LinkedIn creates three privacy features to protect user accounts
Between the mass celebrity photo leak and “massive” breach at The Home Depot, this week has been good for hackers and bad for everyone else. Fortunately, LinkedIn has said it will introduce three tools designed to give users more control over the data associated with their accounts.
Ever wondered if someone halfway around the world is accessing your device? Now, users will be able to see every device on which they are logged into LinkedIn to determine whether or not someone has accessed their account without permission.
By going into settings and clicking on “See where you are logged in” users will be able to see each device on which they are accessing the social network. Additionally, users can log out of any session remotely from within this tab.
Data export and password change transparency
LinkedIn has also created a feature that allows users to export all of their LinkedIn data including updates, activity, IP records, and searches. Users can access this information within the settings tab under “Download your data.” This tools allows you to monitor everything you’ve done (or not done) on LinkedIn to determine if someone else has posted or searched using your account.Finally, LinkedIn has added additional information to automated password change emails. Now, when you change your password (or if a hacker changes your password for you), LinkedIn will send you an email that includes the date, time, device, browser, operating system, IP address, and approximate physical location associated with the password change.
LinkedIn is rolling out the tools globally. The social network is urging users to check their settings to see if the features are live.
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Imagination adds new 64-bit MIPS CPU to line up
ARM and Intel now count a new 64-bit competitor, Imagination's new MIPS I6400 processor, part of the company's Warrior family, one that is based on the MIPS64 architecture that's supported by Android's forthcoming iteration, Android L.
And that third player looks promising. Imagination claims that the I6400 achieves "over 50% higher CoreMark performance" and "30% higher DMIPS" compared to "leading competitors in its class", possibly referring to ARM's Cortex-A53 or Cortex-A57.
Up to 384 cores per cluster
Expect the I6400 to be available across a wide range of frequencies. Other notable features include support for full hardware virtualization, support for four hardware threads per core (six cores per cluster, 64 clusters in all), advanced power management and 128-bit SIMD support.MIPS introduced a new architecture called Release 6 with the new I6400 core family. It is a transparent super set that is compatible with the existing MIPS32 architecture.
General availability for the first silicon is scheduled for the end of the year with the first MIPS64 products set to reach the market early next year.
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Hands-on review: IFA 2014: EeeBook X205
I had the privilege to review the original netbook eons ago. The Asus Eee PC single-handedly launched the netbook and whether people liked it or loathe it, it did provide the first truly portable and ultra-affordable computer, putting mobility in the hands of millions.
Tablets have now superseded netbooks in terms of sales but Asus, with the EeeBook X205, thinks that a 2014 version, 7 years after the original one, is due.
Asus adapted the current reference platform Intel and Microsoft have laid out for cheap tablets and laptops for the netbook platform, a form factor most, if not all other vendors have abandoned.
Deja-vu specs
What's on offer? There's a quad-core Intel Atom processor, the Z3735, which is also used in cheap tablets. There's 2GB of RAM, 32GB or 64GB SSD plus 500GB Asus WebStorage for two years (not sure whether you lose the data after two years or whether that stays up forever), an 11.6-inch display with a 1,366 x 768 pixel resolution, a webcam and a bigger than average touchpad.I have to say, I love the form factor, it's so portable, its light (at under 1Kg) and small (fits comfortably on an A4 sheet) and is about 1/3 the thickness of a standard paper ream.
Asus opted for a matte plastic finish since it is, after all, a value product (although the official expression used by Asus, "chic," doesn't resonate with me). It will be available with Windows 8.1 with Bing and in four different colours - including the always fancy gold champagne.
Good all-rounder
The keyboard is a bit cramped, as expected, however, Asus cleverly supersized the touchpad on the device; a small touchpad was one of the biggest bugbears that afflicted netbooks back in the days.
There's a bit of flex on the keyboard and the keys are too springy to my taste and the touchpad feels too "plasticky" to the touch. But then again, it is an entry level laptop and input peripherals - as always - are very much a matter of taste.
As for the display, it is bright and decent when viewed straight on. At 768p it provides sharper graphics thanks to a higher pixel density.
Other things I noted during the brief hands-on: four massive rubber feet (bigger than average), a sealed battery (that can power the laptop for up to 12 hours, according to Asus), two USB ports, a microHDMI connector and a microSD card reader.
Early verdict
The X205 got me excited again about the netbook form factor. Something's that designed, from the ground up, to bring mobility goodness and enhanced productivity to the masses rather than to a select few.At £169 (about $260, AU$280), I think that the X205 will be a decent seller for Asus and may well encourage other vendors to follow suit.
However, Google, with the formidable Chromebook, cheap Windows 8 tablets and bigger, similarly priced laptops (often with twice the system memory and a proper keyboard and hard drive) will be potent challengers.
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iPad Air 2 reportedly gets the same screen with an A8 processor, TouchID
Now that the iPhone 6's announcement is almost set in stone, it seems Apple has turned its attention towards getting the iPad Air 2 ready for its debut.
New components for Apple's latest 9.7-inch tablet are starting to roll out of supply chains according the DigiTimes. Sources who have caught wind of touch panel orders made to TPK and GIS claim the next iPad Air will feature the same size screen and resolution.
Ss with the iPhone 6 the new iPad Air 2 will also purportedly have an even thinner frame. We caught a glimpse of the iPad Air 2's slimmer front panel this April and it looked Apple was able to make an even thinner package by fully integrating the display with the front panel.
The sources also note Apple's tablet will come with an "enhanced processor," presumably the Apple's A8 chip. Lastly it seems the iPad will finally get a TouchID sensor, letting users unlock the slate and authorize app store purchases with a fingerprint scan.
A smidge different
A few leaked screenshots from June revealed some slight design tweaks to the volume and lock buttons. Otherwise, it seems as though Apple will be sticking with the same fit and finish it introduced with the original iPad Air last November.Tablet photographer will also be happy to know the iPad Air 2 has been rumored to come with an 8MP rear camera coupled with a 1.2MP front snapper.
- Check out what Apple is doing on the software side with iOS 8
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Hands-on review: Hot Watch Curve
Introduction and design
The smartwatch world is officially booming. In the last week alone LG announced its new round- faced LG G Watch R and Samsung introduced its curved-screened Samsung Gear S smartwatch. While there's certainly no lack of choices in the wearable world, many of these wrist worn devices are simply an extension of your smartphone. Any functionality beyond checking smartphone notifications is still lacking.Now, startup PH Technical Labs (PHTL) wants to take smartwatches to the next level with the Hot Watch. While the Hot Watch will display smartphone notifications, like incoming calls, you will also be able to raise their hand to their ear and answer the phone.
This is thanks to the watche's unique built-in speaker and motion sensors, which recognize gesture-triggered commands. You can also send emails and text messages directly from the device.
I recently had the chance to check out the Hot Watch Curve model, one of four created for the 2014 launch. Ringing up a price tag of $249 (about £150, AU$268), the Curve is the most expensive Hot Watch, sporting an elegantly-curved silhouette that gives the watch a bit of futuristic flair.
Talk to the hand – literally
Aside from the slightly futuristic design and more premium build materials, every Hot Watch comes with the same features. you looking to spend a little less can pick up the all-plastic version for $189 (about £114, AU$203) that looks very similar to the Pebble Smartwatch – which also happens to be the Hot Watch's main competitor.At first glance, the Hot Watch looks fairly pedestrian and won't cover your wrist like the massive Samsung Gear Live. Instead, PHTL's wearable sports a very similar 1.26-inch, always-on e-ink screen that's just a tad larger than the Pebble smartwatch's display.
The similarities stop as soon as you turn the watch over, revealing a small black growth poking out from the wristband. This small prong pointing towards your hand is the Hot Watch's speaker and microphone.
Both work in tandem to let you take calls when you raise the watch close to your ear and cup it with your hand. The Hot Watch essentially acts like a speaker phone that bounces sound waves off your hand to let you take a call as you normally do – except passers-by will think that you're talking into your hand to no one.
Well, at least that's how it's supposed to work. In practice, I found that the Hot Watch's speaker would cut in and out. Admittedly, I only had a few minutes of call time on a noisy Manhattan street to try out the feature, and it takes a bit of practice to figure out the optimal position.
However, the few times I did hear audio come out of the speaker, it was about as clear as using the speakerphone on a smartphone. Given more time, I could probably figure it out and hold and actual phone conversation.
Despite the protruding speaker coming out of the watch band and a flat wire running along the inside of the wristband – both of which PHTL claims it has worked on miniaturizing for a long time – the Hot Watch feels quite comfy. There's no risk of pointing your wrist down and bumping into the speaker. Even with the extra smartwatch parts onboard, the Hot Watch is so light that the weight felt barely discernable from the rest of my arm.
Interface, performance and early verdict
Similarly, the Hot Watch's interface is straightforward and intuitive enough for you to start poking around without reading the manual. The wearable's screen displays one of four panels at a time, which you can either swipe to navigate through or tap on any of the roman numerals adorning the watch's top bezel. The first two slide the display between an analog and digital watch face.Meanwhile, pressing on the third roman numeral will pop up the watch's multiple preloaded applications. By swiping up and down, you can scroll through various tools such as a step counter, weather app, a Google stocks counter, as well as a combination of all three stacked on top of each other.
The fourth tab is home to other applications you will make and download in the future. This particular Hot Watch I previewed only came with a simple game of Tic-Tac-Toe installed, but you should have access to more apps with the final unit.
Aside from swiping side to side, you can also flick your finger across Hot Watch diagonally to access more features, like a music playback tool, talking to Siri though the watch or turning on the built-in flashlight – all of which work splendidly.
What's more, the wearable will also register shortcuts like a "D" to quickly access the watch's built-in dialer or "A" to jump into the apps menu. All the touchscreen shortcuts are very neat and useful. Plus the way they work seamlessly is a testament to the accuracy of the Hot Watch's touchscreen.
