock. After that, hold the power button for a while which will give you the option to switch off the phone. Cancel that option. After than you can double tap the home button to bring up the multitasking menu, which will give you access to the camera and stored photos along with any logged-in email and social networking accounts.

If you haven’t updated your iOS device to 7.0.2, you can do so by going into the settings option, then “General,” and selecting “Software Update.”

LG G2 India Launch Confirmed For September 30th

LG has rolled out India launch invitations for their flagship smartphone  – the LG G2. The uniquely designed G2 was launched last month globally in an event in New York City on August 7. The company promised to roll out the device globally in over 130 countries in the next eight weeks time. Now the device will finally make its way to India on 30th September.

A spacious, 5.2-inch IPS LCD display with an amazingly thin bezel graces the front of the LG G2. Its resolution of 1080 by 1920 pixels ensures that everything on it will look nice and sharp, especially knowing that a standard RGB sub-pixel arrangement has been implemented. The screen panel will be countering the sun’s rays with 450 nits of maximum brightness output. 

The device will carry a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor (with 2GB of RAM), which will have four Krait 400 cores clocked at 2.26Ghz and the company’s new Adreno 330 GPU clocked at 500Mhz. This SoC is a huge upgrade over the Snapdragon 600, and should allow for next-generation 3D gaming (when it arrives).

Storage on the general model is 32GB with a microSD card slot included for further expansion. LG has opted to switch to nano-SIM for its latest handset.

The LG G2 has a 13-megapixel shooter at the back with Optical Image Stabilization and a front-facing 2.1-megapixel camera, a 3,000mAh battery and Android Jelly Bean 4.2.2 Jelly Bean right out of the box. The LG G2 will be the first commercially available handset with support for 24bit,192kHz audio output.

Nokia Lumia 1020 to be available first week of October

The Nokia Lumia 1020 is coming to the Indian stopre shelves in the first week of October. No beating around the bush here people, because we all know how many of us are waiting eagerly for the device.

Nokia has been incredibly tight lipped about the Indian launch date and while the U.K. saw the phone launching in its market today for a whopping 600 pounds, the Indian market will be seeing the phone in the first week of October. While the price of the phone is still a mystery, quite possibly due to the current fluctuation in the rupee value.

The Nokia Lumia 1020 I the upcoming Windows Phone from Nokia, one that combines the much talked about 41-megapixel 1/2 inch sensor along with a fast f/2.2 aperture and an optical image stabilization system that has proven to be quite amazing. 

Besides the camera, the phone also runs off the Windows Phone 8 operating system and is powered by a Snapdragon S4 Pro processor (dual core clocked at 1.5 GHz) and 2GB of RAM. While the Lumia 1020 may not have a microSD slot, it does come with a generous 32GB of on-board storage

Micromax launches 8-inch Canvas Tab P650 for Rs. 16,500

Micromax has launched the Canvas Tab P650 Android tablet, making it the first tablet in the Canvas series. The Android tablet enabled with voice-calling feature will be available at a price of Rs. 16,500 and can be purchased via e-commerce sites and retailers across the country.

The new Canvas Tab P650 has an 8-inch IPS (1024x768 pixels) display, powered by a 1.2 GHz quad-core processor and is bundled with 1GB of RAM. It sports a 5-megapixel rear camera along with 2- megapixel camera on its front. In terms of memory, it offers a solid 16GB of in-built storage which is expandable up to 32 GB via a microSD card. It has a 4,800 mAh battery which can deliver up to 5 hours of browsing.

With reference to connectivity, the tablet features a SIM-card slot voice calling so it has a SIM-card slot, 3G support, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS. It runs on Android 4.2.1 Jelly Bean and Micromax assures that it can be upgraded via OTA updates. The tablet comes preloaded with apps like Spuul, M! Security, Music Hub and Opera Mini. The Canvas P650 will also be available in White and Blue colours.

