Mobile Phone Deals: 50 best mobile phone deals for April 2015
Mobile phone deals on our top 10 handsets
The top 3 best mobile phones in the world right now are the Galaxy S6, the iPhone 6 and the HTC One M9. But what you really want to know is - where are the best mobile phone deals to be had?The answer is: right here. This is a two-page guide jam packed full of the UK's top mobile phone deals on contract at the cheapest possible prices.
We've prioritised the lowest upfront fees and the best data allowances.
This page contains TechRadar's top 10 ranked phones, each with links to the best deals available right now, along with links through to our 'compare and filter' pages where you can build your own customised deals - try it, it's awesome!
Page two is a second list of all the best cheap mobile phone deals currently available - phones that we'd still recommend you buy, but for rock bottom prices.
Top mobile phone deals in the UK: April 2015
Samsung Galaxy S6
Simply the best phone in the world this yearOS: Android 5 | Screen size: 5.1-inch | Resolution: 1440 x 2560 | Memory: 3GB |Storage: 32/64/128GB | Battery: 2550mAh | Rear camera: 16MP | Front camera: 5MP | Ranked: #1 in TR's best mobile phones chart
TechRadar's favourite and top-ranked phone right now is the Samsung Galaxy S6. It's got all the features you'd want in a brand new market-leading smartphone, as well as fantastic looks, super build quality and a really great camera. This is not a cheap phone but if you take a look below you'll see we've found some surprisingly good deals!
- Build your own deal: all the best Galaxy S6 deals from the UK networks
Apple iPhone 6
Probably the best iPhone Apple has ever producedOS: iOS 8 | Screen size: 4.7-inch | Resolution: 1334 x 750 | Memory: 1GB | Storage: 16/64/128GB | Battery: 1,810mAh | Rear camera: 8MP | Front camera: 1.2MP | Ranked: #2 in TR's best mobile phones chart
Our second-favourite phone is the iPhone 6 - certainly the best phone Apple has ever created and definitely worth the extra money over an iPhone 5S. The larger screen, better keyboard and improved battery life make it a much more useable device than ever before.
- Build your own deal: all the best iPhone 6 deals from the UK networks
HTC One M9
Looks fantastic and has all the features to matchOS: Android 5 | Screen size: 5-inch | Resolution: 1920x1080 | Memory: 3GB | Storage: 32GB | Battery: 2840mAh | Rear camera: 20.7MP | Front camera: 4MP | Ranked: #3 in TR's best mobile phones chart
The HTC One M8 was our favourite phone for the whole of 2014, but this year's entry the HTC One M9 is down at number 3 - still a highly commendable position given the immense competition. The camera is good, though not as brilliant as the two phone above, and everything else about the M9 is right up there with the very best money can buy.
- Build your own deal: all the best HTC One M9 deals from the UK networks
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge
Sexy looks that'll make everyone stop and take 'note'OS: Android 5 | Screen size: 5.1-inch | Resolution: 1440 x 2560 | Memory: 3GB | Storage: 32/64/128GB | Battery: 2560mAh | Rear camera: 16MP | Front camera: 5MP | Ranked: #4 in TR's best mobile phones list
The Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge is practically the same as the S6 at the top of this page but with a crucial difference - the screen curves down on both sides. It makes the phone look truly stunning and also enables a few nifty new features that aren't possible on flat-screened phones. Check out the deals we've found...
- Build your own deal: all the best Galaxy S6 Edge deals from the UK networks
LG G3
LG's flagship phone looks, feels and performs excellentlyOS: Android | Screen size: 5.5-inch | Resolution: 2560 x 1440 | Memory: 2GB/3GB | Storage: 16/32GB | Battery: removable 3,000mAh | Rear camera: 13MP | Front camera: 2.1MP | Ranked: #5 in TR's best mobile phones list
We reckon the number 5 smartphone in the world right now is the LG G3. Like its predecessor, if you're after power and precision (perhaps over design and form) then this is a winner. The camera and battery combo is superb, and the improved user interface will woo you immediately.
- Build your own deal: all the best LG G3 deals from the UK networks
Sony Xperia Z3 Compact
Has all the features of the Z3 but in a smaller package and priceOS: Android | Screen size: 4.6-inch | Resolution: 1280 x 720 | Memory: 2GB | Storage: 16GB | Battery: 2,600mAh | Rear camera: 20.7MP | Front camera: 2.2MP | Ranked: #6 in TR's best mobile phones list
If you are looking for a feature-packed phone that looks fantastic and performs brilliantly, then you'll be very pleased with the Sony Xperia Z3 Compact. It's actually a smidgen smaller than the iPhone 6, which means it's still packing a good-sized screen but it's more manageable for small hands.