The only gripe I had with the UI layout is it seemed a little wasteful that two of the smartwatch's tabs were reserved for a digital and analog clock when one watch face would have sufficed. However, a PHTL representative explained more customizable panels are a new feature slated for a future Hot Watch update.
A bit too early for prime time
All together, using the Hot Watch is a snappy experience when swiping across its various apps. What's even more amazing is the depth of customization and amount of settings you can tweak from the watch itself. While I got a chance to try out the watch's accompanying iPhone app (available for Android phones too), there was really no need to. I could easily change the watch's power saver modes, customize my notifications settings and more, all from the watch's touchscreen.Sadly, while the Hot Watch's touchscreen worked perfectly, its gesture based commands did not function as promised. Normally, checking your wrist for a call notification, and then shaking it at chest level, will simply end the call. However, the gesture never registered with the smartwatch when I tried it. The same thing happened when I tried to end the call by waving good bye.
The same PHTL rep attested that the gesture controls were working perfectly before our meeting. Supposedly, the Hot Watch Curve I wore for this hands on was final hardware shipped to Kickstarter backers, but it came running software that was a version behind. So, this could be just a glitch that will be smoothed over with an updated firmware.
As for battery life, the Hot Watch is rated to last for about 3 days with regular use and about a day if you're talking to it non-stop. You can also set the Hot Watch into a power saver mode that will extend operational time to 5 days, except at the cost of locking out features, like the pedometer.
Either way, that's still well short of the Pebble Smartwatch's week-long battery life. Luckily, the smartwatch will also purportedly recharge quickly in just 30 minutes.
Early verdict
The Hot Watch Curve is clearly a work in progress. The missing gesture controls and iffy call features are knocks against the device, but we can't fault it too harshly since it was running with software that's a version behind.There is also a list of features on the way with future patches, including a more customizable interface. Plus, the PHTL rep also said the Hot Watch has just made it to certification with Apple, which will enable the watch to send emails and SMS messages from an iOS device (functionality that we're told already works with Android phones).
For now, it's too early to call the Hot Watch a failure, despite some disappointing first impressions. Still, if the Hot Watch works as promised, it could be one of the most capable smartwatches around.
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Free of hardware, Nokia changes course with offline map mobile apps
Free from the burden of smartphone and tablet hardware, Nokia is refocusing efforts on new mapping products intended for the very mobile platforms the Finnish company once considered to be the competition.
The Wall Street Journal today reported that Nokia Corp. is eyeing a triumphant return to the consumer mapping market with all-new mobile apps expected to arrive sometime by the end of this year.
Rather than focus on former partner Microsoft's Windows Phone 8 platform, the new apps will make a beeline straight for iOS and Android, where they will be offered free of charge from Apple's App Store and Google Play.
Both of those smartphone titans already have their own free mapping solutions, but Nokia's new apps will specialize in the ability to download maps for offline use, rather than requiring an active internet connection for navigation and routing information.
Here, there, everywhere
This certainly won't be Nokia's first time at the iOS mapping rodeo: Two years ago, the company unleashed HERE Maps app for iPhone, essentially a weak mobile website in sheep's clothing, which was unceremoniously yanked from the App Store last year."It was a rushed product that was never thoroughly proven. Honestly, it went horribly wrong. But we've regrouped now," said Sean Fernback, the Nokia executive tasked with overseeing the mobile-centric reboot.
Nokia doesn't expect the new mobile map initiative to bear financial fruit anytime soon, and has no immediate plans to support the smartphone and tablet apps with ads, which Google places prominently alongside search results.
In addition to offline maps, Nokia's iOS and Android solutions will also include support for searching without an active internet connection; the company announced a similar initiative late last month for Samsung's fledgling Tizen OS.
- Feast on our hands-on look at the new Sony Xperia Z3 smartphone!
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Sony just announced two very different new Walkman music players
Sony just announced two new Walkman standalone music players, one of which just might have a chance in hell of making an impact.
That one is the Sony Walkman NWZ-A17, a screen-equipped little gadget whose strength is in playing high-quality, lossless audio files.
Sony is betting that the audiophile's desire to listen to hi-res tunes on the go will justify a $300 (about £230, AU$180) price tag and a music player that - unlike the smartphones that most of these people are already carrying - serves just one purpose.
And the company is also promoting expensive (think another $300) new MDR-1A hi-res headphones to go along with it.
Big claims
Sony says the unfortunately named A17 is the smallest and lightest hi-res audio player available.It comes with 64GB of storage and microSD support, dozens of hours of battery life, Bluetooth, support for numerous audio file types including FLAC and other lossless formats, Sony's custom S-Master HX digital amplifier, and a non-touch 2.2-inch display.
The Sony Walkman NWZ-A17 hits Sony stores and other retailers in November, while the MDR-1A headphones will arrive at the end of September.
And the other one
Meanwhile the other new Sony Walkman, the wearable NWZ-WS613, focuses on durability and versatility for workouts, rather than hi-res audio playback. It has a ring-type controller for audio playback that makes it easy to use during physical activity.Sony is making a big deal out of the fact that the WS613 (equally terrible name), although it doesn't have a screen, lets users "indulge [their] passion for bottomless bass" with a paired MDR-XB950BT Bluetooth headset, run in the rain with a MDR-AS800BT waterproof Bluetooth headset, or drown out the world with a MDR-ZX550BN Bluetooth headset.
(Did Sony fire its branding department, by the way? Sheesh.)
The headsets also include NFC for easy connecting, and built-in microphones in case you want to pair them with your smartphone instead. But - strangely - the WS613 itself, being a wearable, can also double as a Bluetooth headset for your smartphone. Weird.
The Sony NWZ-WS613 Walkman launches in October for $160 (about £100, AU$170), while the three headsets launch in September for $200 (about £120, AU$215), $150 (about £90, AU$160) and $130 (about £80, AU$140), respectively.
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IFA 2014: Sony Xperia Z3 is headed to T-Mobile in the fall
It usually takes ages for Xperia phones to launch in the US, but Sony's latest flagship is bucking the tardy trend and heading our way soon.
T-Mobile will start carrying the Xperia Z3 sometime this fall. Price remains a mystery along with a firm release date, but the fact one carrier has signed on to sell the latest Xperia sometime soon is a victory in itself.
We couldn't get the same commitment from other carriers; both AT&T and Verizon said they had nothing to share at the moment, and Sprint said it wouldn't comment on "rumors or speculation around this device." The door is of course open for other carriers to sell the Xperia Z3 at some point - there's no "exclusive" tag attached to T-Mobile's offering.
Its predecessor, the Xperia Z2, didn't go on sale in the US until July, and even then it was sold through Sony directly and not a carrier. The handset had been available in other regions for quite some time.
The Xperia Z3 flexes a 20.7MP rear camera, a 5.2-inch screen and is water-proof up to 1.5 meters of fresh water for as long as 30 minutes. Check out our hands on review straight from IFA 2014 to find out more.
- Xperia Z3 vs Xperia Z2: which phone takes the K.O.?
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Hands-on review: IFA 2014: Asus ZenWatch WI500Q
"Fine Watch Craftsmanship" is how Asus describes its first wearable device, the ZenWatch WI500Q. The fact that it associates it with the Zen branding rather than the EEE family means that the Taiwanese company looks to position it as an upmarket product wrist device.
The ZenWatch WI500Q was launched earlier today at IFA and I got to briefly handle it during a restricted hands-on. Restricted as the watches on display were solidly fixed to their plastic stands, which means that we won't have wrist models for now.
Asus's device will compete with Samsung's newly announced Gear S as well as the original Galaxy Gear, Sony's SmartWatch 2, the Pebble and the Qualcomm Toq.
Tablet-like innards
At its heart is a Qualcomm processor, the APQ8026, otherwise known as the Snapdragon 400. It is a surprisingly powerful dual-core processor clocked at up to 1.7GHz, although I suspect it is significantly downclocked.The rest of the specs sheet is not too shabby as well, with 512MB of RAM and 4GB on-board storage, we're looking at the same base components we'd see in an entry-level tablet but squeezed into a product, a fraction of its volume.
As for the display, it is a gorgeous, curved rectangular AMOLED one and measures 0.63-inch diagonally. Its resolution, 320 x 320 pixels, is much lower than the Gear S (which has a 360 x 480 resolution, albeit on a much bigger display).
The rest of the spec sheet reads as follows: Bluetooth, a 369mAh battery, 9-axis sensors plus a heart rate monitor and water resistant capabilities.
At 75g and measuring 39.8 x 50.6 x 7.9mm (1.57 x 2 x 0.3inch), it is reasonably small enough to be considered as a permanent replacement to your existing watch without being seen as out of place.
Posh but still too costly
My brief encounter leaves me quite positive about Asus first attempt at a watch. Other than the stitched-leather strap secured by a quick release clasp, the WI500Q has a metal body - and earthy colour tones - which reinforce its high-end nature.
Flicking the display up, down, left and right feels natural and Asus also added a few gestures of its own like a double tap and a palm cover.
Asus used a customised UI, the ZenUI as an overlay to Google's Android Wear, integrating a few other practical smart gestures like What's Next and Do it later (for Asus smartphone owners) and Remote Camera control, Watch Unlock, Presentation Control and Find my phone for all handsets.
There's also 100 different clock faces to choose from to make sure the watch is almost as unique as its owner. Asus is also one of the vendors to play the health card with a fully featured wellness manager that track a number of statistics like calories burned, steps clocked, activity duration, etc.
Early verdict
At 199 Euros (about £165, $260, AU$280), it will probably remain a niche product. I cannot help but think that the £100 barrier is the one to be broken. There's also another big unknown; what is the battery life of the WI500Q? Expect a combination of new products and deep discounts to make that market even more competitive over the next three months, in the build up to Christmas.