“With today’s launch, we aim to extend the Canvas experience to our users on the tablet PC’s, supported by an entire eco-system of applications,” said Micromax Co-Founder Rahul Sharma. “The Canvas Tab promises a seamless experience to the consumers.”

iOS 7 : The Good And The Bad

While developers around the world have been running iOS 7 on their iDevices for quite some time now, commoners began receiving the much hyped and much awaited update last night. 

We take a look at the good and the bad things that Apple has introduced in the new OS.

The Good

1. Multi-Tasking

In iOS 7, Apple has completely retooled the way multitasking (or switching between apps if we want to be a tad more precise) works. While beckoning the app switcher in iOS 7 remains the same — a quick double tap on the home button — the entire implementation has been completely retooled.

Apps can now take advantage of full background multitasking but as always, you don’t have to close apps for battery saving reasons. Apple does a great job of freezing them in place so they don’t suck up your battery life.

2. Control Center And Notification Center

The first thing each iDevice owner did after jailbreaking his/her device was to add shortcut toggles for simple utilities like turning WiFi on and off, Airplane mode, BlueTooth etc. Finally, Apple decided to incorporate this feature into the OS itself, with iOS featuring a brand new Control Center. 

By flicking upwards from the bottom of the screen, you can enable or disable Airplane Mode, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Do Not Disturb; adjust the volume and brightness; pause or play music; enable AirDrop and AirPlay; and quickly access your camera’s LED light (for use as a flashlight), timer, calculator, and camera.

The Notifications panel also undergoes a makeover with it being divided into 3 categories. 

3. AirDrop

In iOS 7, not only can you quickly send photos, videos, and contacts using AirDrop, but just about anything from any app that has the share button (with the exception of music). The only problem is that it only works on iPhone 5 or later because of the chip architecture in the iPhone 4S. 

4. Email Management

Swiping right on an email in iOS 7 lets you delete the message, as always. But now it also reveals a “More” icon that you can tap to see more options, including the ability to move the email into a folder, mark it as unread or mark it as “junk.” With so many third-party apps vying to be your go-to iOS mail app, Apple seriously needed to beef up Mail—and it did, with this and other enhancements.

 

The Bad

1. Icons

When Apple gave the world its first glimpse of iOS 7 in June, professional designers and ordinary iPhone users alike were struck by the radical visual changes that the company had made to its signature mobile operating system. While Apple touted the brighter, flatter, and simpler design as the “biggest change to iOS since the introduction of the iPhone,” members of the design community denounced the new interface as “ugly,” ”childish,” and “inconsistent.”

At the center of the criticism were iOS 7′s new home screen application icons, whose lush, metaphorical designs were replaced by colorful, geometric abstractions. Safe to say they aren’t pleasing everyone.

2. Rough Installation

After downloading iOS 7, it took us six tries to actually install it. Granted, we attempted to install the OS the day of its release, late in the night—which was probably peak time for Apple’s servers. But we still think Apple should have been able to predict the demand and been better prepared. 

3. Siri

Siri continues to get better, it’s still nowhere near being a feature that won’t frustrate you more than help you.

Many times, it won’t be able to connect or won’t have an answer, and anytime it can’t help you quickly, it ends up taking up much more of your time as you dig through the phone to find an app you realize you should have opened in the first place. 

4. Awkward Contrasts

When Apple showed off iOS 7 in June, it was pretty proud of how the new icons seemed to float above the background wallpaper to create an almost 3-D effect. In real life, the interaction between iOS 7 and the screen background is challenging at best. Because groups of apps stored together no longer are set off with a black background and white border, they adapt to the wallpaper colors behind them.

The results are mixed. Sometimes, you get offsetting contrast, sometimes you don’t. Worse still, the white text is often not so easy to read against the background, because the new font is thinner. You may find yourself experimenting with wallpapers to get it right.

What do you think? Which features impressed you the most and which made you flinch? Let us know in the comments section below!

Sony launches waterproof Xperia Z1 smartphone for Rs. 44,990

Electronics major Sony on Wednesday launched waterproof premium smartphone Xperia Z1 for Rs.44,990 with an aim to double its share in the high-end mobile phone market to 20 %.