- Build your own deal: all the best Sony Xperia Z3 Compact deals
Samsung Galaxy Note 4
Samsung's latest Note is powerful and feature-packedOS: Android | Screen size: 5.7-inch | Resolution: 2560 x 1440 | Memory: 3GB | Storage: 32GB | Battery: removable 3,220mAh | Rear camera: 16MP | Front camera: 3.7MP | Ranked: #7 in TR's best mobile phones list
The Galaxy Note is the phone that made big screens fashionable and it's still the best phablet available today. The Samsung Galaxy Note 4's 5.7-inch screen is simply gorgeous, extending almost to the edge of the handset so you can still hold it on one hand comfortably.
- Build your own deal: all the best Galaxy Note 4 deals from the UK networks
iPhone 6 Plus
The biggest iPhone ever is the most visually stunning to dateOS: iOS 8 | Screen size: 5.5-inch | Resolution: 1920 x 1080 | Memory: 1GB | Storage: 16/64/128GB | Battery: 2,915mAh | Rear camera: 8MP | Front camera: 1.2MP | Ranked: #8 in TR's best mobile phones list
The iPhone 6 Plus is the best looking phablet around. Its specs don't match the Android powerhouses like the HTC One M8 and Samsung Galaxy Note 4, and its sheer size does make it tricky to hold, but there's no denying Apple's beautiful 5.5 incher is a winner.
- Build your own deal: all the best iPhone 6 Plus deals from the UK networks
Sony Xperia Z3
A great all-rounder that offers great performance - and it's waterproofOS: Android | Screen size: 5.15-inch | Resolution: 1920 x 1080 | Memory: 3GB | Storage: 16/32GB | Battery: 3,100mAh | Rear camera: 20.7MP | Front camera: 2.2MP | Ranked: #9 in TR's best mobile phones list
Sony has been releasing new phones thick and fast in the last few years, and the latest in a long line of flagship handsets is the Sony Xperia Z3. It's got all the high-end specs you'd want, and the screen is the brightest of any in our top 10.
- Build your own deal: all the best Sony Xperia Z3 deals from the UK networks
Google Nexus 6
Google's biggest phone ever is an excellent phabletOS: Android | Screen size: 5.96-inch | Resolution: 2560 x 1440 | Memory: 3GB | Storage: 32/64GB | Battery: 3,220mAh | Rear camera: 13MP | Front camera: 2MP | Ranked: #10 in TR's best mobile phones list
Google chooses a different hardware partner for each yearly refresh of its Nexus flagship smartphone, and the Nexus 6 is built expertly by Motorola. It's certainly not a small phone: its near 6-inch display is about as big as it gets when it comes to smartphones and for that reason it's somewhat of an acquired taste, some will find it far too big, others will be absolutely besotted by it.
- Build your own deal: all the best Nexus 6 deals from the UK networks
7 best cheap mobile phone deals 2015
Don't want one of the expensive smartphones on pages one and two? Want a cheap mobile phone deal and don't mind which handset you go for?There are loads of awesome phones and contract deals to choose from! Allow us to recommend the best mobile phone deals for cheap-and-cheerful smartphones:
Best cheap phone deals April 2015:
1. Motorola Moto G (2014)
The best cheap contract phone and there's some amazing deals tooOS: Android 4.4.4 | Screen size: 5-inch | Resolution: 720 x 1280 | Memory: 1GB | Storage: 8GB | Battery: 2,070mAh | Rear camera: 8MP | Front camera: 2MP
The Moto G (2014) and its predecessors have been some of the best (if not THE best) cheap phones on the market for a few years now, and if you're looking for maximum bang for your buck look no further. The camera is surprisingly good for such a cheap phone, and the screen is also bigger and better than you'd expect.
- Build your own deal: all Moto G (2014) deals from the UK networks
2. iPhone 5C
The cheapest iPhone currently available on contractOS: iOS 8 | Screen size: 4-inch | Resolution: 1136 x 640 | Memory: 1GB | Storage:8GB/16GB/32GB | Battery: 1,510mAh | Rear camera: 8MP | Front camera: 1.2MP
The iPhone 5C is essentially 2012's iPhone 5 repackaged in a new plastic shell and that means the technology inside is three years behind the iPhone 6. However, if you want to spend as little as possible while still getting an iPhone experience from your handset, the iPhone 5C is still a competent device and unlikely to disappoint with deals like this.