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Google sets out to build its own quantum computer chip
Google is a curious web search company with it's hand in everything from Android Wear smartwatches, robots and now quantum computing.
Hartmut Neven, director of engineering from Google's Quantum Artificial Intelligence team, announced it is launching a hardware initiative to build new quantum computing processors using superconductors.
As part of the new hardware initiative Google will be teaming up with John Martinis and a team of other UC Santa Barbara researchers. Together the two research groups will seek out to create new designs for better-optimized quantum computer and inference processors.
The Quantum AI team also noted that Google will take big lessons from its continued collaboration with D-Wave. D-Wave has arguably been the poster child of quantum computing thus far, championing the new architecture despite its recent flop in a race with a regular PC.
Fringe tech
One the big perks of quantum computing is it can complete complex tasks much faster and efficiently than a regular PC.It's unlikely Google is researching quantum computing chips to launch its own line of PCs or become a competitor with Intel and AMD.
For one thing the technology is still prohibitively expensive and experimental for it to exist anywhere else but a test lab for now - After all the quantum processor still needs to be kept at cryogenic temperatures with liquid nitrogen.
Rather, quantum computing so far has proven to be more useful for things such voice recognition in Google Now and, potentially, artificial intelligence. Now that Google is getting involved this could be quantum computing's best bet for a real world application any time soon.
- Speaking of voice recognition have you met Siri or Cortana?
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Sony out to get Neil Young with high-res Walkman A17 audio player
Sony has announced a new walkman at IFA 2014, but the hi-res Walkman NWZ-A17 portable audio player is anything but ordinary.
The Sony Walkman NWZ-A17 is a high-end portable audio player that might be seen as a rival to the Neil Young Pono Player, which caused such a fuss back in early 2014.
As well as offering support for high-end audio formats like ALAC and FLAC, the Walkman NWZ-A17 claims to have a much better-than-average headphone amplifier thanks to its use of a fancy POSCAP capacitor.
It also features lead-free solder points and thicker internal power cabling to avoid them becoming the weakest link in the audio chain.
It is overkill? If you don't already own an expensive pair of headphones, probably.
Aside from its solid audio cred, the Sony Walkman NWZ-A17 seems quite basic in other respects.
Designer retro
It has a 2.2-inch 320 x 240 pixel screen and basic media player software that certainly won't let you check your emails or play Android games.You do get 64GB internal memory and a microSD card slot, and at just 44mm wide and 8.7mm thick, it's a good deal smaller than most phones.
The Sony Walkman NWZ-A17 also features Bluetooth and NFC, to let it pair with wireless headphones and speakers. There's even an FM radio for when those 24-bit FLAC files just get a bit too much for you.
The Sony Walkman NWZ-A17 will sell for $299.99 from September. UK pricing has not yet been announced.
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Review: BenQ BL2710PT
With 4K playing the role of poster child for the high-resolution display generation and "cinematic" 21:9 monitors providing an intriguing alternative, you could be forgiven for thinking that 2560 x 1440 pixel-resolution panels have been left in the dark in recent times.
However, despite no longer being the flashiest panels on the block, they still have a place among professionals who need ample desktop real-estate without having to worry about Windows 8.1's scaling issues when used at higher resolutions. They're also much more affordable than in recent years.
Aimed squarely at a particular subset of professionals, BenQ claims that the 27-inch BL2710pt has been designed with CAD/CAM users in mind and has been manufactured for pinpoint colour accuracy.
While the monitor was initially retailing at around £600 (around $988, or AUS$1,057), it has seen a price drop in recent months and you can now pick it up from certain online outlets for around £390 (around US$642, or AUS$688).
Design
The BL2710PT doesn't possess the most eye-catching design you'll ever find on a monitor, clad heavily in matte black plastic with a thick bezel that houses the silver BenQ logo. Best described as "workmanlike", it could be either viewed as ugly or - on the other hand - exactly what you might want from a professional panel.
The stand rotates to lock into the heavy rectangular base, which features a recessed tray that, although part of the design, comes in useful for storing pens, notes and other items that inevitably accumulate under monitors over time. The stand also features a circular cut out that can be used to feed through cables in a tidy manner.
The panel can be rotated 90 degrees into portrait mode and raised and lowered on its stand by around 5.5 inches, in addition to being ttilted forwards and backwards (by -5 degrees and -20 degrees respectively). It can also be tilted side-to-side by 45 degrees, allowing content to be easily shared with another person.
Connectivity and menus
There are no shortage of options on the connectivity front, with two USB 3.0 ports sitting on the left-hand side of the device and two USB 2.0 ports at the rear. Input options include HDMI, DVI-D, VGA and audio-in.
Along the bottom-right hand bezel are the monitor's menu controls, which are touch-activated and light up when pressed. Among their functions are the ability to view picture presets - including sRGB, Present (presentation), Standard, Photo, Movie, Reading, Eco and User (which is user configurable). There's also an M-book mode for optimisation when used with a MacBook.
They're easy enough to use and are plenty responsive, but because there are no labels either on the bezel or on the screen until you delve into the second tier of menus, sp you'll have to make a mental note of what each one does.
Performance
The BL2710PT boasts vibrant colours and deep blacks. At 27 inches, 1440p delivers a PPI of 109, which may seem low compared to "Retina" displays that sport PPI measurements of 300 and beyond. However, as the monitor is viewed from a further distance than smartphones or tablets that PPI is adequate, and text and images are rendered adequately crisp and sharp.The monitor uses in-plane-switching (IPS), which has been known to afford better viewing angles than TN and TFT panels. Viewing angles are very good both horizontally and vertically, living up to BenQ's 178-degree claims without resulting in any colour shift, over or under saturation.
More important for CAD/CAM professionals is the display's colour accuracy, an area that the panel scored top marks in. When tested with our colour calibration tool, the BL2710PT was found to cover 100% of the sRGB colour space, giving it top marks out of the box. This was achieved under the CAD/CAM picture setting pre-set, which provided the richest and most vibrant colours over other picture modes.
Final verdict
An unremarkable-looking monitor with a rich set of connectivity options and high colour accuracy out of the box, the BenQ BL2710PT is a much more attractive option following recent price drops in the face of increasingly affordable 4K monitors. It's also one of the most flexible IPS monitors we've come across that delivers some of the best viewing angles, and its low 4ms response time makes it an option for multimedia professionals who delve into gaming from time to time.
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Review: BenQ XL2720Z
A long, long time ago – fine, around 2005 – when gamers wanted quick response times for their favorite first-person shooters (FPS), they'd pick up a plasma TV. Sure, they ran hot, but those 600MHz screens displayed crisp, high-contrast images just as fast as the machine could spit them out. For a time, this solution served gamers well.
But BenQ's line of gaming monitors came along and ruined an otherwise fine option. The company released top-shelf LED screens that not only rivaled the picture quality of plasma TVs, but outpaced them in speed, too.
The BenQ XL2720Z, the screen maker's latest 27-inch gaming monitor, carries the pedigree I've come to expect from the manufacturer. But this time, the screen packs an even higher refresh rate (up to 144MHz) and enhanced motion blur reduction.
Design
While most monitor companies can make a mechanically sound display, few can make an aesthetically pleasing one, too. But one look at this slim, 1-inch deep panel and you can tell BenQ isn't like most monitor makers.The XL2720Z measures 21.5 x 25.2 x 1 inches (W x H x D), and uses most of that space for the 27-inch 1,920 x 1,080 TN panel. The display is beset by one inch of plastic trim and sometimes-finicky capacitive buttons, all supported by a multi-point articulating stand.
Tilt the panel 90 degrees and you'll see the plethora of ports on the back: two HDMI, D-Sub, DVI-DL, and standard DisplayPort. However, BenQ dropped the ball on audio, offering a single 3.5mm headphone jack as its only source of audio-out.
Built-in speakers are generally a mixed bag. Low-end, 5-watt drivers sound tinny, produce static noise and add extra cost to the panel. So, while I understand BenQ's decision to omit speaker, the lack of an optical audio-out stopped the XL2720Z from replacing my go-to monitor, an old Samsung TV with some PC video inputs.
That, however, is a small complaint. Anyone who outputs sound directly from their PC or runs consoles directly into an audio receiver won't have this hangup.
Specifications and performance
As a straight desktop monitor, the XL2720Z is phenomenal. Sporting a 12,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, this monitor can differentiate between black levels and produce exceptionally nuanced images. A 1,920 x 1,080 resolution may not be the highest around (or even sharper than one of this screen's rivals, the Acer B326HUL), but it was more than enough to play CPU-heavy FPS games in stunning detail.Within the menus, blur reduction can be toggled, and aspect ratios can be set to 4:3, 5:4, 16:10 or 16:9. Of course, brightness, contrast, color temperature and saturation levels can all be changed and saved to one of three custom settings. If advanced video isn't your thing, you'll find a number of preset video options like movie, photo, real-time strategy and FPS available at your finger tips.
The shining achievement of the XL2720Z – and every monitor in BenQ's catalog – is the 1-millisecond response time. I witnessed no noticeable ghosting on most FPS games or motion blur. And though it made the screen noticeably dimmer, the feature facilitated a buttery smooth on-screen experience. While choosing BenQ's lower-end, 100MHz RL2455HM panel may not give the exact same level of performance, expect the 1ms response time to consistently impress.
Monitors versus TVs
There are myriad reasons to pick a monitor over a TV (e.g. response time and refresh rate), but one reason to hesitate is the price; the XL2720Z will run you a cool $530 (about £320, AU$570). Compare that to a similarly-sized HDTV: Samsung's UN28H4000, a mid-range 28-inch TV, costs around just $200.It's a huge trade-off in terms of quality – you're losing the FHD resolution along with contrast ratio, response time, refresh rate, motion blur reduction. But if you're only measuring screen sizes, you'll get the impression that BenQ is running a monitor racket.