Xperia Z1 takes over as the new flagship smartphone from Xperia Z, which was launched six month ago. It has a faster processor, sturdier body and higher camera resolution as compared to its predecessor. This is the Japanese manufacturer's seventh product launched in India since April this year.

The company is also offering free 8GB data download on Vodafone, free accidental insurance for six months and EMI scheme with the device. Xperia Z1 comes with free access to movies, songs and TV shows with Xperia Z1. Only content under Sony Music, Sony Entertainment andSony Pictures brands will be available to users as part of this scheme.

Xperia Z1's 20.7MP camera has 27mm wide-angle G Lens optics - similar to the Carl Zeiss lens - and a Bionz image processor, which is a first for any smartphone. The device has a large 1/2.3-inch sensor, which is used in Sony compact cameras, and F/2.0 aperture that helps improve photo quality under low light conditions. The phone is capable of streaming live videos to Facebook as well.

Other features of the Xperia Z1 include a 5-inch LCD display with 1920x1080p resolution and Triluminous technology. The device runs on the 2.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor, paired with 2GB RAM. It runs on Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean) and comes with 16GB internal storage and supports microSD expansion up to 64GB. Connectivity options in the device include 2G, 3G, 4G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, microUSB 2.0 and NFC.

Just like other top-end Sony smartphones, the Xperia Z1 is resistant to water as well as dust and features shatterproof and scratch resistant glass. Its 3,000mAh battery delivers talk time of up to 15 hours, says Sony.

The Japanese manufacturer also unveiled its range of QX Smart Lens snap-on camera lenses in the country. The QX 10 and QX 100 lenses have been priced at Rs 12,990 and Rs 24,990, respectively. The former has 18MP resolution, while the latter has resolution of 20.2MP. Both these camera lenses can be clipped on to the back of any smartphone and take high resolution photos using the handset.

Introducing Samsung GALAXY Note 3

A7 processor in iPhone 5S not revolutionary: Analyst

 NEW DELHI: While introducing iPhone 5S, Apple also introduced the A7, a new processor that powers the phone. This is a successor to the A6 chip found in iPhone 5 and offers almost two times more performance. The A7 is also the world's first 64-bit smartphone processor.

While Apple talked how great its new processor is, an analyst told TOI that it is evolutionary and "not revolutionary". Apple, unlike companies like LG and Sony that use processors made by firms like Qualcomm and Nvidia, designs its own processors.

"The A7 is a good step forward, but it's far from revolutionary," said Patrick Moorhead, president and principal analyst at Moor Insights & Strategy, which offers technology consultancy to phone and PC companies. Moorhead is a veteran of PC industry and had earlier worked as a corporate vice president at AMD, a company that designs and manufacture processors for computers and tablets.

Apple described the A7 as a processor that "brings 64-bit desktop-class architecture to a smartphone for the first time".

But it looks like the marketing talk. For now the benefits of 64-bit architecture are not apparent, a sentiment echoed by Moorhead. He said, "64-bit adds absolutely nothing to the user experience in mobility because it would require more than 4GB of RAM."

Apple doesn't publicize the amount of RAM in its phones. But iPhone 5 has 1GB RAM and iPhone 5S is not likely to have more than 2GB. The processors that have 32-bit architecture can't make use of more than 4GB RAM. That makes 64-bit processors useful in servers and high-end machines that require more RAM. However, in smartphones and tablets the tasks that require more than 2GB or 3GB RAM are yet to appear.

Processors with 64-bit architecture can also have 64-bit registers that may boost performance. But this requires developers to write code and applications that can utilize the 64-bit hardware in a chip. For now iPhone 5S is the only iOS device with a 64-bit processor. Apps written solely for 64-bit processors will not work on other older iPhones and existing iPads and iPhone 5C. This is the reason why processors in iPhone 5S supports apps written for both 32-bit architecture as well as 64-bit architecture. Unless all iOS devices move to 64-bit processors, developers will mostly write 32-bit apps, making the 64-bit architecture useless in A7.