- Build your own deal: all iPhone 5C deals from the UK networks
3. Sony Xperia M2 Aqua
A waterproof contract phone available for watertight dealsOS: Android | Screen size: 4.8-inch | Resolution: 960 x 540 | Memory: 1GB | Storage: 8GB | Battery: non-removable 2,300mAh | Rear camera: 8MP | Front camera: 0.5MP | Waterproof: Yes
The Sony Xperia M2 Aqua is a cheap and cheerful smartphone with a killer feature - it's waterproof. So you can take it in the shower or accidentally drop it in the toilet and it'll be fine. And with a design not all that far removed from the more expensive Sony Xperia handsets, the M2 Aqua makes a good first impression, sure to raise a few eyebrows among your friends.
- Build your own deal: all Sony Xperia M2 Aqua deals from the UK networks
4. Nokia Lumia 635
A truly cheap contract phone that punches above its weightOS: Windows Phone 8.1 | Screen size: 4.5-inch | Resolution: 480 x 854 | Memory: 512MB | Storage: 8GB | Battery: 1,830mAh | Rear camera: 5MP | Front camera: N/A
The Nokia Lumia 635 is an excellent-value budget Windows Phone, offering build quality that you'd normally find in more expensive phones and adding 4G functionality on top of the original Lumia 630 package. It comes with the latest version of Windows and it's tough as old boots.
- Build your own deal: all Nokia Lumia 635 deals from the UK networks
5. Nokia Lumia 735
A super cheap selfie phone available on contract with great deals!OS: Windows Phone 8.1 | Screen size: 4.7-inch | Resolution: 720 x 1280 | Memory: 1GB | Storage: 8GB | Battery: 2,200mAh | Rear camera: 6.7MP | Front camera: 5MP
Another Windows Phone here and a step up from the Lumia 635 above, the Nokia Lumia 735's 5MP front-facing camera makes it the perfect cheap selfie phone... if that's your sort of thing! Honestly it's not the greatest phone in other areas but then... look at that price.
- Build your own deal: all Nokia Lumia 735 deals from the UK networks
6. HTC Desire 510
A good looking contract phone available at a cheap priceOS: Android | Screen size: 5.2-inch | Resolution: 1920 x 1080 | RAM: 2GB | Storage: 16GB |Battery: non-removable 2,400mAh | Rear camera: 13MP dual | Front camera: 13MP
If you just want a cheap phone on contract for taking advantage of the new, super fast 4G network at a low price, then you'll be quite happy with the HTC Desire 510! The battery life on this one is also very good, coping with heavy use pretty well, and with some power saving features onboard it's unlikely to let you down.
- Build your own deal: all HTC Desire 510 deals from the UK networks
7. Nokia Lumia 530
A cool little phone available on contract with some really great dealsOS: Windows Phone 8.1 | Screen size: 4.0-inch | Resolution: 480 x 854 | Memory: 512MB |Storage: 4GB | Battery: 1,430mAh | Rear camera: 5MP | Front camera: N/A
If you're after a cheap and cheerful smartphone that packs a number of features for a rock-bottom price, then you won't go too far wrong with the Nokia Lumia 530. Microsoft and Nokia really add value with a light smattering of pre-installed apps - MixRadio is the pick of the bunch, but Microsoft's OneDrive and Office are very handy too. There's enough here out of the box to cater for most basic needs.
- Build your own deal: all Nokia Lumia 530 deals from the UK networks
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Trollbusters: This algorithm can predict if you're going to get banned
The way commenters write can be used to detect if they'll end up getting banned, according to US researchers working on troll-busting algorithms.
A team from Cornell and Stanford Universities scanned the comment threads on three news sites - CNN, Breitbart and IGN - over the course of a year and a half. That totalled up to 35 million comments, sent by almost two million users. 50,000 of those users went on to be banned from the sites.
The researchers found that those banned users wrote in a different way to others. Their comments were generally harder to read and used fewer words that indicated positive emotion. They also behaved slightly differently in how they moved around the site - spending more time focused in individual threads than users who weren't banned.
From that data, the researchers built a model that could guess with 80% accuracy whether or not a user would go on to be banned from the content of their first five posts. Examining the first ten comments raised the accuracy level further - by two percentage points.