BenQ is known for making premium products, and its gaming line is especially expensive. If you're a cost-cutter, the price can be a tough pill to swallow. Press the "Buy Now" button, though, and you're guaranteed to fall in love with your screen.
We liked
As far as gaming monitors go, the XL2720Z is one of the best. It's nimble, color-accurate and produces a picture that's a pleasure to look at for hours. That, thanks to the built-in blue light filter, is a very real possibility.So long as you have a GPU that can handle it, games are guaranteed to look great at in full HD. And the menu buttons, while a bit finicky, are always there to fine-tune any image discrepancies you see.
Finally, while they're not absolutely vital, USB ports located on the side and back of the monitor are a helpful touch. Not to mention the included preset-switching peripheral (with three settings).
We disliked
Despite it being worth every penny, the XL2720Z is an expensive addition to any gaming setup. There are cheaper alternatives out there, but expect trade-offs in terms of quality.Worse, the lack of audio-out options here can really put the kabosh on a multi-console set-up you might already have in place. There aren't any built-in speakers, and without optical audio output, be prepared to route audio signal directly from its source to your speakers without counting on the monitor for any assistance.
Final verdict
The BenQ XL2720Z is an unapologetically premium gaming monitor. This screen is slim, sleek and aesthetically pleasing – however, it carries a price tag to match. The 27-inch model should be enough screen real estate for any power user.And while the FHD display doesn't quite compete with sharper screens in the same price range, the rapid, 1ms response time more than made up for any shortcomings. If you're as serious about monitors as you are about about your kill-death ratio, this gaming monitor can't be beat.
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IFA 2014: Spotify has a new lossless music streaming rival and it's called Tidal
There's a new music streaming service in town, it's called Tidal and it's packing a secret weapon.
Instead of serving up compressed MP3, AAC or OGG files, Tidal streams lossless FLAC files that offer well over double the bitrate of most other music services.
When Tidal launches in the US and UK in the next month or so, it will boast more than 25 million lossless FLAC tracks, all encoded at 44.1kHz / 16 bit / 1411 kbps and you'll be able to stream them over the internet as well as download them for offline listening.
The service will be available on mobiles in the form of iOS or Android apps as well as on PCs and Macs as a browser-based web player - so expect it to function similarly to existing services.
Tidal subscribers will also get access to 75,000 HD music videos and exclusive editorial, curated around new and important releases to help you discover new bands.
The service comes at a price though, costing twice as much as rival streaming services like Spotify and Deezer. In the UK that means a subscription of £19.99 per month and in the US a price of $19.99.
"Tidal reflects our mission to deliver the highest quality music streaming service," said Tidal CEO Andy Chen.
"From making sure there's no loss in sound quality to telling the stories behind the creation of the music, we aim to maximise the listening experience. We are catering to people who really appreciate the quality things in life, whether that is music, sound or lifestyle, because quality should not be compromised and because music fans now demand more from their music service."
As fast as the music streaming business has matured, there is surely a gap in the market developing at the high end. Storage capacities are increasing and network connections are speeding up, meaning lossless CD-quality music is becoming a feasible reality rather than a distant pipedream.
Tidal will, of course, face competition from Neil Young and his PonoMusic service that's expected to launch alongside the PonoPlayer later this year, as well as big names like Sony who just launched another high-res Walkman - the A17.
So would you pay £20/$20 for a lossless music service? Let us know, and we'll bring you a review of Tidal in due course.
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Galaxy Note 4 and Galaxy Note Edge release date: where can I get them?
The event we've been anticipating for weeks has finally arrived, and at Samsung Unpacked during IFA 2014 the company finally unveiled the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 - as well as the Galaxy Note Edge.
The former is exactly what we expected: a massive, high-resolution phone with a better camera and other upgraded specs when compared with its predecessor.
The Samsung Galaxy Edge, on the other hand, came as a bigger surprise. It's nearly identical to the Note 4, besides one key difference: the display wraps around the left-hand side, making the Galaxy Edge one-of-a-kind.
The Galaxy Note 4 and Galaxy Note Edge will launch on every major US carrier, with one small exception. We'll update this article as more information becomes available.
T-Mobile
T-Mobile was quick to send out a press release bragging that it will carry both the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 and the Galaxy Note Edge later in the fall.No word on pricing yet, but in the meantime T-Mobile has set up a "Gear-A-Day Giveaway" sweepstakes in which it will give away a Samsung Gear 2, Samsung Gear Fit, Samsung Gear 2 Neo, or Samsung Gear Circle to one person each day until September 11.
In addition one grand prize winner will receive multiple Samsung mobile devices. Head to t-mobile.com to enter.
Verizon
A Verizon spokesperson confirmed with TechRadar that Big Red will indeed carry both the Galaxy Note 4 and the Galaxy Note Edge, as well as the Samsung Gear Circle and the new Gear VR headset.The carrier tweeted that the Galaxy Note 4 is "coming soon," while the Note Edge and the other two new Samsung gadgets will arrive later in the fall.
Sprint
Sprint sent out an announcement as well to confirm that it will carry both the Galaxy Note 4 and the Galaxy Note Edge, as well as the Gear VR, though it didn't specify any pricing or release date details.No doubt the new Samsung phablets will arrive on Sprint in the fall, but other than that Sprint hasn't shared much.
US Cellular
A US Cellular spokesperson confirmed with TechRadar that the fifth-largest US carrier will host the Samsung Galaxy Note 4, but not the curved Galaxy Note Edge.The spokesperson said the new Samsung phablet will arrive in October, and that US Cellular will share more details about its availability "as soon as we can."
AT&T
AT&T confirmed in a press release that it will carry both the Galaxy Note 4 and the Galaxy Note Edge, as well as the Gear Circle and Gear VR.Like the other US carriers at this time, we're still awaiting word from AT&T on further pricing and availability details for these devices.
- We pit the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 vs. the Galaxy S5
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IFA 2014: Panasonic's AX902 4K Ultra HD TV will adjust itself to your living room
Panasonic has unveiled its AX902 4K Ultra HD LED LCD TV at the IFA conference in Berlin, with this particular offering ready to adjust itself to suit your living room.
The Japanese giant's offering apparently offers up full-array local dimming and Panasonic's proprietary local dimming ultra tech and is also boasting about the TV's colour reproduction to boot.
An interesting feature is the television's ability to analyse the lighting conditions in its environment and link its video signal processing to ambient light levels in order to, in Panasonic's words: 'deliver picture quality which is a perfect match for your living room'.
There's a quad-core Pro5 processor under the hood and Panasonic's 'beyond smart' feature set, and four 4K60p-supporting HDMI terminals and one DisplayPort to make sure that you can simultaneously connect any 4K producing kit that you may have casually laying around.
There's no price, but given that it's arriving soon we'll soon have a better idea.
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IFA 2014: Panasonic shows off its 85-inch premium X492 4K TV
Panasonic has unveiled its latest high end television, with the 85-inch X492 series boasting 4K resolution and all of the features the Japanese giant can throw at it.
With 4K beginning to edge its way into the public consciousness, the UHD screens are out in force at IFA, and Panasonic is keen to show it has lost none of its quality in the television world.
The Viera 4K UHD model has the requisite 3,840 x 2,160 resolution as well as Panasonic's 200Hz Back Light Scanning and 4K intelligent frame creation tech to make things sharp and smooth.
Quad-core
There's local dimming to keep your blacks deep and your whites sparkling and a quad-core Pro5 processor keeps things humming along.Add in 4K studio master drive, 3D colour management system and the latest 4K 60p supporting HDMI port and you'll probably be gathering that this is not aimed at the low end of the market.
We don't how large that price tag will be just yet, or when it will go on sale - but watch this space.
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IFA 2014: Sony QX1 brings a huge sensor and pro lenses to the smartphone market
The new Sony QX1 lens-style camera promises to transform the photographic ability of your smartphone by teaming it up with a large, APS-C sized sensor and interchangeable lenses.
As with last year's QX100 and QX10, the QX1 doesn't have a screen, and instead relies on your smartphone or tablet for composition.
The big difference here though is that for the first time, the QX range features an 20.1 million pixel APS-C sized sensor and allows you to use E-mount lenses with the camera for different effects - whether that's wide angle, macro or telephoto. A mount lenses can also be fitted to the camera via an optional adapter. A Bionz X processor - the same as found in the top-of-the-range full frame A7 range of cameras, is also included for superior noise reduction during low light, high sensitivity shooting.
Also present for the first time is the ability to capture images in raw format for maximum flexibility in post-capture processing. A pop-up flash is also included.
Zoom zoom
Alongside the QX1, Sony has also announced the QX30, which is a 30x optical zoom lens-style camera. Giving a 35mm equivalent range of 24-720mm, the QX30 features a 1/2.3 inch type, 20.4 million-pixel Exmor R CMOS sensor. Again, there's no screen included, relying on your smartphone or tablet for composition. The QX30 also has a Bionz X processor.Last year's QX10 will now also be available in two additional colours - pink and copper.
All of the cameras connect to your phone via Wi-Fi, or if you have a compatible device, via NFC. You will need to download the free PlayMemories app for iOS or Android in order to use the cameras.
The Sony QX1 price will be £249, (about US$409, AU$439) while the Sony QX30 price will also retail for the same price.
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IFA 2014: IFA 2014: all the latest news and hottest hands ons LIVE from Berlin
IFA 2014: all the latest news
IFA 2014 is under way and we've got six team members on the ground in Berlin to bring you the latest news as well as hands ons with all the hottest new gear.IFA is, of course, the spiritual home of the Samsung Galaxy Note, traditionally sees the launch of awesome new TVs and AV gear from the biggest brands and has been the birthplace of more best-selling mobile devices than a pair of conjoined octopus twins could shake sticks at.