The performance gains claimed by Apple are likely coming from the improved architecture in the the A7 and not because the A6 is a 32-bit processor while the A7 is the 64-bit processor.

While we do not have many details about the A7 processor in iPhone 5S, it still looks to be a dual-core chip. Theoretically, a high-end quad-core processor like Qualcomm Snapdragon 800, which powers high-end phones like LG G2 and Xperia Ultra, should offer better performance than the A7.

Products based on ARM Cortex-A53 and ARM Cortex-A57 are likely to make the 64-bit processors more commonplace in the world of smartphones by 2015.

Moorhead also said that the M7, a companion core in the A7 that will control accelerometer, gyroscope and compass, was not a very unique concept. "The M7 isn't anything new, as others, like Qualcomm have had what is called a sensor hub," he said.

The other big feature in the A7 that Apple highlighted was compatibility with OpenGL 3.0, which should help iOS developer write better looking games. On Android side, phones powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 and Snapdragon 800 are already OpenGL 3.0 compatible.

Alleged Nexus 5 photos spotted on FCC website

The FCC (Federal Communications Commission) has always been a good source for revealing specs and images of smartphones that are yet to be unveiled in the market. The latest leak from the FCC is about the next generation Nexus smartphone, the Nexus 5.

The Nexus 5 images that have leaked courtesy the FCC are very reminiscent of the leak we saw in the Google video during the unveiling of Android KitKat.

                             

The leaked images showcase the smartphones front and back. The front is very similar to the Nexus 4 but the back of the device has changed. The camera on the back of the smartphone looks larger and the smartphone is said to have a display bigger than the Nexus 4. The Nexus 5 will house a 4.96-inch display with a 1080p resolution.

Google is expected to unveil the Nexus 5 to the world next month. The LG Optimus G was used as a reference design to make the Nexus 4 by LG. We speculate that the recently launched LG G2 may be used as a reference for the Nexus 5. The G2 hasn’t launched in India, but the smartphone has attracted quite a bit of attention in the international market.

A USB Condom To Keep Your Smartphone Safe!

The power receptacle on a smartphone is also a data transfer port, so there’s at least some risk of your bits being snatched while using an unfamiliar USB outlet. This is called juice-jacking, but now there’s a handy prophylactic defense — the USB condom.

The USB condom is a new device from Int3.cc that blocks a USB port’s data pins while leaving its charge pins open, denying any potentially harmful requests.  The simple board at its core carries only the current from the outside pins on a USB connector — which pass along the 5V needed to charge. The middle pins that would normally transmit data can’t, as there’s no circuitry to do so on the Condom. You’ll be able to confidently charge in public as long as you’ve got your USB Condom handy, safe in the knowledge that no juice jacker is going to mess with your precious device.

The device is not yet available for purchase, but it will be at some point next week. All we have to go on is a simple board diagram. It will be a stripped down component — maybe even a naked board, but it should be complete and functional as delivered.

Apple updates OS X Mountain Lion to 10.8.5

With the official release of OS X Mavericks 10.9 looming large, Apple has still managed to squeeze another update for OS X Mountain Lion out of the door. The version is now bumped up to 10.8.5, and fixes various bugs and brings in performance improvements. While these updates are applicable for all MacBook users upgrading the OS X from 10.8.4, the mid-2013 MacBook Air (Haswell) will get the Software Update 1.0, after a prolonged period of beta testing.

"The OS X Mountain Lion v10.8.5 Update is recommended for all OS X Mountain Lion users. It improves the stability, compatibility, and security of your Mac.", says the official release documentation.

The update fixes an issue with Mail, which did not display new messages in certain cases. Also, the file transfer performance over Wi-Fi ac networks has been improved, and this will at the moment be largely applicable to the latest MacBook Air.