The first day has already seen the launch of two new Galaxy Note smartphones from Samsung and a trio of new Sony Xperia Z3 Android devices as well as other products from Toshiba, Acer and Asus.
On Thursday we're expecting new products and announcements from LG, HTC, Nokia and Philips among others. So keep checking back for all the latest gadgets from Berlin - you'll see them here first!
Sony at IFA 2014
Sony Xperia Z3
The Sony Xperia Z3 has been officially unveiled at IFA 2014, and it sees the Japanese firm launch its fourth flagship smartphone in less than two years. Eyebrows were raised when Sony announced the Xperia Z1 in the same year as the Xperia Z, and then quickly followed it with the Xperia Z2 five months later, but it remains determined to hit the two key product cycles in a year. The Sony Xperia Z3 is more iteration than innovation, with Sony fine tuning the Z2 from earlier this year to create a leaner, meaner handset. Sony's Omnibalance design persists on the Xperia Z3, but it's been slimmed down and rounded to a rather attractive 7.3mm (Xperia Z2 is 8.2mm) frame. The Xperia Z3 isn't quite as wide or tall as its predecessor either, with the handset measuring 146 x 72mm. It still sports a 5.2-inch full HD display which means it's the bezels that have been reduced in size.Read: Sony launches new flagship Xperia Z3 smartphone
Hands on: Sony Xperia Z3 review
Read: Sony Xperia Z3 vs Xperia Z2
Read: Sony Xperia Z3 release date, news and features
Sony Xperia Z3 Compact
The Sony Xperia Z3 Compact is the natural successor to the impressive Xperia Z1 Compact, which managed to squeeze flagship specs into a smaller frame. And there's good news, as Sony has repeated the trick with the Xperia Z3 Compact. Launching alongside the headlining Sony Xperia Z3 at IFA 2014, there's no question which handset the Z3 Compact is inheriting a lot of its values from. You'll find the same 2.5GHz quad-core processor, Adreno 330 GPU and new wide angled 20.7MP camera inside the Compact as the Xperia Z3. There always has to be some compromises and the main one here is the display which has been reduced from a 5.2-inch full HD offering to a more manageable 4.6-inch 720p screen on the Xperia Z3 Compact.Read: Meet the Sony Xperia Z3 Compact, king of the cut-down flagships
Hands on: Sony Xperia Z3 Compact review
Sony Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact
If the Xperia Z2 Tablet is proving a bit too sizeable for those hands, Sony's just delivered a solution to that problem in the form of the Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact. Sony's sized-down slate is out to strike at the iPad mini, rocking an 8-inch full HD display and weighing a respectable 270 grams. In that small frame you'll find a 2.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 quad-core processor, 3GB of RAM, LTE support, Android 4.4 KitKat, and up to 16GB of internal memory with an option to boost it to 128GB via microSD. On the back is an 8.1 MP camera if tablet photography is your thing, offering video recording at 1080p. Meanwhile you'll have a 2.2 MP snapper on the front, which also gives 1080p for video chat.Read: Sony Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact takes fight to the iPad mini
Hands on: Sony Xperia Tablet Compact review
Samsung at IFA 2014:
Samsung Galaxy Note 4
Samsung has just launched the much-anticipated Galaxy Note 4, and while it might not attract as many initial "oohs" and "aahs" as the Galaxy Note Edge, this is another solid effort from the South Korean company with plenty to get excited about. Leaving the big design alterations to its edgey sibling, the Note 4 arrives with the same 5.7-inch screen that was attached to the Note 3. But Samsung has boosted the viewing quality with a Quad HD Super AMOLED (2,560 x 1,440 resolution) display, which will adapt to different lighting conditions. And it's just as well, because the camera has also jumped up from 13MP to 16MP and now lets in 60% more light for improved images, so you should have some decent snaps to make use of that rich display.Read: Samsung launches new Galaxy Note 4
Hands on: Samsung Galaxy Note 4 review
Read: Samsung Galaxy Note 4 vs Galaxy Note 3
Read: Samsung Galaxy Note 4 vs Samsung Galaxy S5
Samsung Galaxy Note Edge
Samsung has announced an impressively unique smartphone at IFA 2014, the Samsung Galaxy Note Edge, which takes advantage of the Korean company's impressive bendable OLED technology. Taking the same 5.7-inch display found on the Samsung Galaxy Note, the new Galaxy Note Edge drapes one inch of the screen over the left-hand side of the handset. Not only does this give the Galaxy Note Edge a strikingly attractive look, but Samsung is promising that the side part of the screen could have game-changing implications for how we interact with our smartphones.Read: Samsung announces crazy new Galaxy Note Edge
Hands on: Samsung Galaxy Note Edge review
Samsung Gear S
There's no doubting Samsung's intent to conquer the wearable market. In a very short time, the manufacturer has released more smartwatches than can safely fit on one wrist. This scattershot approach to the market is no bad thing. It seems that Samsung is using its throwing its R&D weight around, testing all shapes and sizes to see which fit best with the general public. And that is where the Samsung Gear S comes in. The Samsung Gear S is Samsung's effort at making a smartwatch that isn't a companion device to your mobile phone but one that stands alone.Read: Samsung launches Gear S smartwatch
Hands on: Samsung Gear S review
Samsung Gear VR
The Samsung Gear VR has been officially announced, and as expected it's a virtual reality headset accessory that uses the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 as its display. As one of this year's more out-there announcements, the Gear VR is a virtual reality headset onto which you attach your phone. The Samsung Gear VR is designed for use with the Galaxy Note 4. The phone clips onto the front of the Gear VR headset, providing the display that would otherwise add substantially to the cost of the thing.Read: Samsung's Gear VR headset is real
Hands on: Samsung Gear VR review
Asus at IFA 2014:
Asus ZenWatch
Asus has announced the ZenWatch, with its Android Wear offering boasting a stitched leather strap and 2.5D curved glass. The smartwatch arena is becoming increasingly competitive, but Asus is hoping that its design cues can make it a popular option. The watch will support the Asus ZenUI Wellness app with its 9-axis sensor and pair with any Android phone from 4.3 up.Read: Asus launches the ZenWatch smartwatch
Asus EeeBook X205
Asus has unveiled a new ultra affordable laptop, the EeeBook X205, at IFA 2014, resurrecting the once popular Eee brand that was synonymous with the netbook era. Available in Europe later this year for €199 (about £165, $260, AU$280), it promises to solve some of the issues that ultimately led to the doom of the netbook.Read: Asus resurrects the Eee PC
The slimmest ever Ultrabook
Asus has unveiled the Zenbook UX305 at IFA 2014, which it claims is the "world's slimmest 13.3-inch QHD+ laptop", measuring a svelte 12.3mm at its thickest point. That's a whisker (or two) thinner than Apple's 13-inch MacBook Air (17mm), before you ask. It features a similar tapered wedge design to previous Zenbook models, and Asus hasn't held back on the bling, fitting it with "diamond-cut metallic highlights". It weighs 1.2kg and houses Intel's new Core M processor with a 128GB or 256GB SSD for storage.Read: Asus ZenBook UX305
Toshiba at IFA 2014:
Toshiba Chromebook 2
The 13-inch Chrome OS laptop scores an all-new design that's sharper, thinner, lighter and more angular than the original Toshiba Chromebook. Better yet, the new Chromebook 2 comes with an FHD option – that is, a 13.3-inch 1,920 x 1,080 IPS panel – for $329 (about £199, AU$354). (Yes, there is still a 1,366 x 768 model for $249, or around £151/AU$268.) And this time around, Toshiba roped in audio partner Skullcandy to specially tune this Chromebook's speakers for deeper bass and more precision vocals.Read: Toshiba launches Chromebook 2
Toshiba Encore Mini tablet
As part of its big IFA 2014 reveal, Toshiba has announced a little Windows 8.1 tablet, the low-cost Toshiba Encore Mini. While there's currently no price information available, we bet – or hope – that the Toshiba Encore Mini is heading for a bargain-price future. It's a 7-inch Windows tablet with a rather low-res 1,024 x 600 pixel display. That's lower in resolution than most of the Android tablets you can get for £100-120 today, such as the Asus MeMO Pad HD 7. Aside from a low-end screen, the Toshiba Encore Mini offers an Intel Atom Z3745 SoC processor and 1GB RAM. That's the same processor used by the Acer Iconia Tab 8.Read: Toshiba's new Encore tablets
Toshiba U Series 4K TV
Toshiba is showing off its next generation Ultra HD 4K TV at IFA 2014, with the U series aiming to convince us that it's time to upgrade from our tired old Full HD television. Although Tosh is at pains to point out this is only a prototype, the company will launch the U series in 2015.Read: Toshiba launches new 4K TVs
Toshiba Satellite Radius 11
Toshiba has announced two new 11.6-inch Satellite devices, the convertible Radius 11 and the CL10-B, both pitched at the more cost friendly end of the market. The Radius 11 can be shifted into multiple form factors including laptop mode (duh) tablet mode, audience mode, presentation mode and tabletop mode.We reckon you'll use at least two of those, but the option is always nice.Read: Toshiba offers up low-cost convertivle Radius 11 laptop
Acer at IFA 2014:
Acer Liquid Z500
Acer has announced a low cost smartphone at IFA 2014, with the Liquid Z500 very much focused on the music-loving youth market. Boasting what Acer is calling "CD quality" audio and "powerful and advanced" front facing speakers - which do, in fairness, bring DTS Studio Sound.Read: Acer Liquid Z500 is a low-cost 5-inch smartphone
Acer Aspire R 13 and R 14
Acer has used the IFA 2014 expo in Berlin to unveil a pair of convertible Windows 8.1 laptops toting more positions than a Yoga manual. First up, the Aspire Aspire R 13 features a 13.3-inch, Gorilla Glass 3-equipped display that rests on what Acer calls an Ezel Aero Hinge, which allows it to rotate 180 degrees and into six different positions.Read: Acer launches convertible Windows 8.1 laptops
Acer Iconia Tab 8 W
Acer has added a new Windows 8.1 tablet to its line-up, the Iconia Tab 8 W, which complements rather than replaces the Iconia W4. The device has surfaced at IFA 2014 and, like many of its competitors, uses Intel's Reference platform. It comes with familiar components: a quad-core Intel Atom BayTrail-based Z3735G processor clocked at 1.33GHz, an 8-inch IPS display with a 1,280 x 800 pixel resolution, two speakers, microSD, microHDMI and microUSB ports plus a 9.75mm profile and weight of 370g.Read: Acer Iconia Tab 8W
Lenovo at IFA 2014:
Lenovo Y70 Touch and Erazer X315
Joining in on the PC gaming craze that grows more mainstream every day, Lenovo announced two new devices that are ready to push pixels. Following in the footsteps of the company's seemingly successful "Y" line of gaming laptops is its first 17-inch gaming laptop, the Lenovo Y70 Touch.Read: Lenovo's new gaming PCs and tablets
IFA 2014: what we're expecting to see
Every September, the luminaries of the tech world (minus Apple) gather in an exhibition hall in Berlin to launch their must-have products. IFA 2013 saw hundreds of companies launching what seemed like a million new laptops, but what does it have in store for us this year?This feature will be constantly updated so check back to see if your favourite gadget rumour will become a reality Berlin this September.