The release details shared mention:

- Fixes an issue that may prevent Mail from displaying messages
- Improves AFP file transfer performance over 802.11ac Wi-Fi
- Resolves an issue that may prevent a screen saver from starting automatically
- Improves Xsan reliability
- Improves reliability when transferring large files over Ethernet
- Improves performance when authenticating to an Open Directory server
Addresses an issue that prevented a smart card from unlocking preference panes in
System Preferences
Contains the improvements included in MacBook Air (Mid 2013) Software Update 1.0

You can download this latest update via the updates tab in the App Store application on your OS X desktop.

LG G2: The best camera around the market?

LG G2 : To me you are perfect!!

Well few weeks back LG Electronics launched a new flagship device in its family. The LG G2. Looks that this time LG has kept no stones unturned. Since they have packed in each and every possible attraction into its new baby The 'LG G2'. Well going by the specifications, sure it has some spectacular features.




 The SOC , GPU, display, Camera and more. All that sums up and brings this BEAST to life. Truely LG G2 is a beast when it comes to performance. Not only beating up all the benchmark scores. It has also proved out to be outstanding in terms of the innovative design . Yes we are talking about the volume and powerup buttons placed at the back of the device. The design made us  feel that its a new way of holding your device. But truely its not. Well we all hold our devices the same way. Just that LG realized this and brought into our notice that even this is quite possible . WHY not place your button where your fingers roll around most of the time when you hold your phone. Well done LG, we appreciate your work.

 


Also there are claims about G2's camera performing incredibly. Well is it? Does G2 sport the best camera in the market right now? All these questions would surely be answered in the time to come. But before lets have a look at the video and know that yes IT DOES HAVE SOME OF IT.. Atleast we would like to believe it for now

Evolution of the iPhone: from the iPhone to the iPhone 5S and the 5C

“Today we are introducing three revolutionary products of its class. The first is a wide screen iPod with touch controls. The second is a revolutionary mobile phone. And the third is a breakthrough Internet communications device. Three things - an iPod, a phone and an Internet communicator. Are you getting it? These are not three separate devices. This is one device and we are calling it – iPhone. Today Apple is going to reinvent the phone. And here it is.” –Steve Jobs

When Steve Jobs took the stage to unveil the first generation iPhone back in 2007, it was probably one of the biggest nerdgasms ever. The way in which the device was presented and unveiled was just phenomenal. It’s not that we didn't know what Apple would announce. It’s just that no one really knew what the device looked like. The anticipation and the lack of knowledge about the product made the grand unveil even more interesting and exciting.

Last night, Apple introduced the world to the iPhone 5S and the iPhone 5C. Just like the iPhone 5 before it and the iPhone 4S before the 5, we knew everything there is to know about the smartphone before it was unveiled. Sure it is a market trend to flood the Internet with leaks, which may or may not be done by the companies themselves but the fact that everything leaked turns out to be spot on is a bit bizarre and something that has disappointed us greatly.

Remember how Steve Jobs went all crazy when Gizmodo revealed what the iPhone 4 looks like? That’s the kind of secrecy we like when it comes to revealing “the best iPhone yet”. It's not that the product unveiled last night were bad; not at all. They showcase an array of interesting features and we’d like to see the devices in action.

Nonetheless, the evolution of the smartphone has been quite a journey. The table below gives you a glimpse of the evolution of the iPhone and what new features each iteration brought