Galaxy Note 4: return of the Phantom Phablet
The biggest launch that'll almost certainly happen at IFA 2014 is the debut of the Samsung Galaxy Note 4, the update to Samsung's market-leading, finger-stretching phablet, the Galaxy Note 3.The previous Notes have been launched at past editions of IFA, and Samsung has all but revealed to the press that the Note 4 will arrive at IFA. An invite came to TechRadar and other outlets stating: 'Ready? Note the date!' Not the most subtle of hints.
What's slightly less certain is what the Note 4 will offer over the Note 3. Screen size is one of the important questions: the original Note launched with a 5.3-inch screen, and the Note 2 and 3 have rocked 5.5 inches and 5.7 inches respectively.
Although it's entirely possible that the Note 4 will continue this trend and push things up to 5.9 inches and beyond (after all, Sony's Xperia Z Ultra is a whopping 6.4 inches), but rumours like a leaked Antutu benchmark point to a 5.7-inch 2,560 x 1,440 display.
It's also a safe bet to assume that the Note 4 will see an improved processor - probably following Samsung's tradition of an Exynos-powered 8-core behemoth for the European market, and a Qualcomm Snapdragon (most likely the 805) for North America. RAM and graphics will probably get upgrades as well, to keep a more pixel-dense display humming along.
Word has also been spreading of a curved display - not curved like the slightly bonkers Galaxy Round, but tapering off towards the edges to make the bezel disappear. This is off the back of a patent filed by Samsung last year, but it makes sense, given Samsung's history with curved phones and curved TVs, and its willingness to burn R&D money hand-over-fist to make the next big breakthrough.
Software-wise, you can expect the Note 4 to launch with a version of Android 4.4, with Samsung's custom TouchWiz UI running on top. Even though the new version of Google's operating system, Android L, will launch around the same time, it's doubtful Samsung will be able to get the OS up and running in time for an early-September launch.
Another phone that may feature from Samsung is the Galaxy Mega 2. If it arrives this will essentially be a big handset with middling specs. The screen could be as large as 6 inches (if rumours are anything to go by) and while it will be an upgrade to the Mega, it won't pack the premium specs of the Note 4.
Sony Completes the Trilogy
Another big smartphone we can look forward to with sweaty gadget-paws is the coming of the Sony Xperia Z3, the rumoured follow-up to the Z1 and Z2. Early leaks point to small spec bumps being the order of the day here, with an upgrade to a Snapdragon Qualcomm 801 processor, 1080p display (good news, since the display has historically been one of the failings of the Z line) and an upgrade to Android 4.4.Design-wise, you can expect the Z3 to retain the Omnibalance design (which basically boils down to lots of right angles) of its predecessor, along with the waterproofing that's proving increasingly common on flagship smartphones.
Launching alongside the Z3 will supposedly be its 4.5-inch sidekick, the Z3 Compact. Sony impressed with the Z1 Compact, a premium Android phone with a relatively small screen, and it looks like the same winning formula might be applied to the Z3 Compact, with whisperings of a 2.5GHz processor, 2GB of RAM and a 20-megapixel camera. If that turns out to be the case, small-handed Android lovers could be in luck.
Tablet-wise, IFA hasn't always been the most exciting show. New (or upgraded) models from the usual suspects - Samsung, Asus, HP and Archos - will most likely be on display, but there won't be anything quite as exciting as a new iPad.
Let them eat smartwatches
Wearables, on the other hand, are normally a Really Big Thing at IFA. Samsung debuted the Galaxy Gear, its somewhat-maligned debut smartwatch album, at IFA 2013, and fitness trackers and smartwatches will almost certainly be everywhere at this year's show.Samsung, LG and Motorola have already announced their Android Wear smartwatches, but there's a chance that we'll see watch launches from Sony, HTC, or any of the hundreds of keen startups that want a piece of the wrist action.
The strongest rumours we have had so far are LG hinting that we may see LG G Watch 2 in Berlin and Sony probably pushing the Sony SmartWatch 3.
There's also a good chance that we'll see a new Tizen-powered smartwatch from Samsung. Although the South Korean giant has made a good stab at an Android Wear-powered smartwatch in the Gear Live, Samsung's never been one for hedging its bets, so there's a chance we'll see an updated Galaxy Gear smartwatch (or three) at IFA.
The latest rumours suggest that we may well see a circular Samsung Gear smartwatch in Berlin, alongside the SIM-packing Gear Solo.
Another company that has heavily hinted that we will see a smartwatch on its stalls is Asus. An invite to TechRadar under the heading: 'Time has transformed and we have changed' pretty much guarantees we will be seeing some Android Wear from the company soon.
Then there's Microsoft. While we haven't had any hints that there is a smartwatch launching at IFA 2014, it will be launching a smartphone - the sequel to the Nokia Lumia 1020, possibly the Nokia Lumia 1030.
Don't forget the laptops
It's easy to forget when everyone's harping on about tablets, wearables and the death of the PC, but laptops are still big business. Asus has traditionally used IFA to launch a handful of new Ultrabooks.It's been on the innovation warpath recently, launching a Windows laptop with a 4K display in June, and it has a long tradition of slightly wacky products like the Transformer Pad laptop-tablet hybrid, so expect to see something unusual alongside Ultrabook upgrades in September.
Lenovo also has a history of debuting new hybrid laptop/tablets at IFA, with the review-topping Yoga 2 being unveiled last year. Given the success, it wouldn't be a surprise to see a Yoga 3 finding its way into Berlin.
Television time
Where IFA 2013 was the year of the 4K TV, you can expect this year's TV gimmick to be curved screens. Samsung, LG and Sony have had prototype and high-end curved TVs or show for a good year now so it's a fair bet that IFA will see those technologies tricking down to lower-end sets, or into the ranges of slightly less premium TV brands.There's also a chance that Panasonic - which has been resolutely ignoring the OLED and curved TV trends - will finally debut a curved model. It's worth remembering, however, that big TV innovations and launches traditionally happen at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, in January, so you might have to wait until then if you want more eyeball-bending electronics.
- Apple won't be at IFA, but you can still read our predictions for its future
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iPhone 6 vs iPhone 6L: What will be the key differences?
While the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6L are likely to be broadly similar there may be more separating them than just screen size.
Already rumours point to some significant differences and it makes sense too that Apple would try and differentiate the two handsets as much as possible. So while nothing is known for sure these are the main things that we expect to be different between the two phones, based on rumours and analysis.
Screen
This is the obvious bit, the iPhone 6L's USP is that it's bigger than the iPhone 6, which of course means the screen is bigger.At this point almost every rumour reports that the iPhone 6 will have a 4.7-inch display, while the iPhone 6L will have a 5.5-inch one, so we're almost certain this will be the case.
While there's a chance that the two phones will sport different resolutions (to keep the sharpness of pixel density) we expect they'll be the same as that should ensure that it's easier to get applications up and running on both.
On the flip side it would mean that the iPhone 6L has a lower pixel density than the iPhone 6, but if the resolution is high enough then that won't much matter.
Current resolution rumours veer from 1704 x 960 to 2560 x 1600 and while we're sceptical that it will be quite as high as the latter of those even the former would mean that both the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6L would have higher pixel densities than the iPhone 5S.
Design
We expect that the iPhone 6 and 6L will look very similar, with the new curved design that we've seen in so many leaks, but they may not be identical.The main difference that we might see is a slimmer iPhone 6L. Both handsets are tipped to be thin, but while rumours point to a 7.0mm thick iPhone 6 there's talk of the iPhone 6L being just 6.7mm thick. That's a negligible difference really, but it should just about be noticeable.
It makes sense too, after all the iPhone 6L has a larger footprint overall for obvious reasons but we're not expecting it to be much if any more powerful than the iPhone 6.
As such there should be more space inside for components and Apple could potentially spread them out across the length of the device and thereby make it slimmer.
Power
Having said that the iPhone 6L probably won't be much more powerful than the iPhone 6, there are rumours that there might be some differences in the grunt on offer as Apple tries to make distinct use cases for both.Several rumours point to a 2GHz dual-core Apple A8 processor in the iPhone 6, but according to Apple Insider, supply chain checks suggest a more powerful processor will be included in the iPhone 6L, though there's no word on how powerful.
But we're a little sceptical of that. While it makes sense that Apple would want to differentiate the iPhone 6L from the main iPhone 6 making it more powerful could lead the normal iPhone 6 to be seen as an inferior device, which wouldn't be a good way to position it given that we imagine many buyers will gravitate towards the smaller screen size and not want to feel penalised for doing so.