Particulars	iPhone	iPhone 3G	iPhone 3GS	iPhone 4	iPhone 4S	iPhone 5	iPhone 5S	iPhone 5C
Year of Launch	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2013
Thickness	11.6mm	12.3mm	12.3mm	9.3mm	9.3mm	7.6mm	7.6mm	9mm
Weight	135gms	133gms	135gms	137gms	137gms	112gms	112gms	132gms
Display Size	3.5-inch	3.5-inch	3.5-inch	3.5-inch	3.5-inch	4-inch	4-inch	4-inch
Display Type	TFT capacitive touchscreen	TFT capacitive touchscreen	TFT capacitive touchscreen	LED-backlit IPS Retina display	LED-backlit IPS Retina display	LED-backlit IPS TFT Retina display	LED-backlit IPS TFT Retina display	LED-backlit IPS TFT Retina display
Display Resolution	480X320	480X320	480X320	960x640	960x640	1136x640	1136x640	1136x640
PPI	165	165	165	330	330	326	326	326
Built-in Storage	4/8/16 GB	8/16 GB	8/16/32 GB	8/16/32 GB	16/32/64 GB	16/32/64 GB	16/32/64 GB	16/32 GB
Expandable Storage	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA
Rear camera	2MP	2MP	3.15MP	5MP	8MP	8MP	8MP	8MP
Video recording	NA	NA	VGA @ 30fps	720p @ 30fps	1080p @ 30fps	1080p @ 30fps	1080p @ 30fps	1080p @ 30fps
Front camera	NA	NA	NA	VGA 480p @ 30fps	VGA 480p @ 30fps	1.2MP	1.2MP	1.2MP
OS	iPhone OS, upgradable to iOS 3.1.3	iOS upgradable to iOS 4.2.1	iOS 3 upgradable to iOS 6	iOS 4 upgradable to iOS 6	iOS 5 upgradable to iOS 6	iOS 6	iOS 7	iOS 7
CPU	412 MHz ARM 11	412 MHz ARM 11	600 MHz Cortex-A8	1 GHz Cortex-A8	Dual-core 1 GHz Cortex-A9	Dual-core 1.3GHz	Dual-core (clock speed unknown)	Dual-core 1.3GHz
64-bit architecture	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	No
GPU	PowerVR MBX	PowerVR MBX	PowerVR SGX535	PowerVR SGX535	PowerVR SGX543MP2	quad-core graphics	quad-core graphics	quad-core graphics
RAM	NA	128MB	256MB	512MB	512MB	1GB	1GB	1GB
Chipset	NA	NA	NA	Apple A4	Apple A5	Apple A6	Apple A7	Apple A6
Battery	NA	NA	NA	1420mAh	1432mAh	1440mAh	1440mAh	unknown

.










iPhone:may not seem like that now, but back in 2007, the iPhone had one of the slimmest form factors available. It was a full touchscreen phone that didn't make you miss a physical keypad or a stylus. Put simply, it was the dawn of the touchscreen smartphone era. On the negative side however, the device didn't support 3G in a market dominated by the technology and the camera wasn't the best in the business. The iPhone had a great iTunes interface and also supported Google Maps.

iPhone 3G:
As the name suggests, the iPhone 3G brought connectivity to the smartphone. The look and feel of the iPhone 3G was the same as its predecessor with some tweaks internally to improve the battery life. The second-generation smartphone ditched the 4GB variant and the smartphone now supported third party apps.

iPhone 3GS:
The addition of the “S” was for speed as even though the look and feel of the smartphone was the same as the iPhone 3G, the specifications of the device were bumped up. The 3GS marked the dawn of the “S” era for the iPhones. From then on, every alternate iPhone launched has held the “S” tag. Put simply, the looks and dimensions of the “S” iPhones is the same as its predecessor. The upgrade comes in the form of hardware and performance.

The 3GS had better Bluetooth, better 3G supported faster 3G speeds, better camera and finally, video recording capabilities. One of the biggest criticisms of all the iPhones3GS was that there was no copy-paste option and that was fixed in an update that came to the 3GS.

iPhone 4:
Considered as the most radical design change to the iPhone this was the last Apple smartphone unveiled by Steve Jobs. The design was leaked online and the tech world was a buzz with mixed feelings about the industrial look and feel of the phone. The device also brought with it some impressive specifications under the hood the highlight being the Retina Display. It took the competition almost two years to come close to the pixel density of the iPhone 4 (today, of course there are smartphones that have crossed the Retina Display in terms of the pixel density). Other additions to the features of the phone included iBooks, folders and the ability to rearrange app icons as you please. FaceTime too made its debut with the iPhone 4.