So there might be differences in power, but we're going to say it's unlikely.
Battery
The iPhone 6L will almost certainly have a bigger battery than the iPhone 6, that's just common sense given that it's a bigger device and therefore both has room for a bigger battery and could probably use one since its larger screen will eat up more power.If more evidence were needed just look at existing Apple devices. The iPad Air has a bigger battery than the iPad Mini 2 which has a bigger battery than the iPhone 5S, so there's no reason to think things would be any different here.
Aside from it making all kinds of sense that the iPhone 6L would have a bigger power pack there's also some evidence for it, as IT168 reports that the iPhone 6 will have an 1800 mAh juice pack and the iPhone 6L will have a 2500 mAh offering.
Price
This is another obvious difference. We don't know exactly how much either handset will cost yet, but even if the iPhone 6L were identical to the iPhone 6 in all ways other than screen size it would still make sense for it to cost more and given that there might be other differences besides it makes even more sense.
Obviously the prices haven't been confirmed, but there are rumoured Chinese prices for both handsets, which equate to a starting cost of £500/$858/AU$915 for the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 and £563/$966/AU$1030 for the 5.5-inch iPhone 6L.
In both cases those won't account for local taxes, so expect the final price to be a little higher, but either way it's clear, as you'd expect, that the iPhone 6L is likely to be the more expensive of the two.
Storage
This is an odd one. There are rumours that the iPhone 6L might have a 128GB storage option but it looks like the iPhone 6 could cap out at 64GB.Having 128GB of storage would be great - 64GB has been the cap for a while on iPhones - but the iPad has a 128GB option and given that there's no microSD card slot it could certainly come in handy.
But it seems a little strange that only the iPhone 6L would get the option since we can't imagine there's anything stopping the iPhone 6 getting that much too. Sure there might not be much space in the phone's innards for the extra storage, but then it shouldn't take up much more physical space either, so that shouldn't be a problem.
On the other hand it could be a case of Apple wanting to further differentiate the iPhone 6L. We dismissed that when it came to extra power but extra storage is less likely to leave iPhone 6 users feeling neglected and with the bigger screen the iPhone 6L could be positioned more as a media device, for which the extra storage would certainly help to store videos, games and music.
Early verdict
While there are any number of rumours doing the rounds the only truly major difference that we expect to see between the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6L is the screen size. That's also the one thing that will almost certainly be different if Apple does launch two handsets.Other than that we'd expect the 6L will be a little slimmer and a little more expensive for the reasons outlined above, while the rumoured power differences are unlikely and storage could go either way.
- The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 could be a serious iPhone 6L competitor.
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IFA 2014: Sony: we didn't want to make a round smartwatch
Sony's new Smartwatch 3 could have been created to rival the LG G Watch R and Moto 360, but the brand decided against it.
Speaking at the launch of the new product, Calum MacDougall, Director of Product Marketing Programme, at Sony Mobile Communications, told us that while the brand did look at a round face for the new wearable, it decided that a square screen offered a better experience.
"We felt in the design language [for the SmartWatch 3], that the choice we made with a square screen is the right one, particularly as a smartwatch."
Two options
"It's also a second screen for Lifelog, and gives this device more flexibility. We looked at a round screen, but this [design] offers the best user experience."While it seems to be that round screens are the new option most are looking for in terms of aesthetic pleasure on today's smartwatches, companies like Sony still believe that the square screen offers a larger and more expansive experience for using it as a touchscreen.
It raises an interesting question of what the smartwatch's primary function is: should it be pleasing on the eye first, mimicking an actual watch which is as much a fashion accessory as a tool, or a second screen to work alongside your phone?
Either way, Sony's new Smartwatch 3 is one of the more powerful wrist-based devices with GPS onboard too (something the rivals haven't added in yet) so will go at least some way to providing an answer as to what people are after.
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Versus: Sony Xperia Z3 vs Z2
Surprise surprise, Sony has announced the much-rumoured Xperia Z3 handset, replacing the already impressive Xperia Z2. Of course a lot of talk will revolve around whether or not Sony needs to replace its flagship so regularly. But perhaps Sony should be commended for its desire to ensure its customers are always offered the best specs available from the mobile world.
Here's our look at what Sony has done to ensure its latest flagship can successfully build upon the work done by the already impressive Xperia Z2.
Design
As with every current Sony Xperia handset, the Xperia Z3 follows on with the omnibalance design. Laying the Xperia Z2 and Z3 side by side will leave you wondering whether you've got a new handset, but closer inspection does highlight a few differences.Some may see this as disappointing, but Sony has been consistent since the original Xperia Z, and deserves kudos for keeping to its design principles.
The Xperia Z3 has been on a diet, coming in with a slightly smaller footprint. Vital statistics read 146.5 x 72.4 x 7.5mm and it weighs 154g. This makes it almost identical to the Xperia Z2, although the Z3 manages to be 0.7mm thinner and 9g lighter.
Sony has also kept in the IP55 and IP58 water and dust proofing that has become a highlight of its flagships, something that we've become particularly fond of.
Screen
Anybody thinking that the Xperia Z3 would come with a QHD screen will be left sorely disappointed. Sony has opted to stick with the same 5.2-inch Triluminous 1,080p screen (with the same X-Reality engine) as the Xperia Z2.This shouldn't be too much of a surprise though, the jury is still out on whether 2K or even 4K resolutions are necessary on such a small screen. Given that the majority of the competition still sports 1,080p screens (the LG G3 being the most notable exception), this certainly won't damage the Z3's chances.
The biggest disappointment for many will be that the screen doesn't appear to have taken an upgrade from the Xperia Z2. However, a closer look does throw up something that will perhaps prove a little more useful than a few more pixels.
Where the Z2's brightness manages to hit brightness levels of 460 nits, the Xperia Z3 can reach 600 nits. Consequently the Xperia Z3 should prove a lot easier to see in direct sunlight, something that we've all been craving since the very first touchscreen.
Camera
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Sony has chosen to leave the 20.7MP camera that adorns the Xperia Z2 well alone on the Xperia Z3. Given that the Japanese firm already had the most powerful camera, at least in terms of resolution, this is perhaps one area that didn't need a lot of attention.Even the flash has remained the same, with Sony sticking by its single LED.
In our in depth Xperia Z2 review, John McCann commented that the Z2's camera "performs better than both the HTC One M8 and Samsung Galaxy S5 in low light conditions" as well as having "a fantastic macro mode, allowing you to get really close up to an object and capture it in all its glory" so we can hardly describe the Xperia Z3's camera as lacking.
CPU / RAM
When a flagship phone line has been updated one of the first things that we take a look at is how much more power has been squeezed under the hood. While we know that this is a poor indication of the overall performance, we can't help but get a little excited by bigger numbers.Let's start with the RAM on offer. Sony hasn't upped the RAM in the Xperia Z3, although as the Xperia Z2 already offered a whopping 3GB of RAM that is unmatched by the Galaxy S5 or the HTC One M8.
The same can't be said for the Xperia Z3's CPU, clocking in at 2.5GHz compared to 2.3GHz in the Xperia Z2. OK, so the difference between the two isn't all that great in terms of speed, but Qualcomm's latest iteration of its Snapdragon 801 chipset has taken boosts elsewhere.
Of these, the most important has to be battery life. We are never going to turn our noses up at more power, but we'd certainly forsake a little power for more battery life. Thankfully, Qualcomm and Sony have you covered here, offering much better power efficiency, which might well be needed given the battery.
Battery
Why is power efficiency more important on the Z3, we hear you shout. Well, perhaps the biggest surprise of all is the battery sat behind the Xperia Z3: it's smaller.Where the Xperia Z3 has generally improved the areas that needed looking at, the battery seems to have taken a hit.
Where Sony popped a 3200mAh battery behind the screen of the Xperia Z2, it has chosen to replace this with a smaller 3100mAh battery for the Z3. Just what effect this will have remains to be seen though.
The aforementioned Snapdragon 801 SoC upgrade not only provides more power, but also offers more power efficiency, meaning the potential for a much longer battery life. However, Sony has also upped the screen brightness so we're betting on a similar battery performance all round.
Price
Given that the Xperia Z3 is going to be Sony's flagship handset, it makes sense that it is going to come with a flagship price tag. In the UK, this means a SIM-free price of £549 (around US$900, AU$975), with 24 month contracts likely to start at around £30 to £35 per month.This matches the Xperia Z2, although expect the Z2 to take a slight price drop now its younger brother is on the scene. Given that the specs between the Z2 and Z3 are still fairly similar, the pricing will in all probability also be rather similar.
Early Verdict
There will definitely be those who wonder whether or not Sony really needed to update the Xperia Z2 that debuted at MWC earlier this year, especially as the Xperia Z3 appears to be a very incremental update.Sony's commitment to providing the latest in mobile tech as soon as possible should be applauded, but it's worth wondering about the effect this will have on the Xperia Z range. A brighter screen and the more powerful, power efficient Snapdragon 801 SoC are both massive positives, building upon the already impressive hardware that sat inside the Xperia Z2.
With very similar specs though, we could be looking at the ultimate decider being the price. Keep the prices as similar as the internal hardware and Sony is on to a winner, but drop the Z2 by a little too much and Sony could end up undercutting its own product.
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IFA 2014: The Sony SmartWatch 3 is here, and this time it's got Android Wear and GPS
As expected, IFA 2014 is proving to be all about the wearables, and Sony has just launched two new devices in Berlin, kicking off with the SmartWatch 3.
And despite rumours that Sony might be snubbing Android Wear in favour of its own operating system, Google's operating system is present and accounted for.
As for how else it differs from the SmartWatch 2, Sony's latest wrist wrapper has a 1.6-inch 320 x 320 capacitive touch LCD that's designed to be visible in bright sunlight. To give it a more premium look Sony has placed a stainless steel back panel, but the rest of the watch is plastic - and IP68 waterproof too.
4GB of internal memory means you'll have somewhere to store your music, should you decide to head out for a jog sans smartphone. Further, inbuilt GPS makes Sony's new watch a good runners' choice - though we wouldn't say this is a necessary feature.
Finally, standard Micro USB charging is something we can all be thankful for - not a dock or cradle in sight - however Sony says you'll only get up to 2 days of life from typical usage. The Sony SmartWatch 3 will be available for 229.99 Euros when it arrives later this year, with global prices to be announced.
Walkie talkie
But if you don't fancy the whole Smartwatch experience, Sony's also offering up the SmartBand Talk, a wearable that believes Dick Tracey was onto something good.
With a built-in microphone and speaker, paired with an always-on 1.4-inch e-paper display, the SmartBand Talk allows you to chat with callers on the move (or just when your phone is in another room).
But the SmartBand Talk is also designed to be an everyday activity tracker, using its built-in accelerometer to keep tabs on your movement. And yes, like the SmartWatch 3, it's also waterproof with a IP68 rating.
You might think an e-paper screen would give you days and days of power, but Sony tells us to expect three days of battery life with typical usage, and up to just one hour of talk time. The band will cost 159.99 Euros, with global prices also to follow.
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Hands-on review: IFA 2014: Sony Smartwatch 3
Android Wear is becoming the de rigeur thing to have for any respectable smartphone manufacturer (well, apart from Nokia and Apple, obviously) but I never thought Sony would join the party, given its spent so long developing its own system.
Well, with the Smartwatch 3, it's done just that: bringing all the wrist-based experience it's gleaned over the many years it's been active in the world of timepieces to the Android Wear party.
And it's made a pretty good effort of it off the bat, with one of the most powerful, easy to charge and complete devices I've seen running Google's wearable platform.
Of course, this is still ostensibly the same device as seen on the LG G Watch or Samsung Gear Live, as there's not a lot that manufacturers can do to change Android Wear at this time.
However, Sony's put a lot of effort into the hardware and come up with some innovative ideas. For instance, it's one of the only smartwatches to allow charging through a microUSB port, meaning if you lose the charging case you won't need to worry about how long the battery will last.
Sony's being pretty bullish about that spec too, claiming the SmartWatch 3 can last between 2-5 days on a single charge, which seems a bit ambitious when most can't go over a day without needing to be tethered to the wall.
Still, that could be partly down to the 320 x 320 resolution 1.6-inch transflective display, which should be kinder on battery power and give good daylight visibility.
The other big win here is the addition of GPS. As a runner, this small spec is the difference between making the watch a sports accessory and a novelty device to be put on now and again - and it's far too expensive to be the latter.
But with GPS, you can now imagine a world where Android Wear apps quickly come in to take advantage of the feature, meaning you can shed the smartphone to pop off on a quick jaunt around the park and get a much more accurate account of what you just did.
The Smartwatch 3 has an interesting feature: the actual device is just a square block that you pop in and out of watch straps, rather than being put in with the standard watch pins. Sony tells me this is because it could be used in other devices, although declined to say what these might be.
It's hard to see what you'd need it for, but with a quad-core CPU at the heart with 512MB of RAM, it's a powerful watch indeed, and could feasibly be used to control an in car entertainment system or add something extra to normal white goods.
Although, if you're buying a watch, you don't really want to leave it plugged into the fridge.
The Sony Smartwatch 3 isn't cheap at €229 (around £185, US$300, AU$325) but isn't so expensive that it should be dropped from consideration altogether. It's a good looking device, with the additional GPS making it an interesting choice (as long as you can get apps to make use of the tech).
The LifeLogging ability, which Sony believes will take off in a big way when users start telling their phone everything they're doing, is another neat feature and one I'm looking forward to trying more regularly. Although it would be nice if between now and Autumn (the Sony SmartWatch 3 release date) the brand could update the interface with more customisation, that would be brilliant.
It should be noted that Sony has included the Walkman app and the ability to control TV using an IR blaster within the watch, which are key additions – and it's joined the rest of the gang by putting 4GB of storage in there for music when out running.
It can even be used to control a smartphone camera to take better group shots – but being the person that does this with a group of friends might mean that you don't have that many for that long afterwards. Your choice.
Early verdict
The Sony Smartwatch 3 is a good device that fits well into the burgeoning Android Wear party, and comes with some nifty features that make it possibly quite a good option to buy.I'm still waiting for the final price and a proper release date to play with, but with its attractive display and additional features, Sony could have quietly leapt to the head of the Android Wear game.
If only it was round…
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Hands-on review: IFA 2014: Sony Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact
The Sony Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact, aside from being a terribly inconvenient name to write, is a tablet that seems to straddle two camps.
On the one hand, it's taking the best of Sony's smartphone tech and spreading it smoothly through a slim and lightweight tablet that's far less cumbersome than the likes of the (already pretty portable) Xperia Z2 tablet.
On the other hand, it's being brought out with an eight-inch screen that's nowhere near as sharp as the competition in the smaller slate arena, which will instantly put some users off purchase, given that spec comparison is still one of the primary ways to decide which tablet to go for.
That said, Sony's bundled so much top end technology into this tablet that there's a chance it might be able to offset the fact it's only gone for a 1080p display.
The other issue could be price, given the Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact will be going head to head with the Google Nexus 7 and Amazon Kindle Fire HDX, and as both of those are subsidised devices Sony could struggle to compete on price.
Design
The design of the Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact is no surprise at all, given Sony has been very consistent in the language it has used to engineer its products.
The Omnibalance key is once again present, as well as the smooth plastic back that's become so prevalent for Sony devices. There's no glass on offer here, instead preferring a matt finish to make it easier to grip, although the 270g weight make it almost as light as some older smartphones.
The balance is good, enabling you to hold it either landscape or portrait without having to worry about wrist strain, and the insanely thin 6.4mm depth means it will slip in and out of any bag without an issue.
The tablet is also IP65/68 rated, which makes it practically impervious to dust and allows you to direct high pressure streams of water or submerge the device without having to worry about breaking it.
As such, the ports are ensconced in tight covers, which can be a little tricky to pull out, but given the impressive battery life on show you won't need to reach for the charger as often as you might think.
Now, onto the screen. It's a tricky one to call, as the strides Sony has made in display technology, this year included, mean that even a low-res display is boosted to look better.
Live Colour LED plus an IPS LCD screen mean colours look clear and vibrant, and the black levels are much deeper and richer than before. It's almost Super AMOLED in crispness, and the videos on show looked impressive.
To the person who hasn't seen other tablets, this will be more than acceptable, with Sony's Triluminos technology aiding things further, but for some things (like browsing the internet) the lower res will be seen thanks to less-sharp letters and pictures when loading.
It's something that I need to test further, as at this screen size it's hard to really see the quality, but it can offer a visual disparity and for the expected higher price it could be a real deal-breaker.
However, the power under the hood can't be called into question, with a quad-core Snapdragon 801 CPU clocked at 2.5GHz joined by 3GB of RAM to keep things ticking along smoothly.
Playstation 4 compatibility
One of the big things Sony is touting with the Z3 Tablet Compact is PS4 Remote Play abilities, meaning if you're in the same wireless network as your console you'll be able to connect to your PlayStation 4 and play games remotely.
Well, not remotely, given you'll only be about 20 metres from your console at the most, but Sony has stipulated the same wireless network simply to make sure that latency does not become an issue.
The brand told me that it was technically possible to do the same thing over a mobile network or in another person's house, but only if both the console and your current location offered a superfast and stable connection.
If you want to be safe, you'll be using this feature simply to play from your bed or on the sofa next to your partner while they're watching something else.
The PS4 controller connects to the Z3 Tablet Compact through Bluetooth, but with the GCM10 mount you can use the tablet and controller together as some sort of hyper-PSP, and although I didn't test it the lower weight should ensure the device doesn't get too off balance when holding it.
Camera
If you're a regular reader you'll know that I abhor cameras on tablets, given they create a very anti-social way of taking pictures, and the ergonomics of holding such a thing make it very hard to actually get a decent snap.But if you're one that has to take photos on a slate, then an 8.1MP camera with Exmor RS and a 2.2MP front facing camera will do the job for you nicely. The tech on board is pretty powerful, and Sony has seen fit to add in some fun overlay tools, like AR Fun, which is good if you're tempted to offload the tablet to your kids to keep them quiet.
The other big element from the Z3 range is the high-fidelity audio on offer, meaning if you've got the desire to download loads of really hi-res and great quality files the Z3 Tablet Compact can handle them.
On top of that it will also upscale your MP3s to better quality by addressing the higher pitches of the file, making everything sound more well-rounded. As noted in the Xperia Z3 review, this is a hard element to test, simply because there's a couple of seconds of delay when activating the higher-quality mode, but there did seem to be a noticeable difference.
Battery
Sadly, one of the big ideas from Sony for the Z3 and Z3 Compact, a clever screen technology that allow the phones to save power in day-to-day use, hasn't made it onto the tablet.This is less of a hit in reality, as it's already got a much larger power pack and can therefore last up to 13 hours on video, according to Sony. While that's obviously optimistic and only in ideal conditions, it's here that the lower-res screen is really useful, as fewer pixels to drive saves power.
Early verdict
The Sony Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact has an annoyingly long-winded name, but a decent slug of technology inside its skinny frame.I've got a couple of big reservations about this one though: given it's got so many Sony-branded elements within it, the price isn't likely to be low, and will therefore struggle against the likes of the Nexus 7 and even the iPad Mini.
The screen is also lower-res than those around it, and while the Sony Bravia name comes to the rescue, my worry is day to day browsing won't look as sharp.
As ever, these are the things we'll be looking at in our in-depth review… which should be just a month or two away as Christmas looms.
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