But all wasn’t well for the tech giant. The iPhone 4 was met with great reviews but faced an antenna issue that caused voice calling issues. Steve Jobs held a conference to show the world “how to hold the iPhone” and also issued free cases to consumers to help tackle the problem. Another woe with the iPhone 4 was the manufacturing issues Apple faced with the white version of the smartphone.

iPhone 4S:
The iPhone 4S was extremely anticipated and hyped. Overwhelmed with the radical change brought about by the iPhone 4, people were expecting similar improvements. But they were left disappointed by the iPhone 4S. This was also one of the first events hosted by Tim Cook and not Steve Jobs. The design was the same as the iPhone 4, identical. The biggest difference was the power under the hood, the better camera and a voice controlled personal assistant called Siri.

iPhone 5:
Apple launched the iPhone 5 with a redesign and a much needed larger display. The smartphone also showed of LTE connectivity. Under the hood, the device was powered by the A6 chipset. Apart from the change in form factor, the iPhone 5 also showed off a new dock connector called Lightning. It was 80% smaller than the 30-pin dock connector. Apart from the new design, the iPhone 5 improved in all aspects when compared to its predecessor and with the larger display, users got an extra line of icons on the home screen.

iPhone 5S:
Staying true to the leaks Apple finally unveiled the iPhone 5S last night. The device is the same in its appearance as the iPhone 5 (which has now been discontinued) but runs on the all-new A7 chipset, which is 64-bit, a first for smartphones. There is also the new M7 motion coprocessor that gathers data from the accelerometer, gyroscope and compass to offload work from the A7, for better battery life. The smartphone also houses a fingerprint scanner in addition to the new hardware and improved camera.

iPhone 5C:
Apple said that they’d never make a cheap iPhone and yet, here we have the iPhone 5C that was unveiled alongside the iPhone 5S last night. According to Apple, C stands for colour and the device is available in green, blue, yellow, red and white. The hardware specifications of the 5C are identical to the iPhone 5, which is probably why Apple discontinued the 5. The 5C also comes with a bunch of fancy cases. The 5C has a unibody design and a polycarbonate shell and its hard not to compare the smartphone to Nokia’s colorful Lumia series. The smartphone doesn’t showcase fingerprint recognition or the redesigned home button found on the 5S.

So there you have it, the journey of the smartphones that defined the touchscreen era and is still a great smartphone despite its shortcomings. Do you think the iPhone is still the granddaddy of all smartphones? Let us know in the comment section below!

Breaking Down the iPhone 5S Camera

While many get into the debate of whether the iPhone 5S is a worthy upgrade or not, we take a look at the camera, which deserves a closer look.

The iPhone 5S brings several new things to the table, one of which is the camera module. The megapixel count on the rear camera remains the same, but scratch the surface and you realize that there is more to the story.

Playing that Perfect Pixel Pitch
The new camera module on the iPhone 5S is 15% larger than the sensors used in the previous generation iPhones. This could have meant that Apple would either increase the resolution while maintaining the previous pixel pitch, or maintain the older resolution, while increasing the pixel pitch. The top-dogs at Cupertino decided to go for the latter. A larger pixel pitch of 1.5 microns will theoretically allow the new iSight camera to capture light more effectively at a pixel level. This also means better low light performance and low noise.

Open WIDE
The increase in sensor size warranted the opening in the lens be wider too, which is why the aperture on the iPhone 5S is 1/3 stops faster than that on the iPhone 5. In normal people speak, the iPhone 5S has an aperture of f/2.2, which is a bigger opening than the f/2.4 on the iPhone 5, meaning it will let in more light and coupled with the bigger pixel pitch on the sensor, result in better low light shooting experience.

A Colour Purple No More
When the iPhone 5 was announced, the Sapphire glass crystal used for the front element of the lens was touted as a big selling point. Turned out, it was the reason for a big ugly purple cast in photographs that were shot under the bright sun. With the iPhone 5S, Apple’s done away with the fancy sapphire crystal, so no more worrying about any purple cast.

True Tone Flash
What’s really new here in the camera department is this thing Apple’s calling True Tone Flash. Basically what it is are two individual LED bulbs for flash, one being of a slightly warmer tone. Apple says that the new flash has over a 1000 variations built in and based on the lighting conditions, it can self-adjust to yield a well-balanced colour output from the flash so that your photos don’t look washed out. Better yet, if the flash does work as advertised, low light photography would again get a boost as people wouldn’t shy away from shooting images using the flash, unless they are being sneaky.

Stable Shots, Unstable Technique
Apple has chosen to go the digital stabilization route, instead of opting to have an optically stabilized lens assembly like that of the Lumia 1020. This it will achieve by taking four photos in quick succession and then blending the various constant aspects of those images together. While this may work in day time, low light shots where exposures tend to comprise of slow shutter speeds (regardless of the aperture) could potentially be a problematic area. While digital image stabilization has proven to be ineffective compared to optical image stabilization, we will reserve judgement till we’ve actually put the iPhone 5S’s camera through our rigorous test.

Burst Mode Like Never Before
The iPhone 5S boasts a burst mode of 10 frames per second. Apple attributes this to almost 2 times faster focusing courtesy the new A7 chip which provides enough bandwidth to the new Image Signal Processor to do its thing. We’re not sure whether the camera will also run AF during the burst mode, but we’ll get into the finer print one we have the phone in hand.

Slow-Motion Video
The iSight camera on the iPhone 5S is now capable of capturing video at 120 frames per second, for all those who love to slow things down. The downside (if it can be called so) is that this footage shot at 120 fps will have a maximum resolution of 1280x720 only, so if you had hoped for full HD slo-mo footage, you may be slightly disappointed.

Like we said before, the camera on the iPhone 5S might not boast of revolutionary new features, but once you start to scratch the surface, you do see some pretty impressive specs. The only issue, however, is how well these features translate from paper to real life. For now, we have some official image samples from Apple to showcase the camera’s performance.

 

Here is a Roundup of Apple's 10th September iPhone 5C and 5S Event

Despite many expectations, every bit of information from the past leaks came true as Apple took stage on Tuesday 10th September to launch two new iPhones the iPhone 5S and the iPhone 5C. One handset which is replaces the existing iPhone 5 and one which supersedes it.

The iPhone 5c which was expected to be a cheap iPhone, never really made it to that mark, basically its a complete change of play by Apple. It definitely looks cheap, thats thanks to the extended use of shiny/glossy plastic polycarbonate composite. But it also is a phone intended to replace the iPhone 5, a phone which was made out of premium aluminum and glass has been replaced by a phone made of plastic with the exact same specs and the exact same price. Sure it was intended to be cheap, a cheap move by Apple. 

iPhone 5c

One thing it does do however, is play with the colors, opening the market to a frenzy of color options which have been limited to the two from the origin of the iPhone. The iPhone 5c retains the retina display and A6 chipset, along with the same 8 MP camera and lightning connector. It does add an upgraded FaceTime HD front camera for High definition FaceTime and VOIP calls.

The iPhone 5s however, is a whole new story. The existing shell of the iPhone 5 has been upgraded with a few new exciting enhancements in hardware, Apple calls the iPhone 5 “the most forward thinking phone ever”. 

The iPhone 5s adds a new A7 architecture which adds new capabilities to the device. In retrospect, the iPhone 5 is half as fast and has half as powerful graphics in comparison to the new iPhone 5s. You also get a new camera system, that increases the size of pixels and has a new element lens, for brighter and more accurate images. The new iPhone 5s will also feature a champagne gold color, which seems to have created a buzz on the twitter feeds despite it leaking out almost 6 months ago.

What is a mobile industry first is the new Touch ID sensor, a fingerprint sensor on a smartphone is a new one alright. It opens up a whole new array of possibilities, even though Apple has not yet opened it up to developers. 

The Touch ID replaces the lock code requirements and also password requirements for you iPhone, hopefully you can also use it to access the iPhone keychain to auto-magically enter passwords.

Apple also announced that iOS 7 will be officially available post September 18th 2013 for all those supported devices. 

The iPhone 5C will be available fro Pre Order on September 13th whereas the iPhone 5S will go on Preorder September 20th 2013. starting $549 and $649 for the 16 GB unlocked variants.