The team hopes that the work can be used to develop moderation tools that automatically highlight users that may go on to be disruptive, saving moderators time. But they also warned that their findings showed overly harsh moderation tended to exacerbate antisocial behaviour, and that a light touch was more effective than throwing out the banhammer.
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Week in Gaming: Battlefront and Baby Park fight for our attention - and our favourite GTA 5 movies so far
Hello, and Baby Park. I hope you all had a good Baby Park, and didn't stay up too Baby Park! It's time for this week's rundown of Baby Park news, featuring all the biggest Baby Parks, the best Baby Parks and the rumours of upcoming Baby Parks. First on the list, as you can probably guess, is the release of Mortal Kombat X.
With gorier fatalities and frankly disgusting brutalities in tow, Mortal Kombat X promises to treat anyone with a talent for combos to the most spine-snapping, skull-smashing fighting game yet. If you can see past the pile of vomit that you involuntarily spewed forth when you saw that fatality with the knives in the eyes and all the blood, then you'll see things like… well, you'll see more fatalities. But also an extra vault mode filled with jump scares and dead bodies, a tower mode which involves chopping successively more solid objects in half and a faction mode that I… don't understand yet.
If you're less about pulling someone's spine out through their belly button and more about thinking very carefully about which attack card will cripple your opponent the most enjoyably, then good news for you: lovely Hearthstone, the World of Warcraft tie-in strategy card game, has finally come to phones! The cards may be smaller, but that doesn't make them any less powerful.
Okay, right, I've done the joke for long enough now, I just want to talk about Baby Park. BABY PARK. If you are reading this and thinking, "what is Baby Park? Is Kate obsessed with swings and slides now? That's weird," then let me explain: Baby Park is the best Mario Kart track that ever existed. Keep your Bowser Castles and your Yoshi Valley - the only real Mario Kart race is a fast-paced, chaotic, shells-bouncing-all-up-in-your-face 7-lap bonanza on the Baby Park track. It's short, it's simple, but it separates the Marios from the Baby Marios. It was on Double Dash, the controversial GameCube Mario Kart game, which was - in my opinion - the best one.
And it's coming back. Baby Park is back! Along with a bunch of other old tracks, new tracks and characters including the charming Isabelle and the creepy Villager from Animal Crossing, and the rather thirsty-looking Dry Bowser, three new rides to pimp, and did I mention Baby Park? BABY PARK.
In other, less Baby Park news, we've got a better idea of what to expect from the new Star Wars Battlefront. Playable Ewoks are still unconfirmed, but you can play as... actually, you know what? Just watch the damn trailer. We're not asking, we're telling you.
Also, GTA V has finally come to PC and already the PC community are all "ooooh mods" and "we hacked into the code, did you know there are horses" and the rest of us console folk are hunched over our buttony controllers mumbling "silly WASD peeps, we was 'ere first". They also get this cool movie maker, called the Rockstar Editor, and they've been having quite a lot of fun with it. WELL, FINE. I DON'T CARE. I USE MY COMPUTER FOR WORD PROCESSING AND EMAIL, AND THAT'S THE WAY I LIKE IT. Here are some of my favourite fan-made movies so far.
This one might as well be "Forrest Gump 2: The Gumpening"
Pretty sure this one is the plot of Baywatch
Still better than Dead Island turned out to be:
This one's the entire Drive intro because people are stupid and amazing and talented.
This one doesn't need explaining, just watch.
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Back to basics: is Web 1.0 making a comeback?
Introduction and the yearning for Web 1.0
Is your website optimised for Netscape 2.0? Fifteen years ago that was a critical question in IT, but it's those early days of the internet that some yearn for. Back in the 1990s, chat rooms weren't global platforms demanding participation, and hosted no advertising. Websites were ugly, but simplistic. Distractions were few. Would you go back?Are modern websites too demanding for some users?
"The capability of modern browsers to display complex websites can lead to the overuse of interactions and updating data," says Scott Byrnes-Fraser, Head of UX design at Adaptive Lab and formerly both Amazon's manager of UX design and a BBC creative director. He adds that while many modern sites are demanding for some users, many old sites were, too. The key is to test a website's usability."The focus on user-centred design practices – user testing, user research, and usage data analysis – is leading to many websites becoming less demanding on users," says Byrnes-Fraser. "I would argue that this is a step forward to a more responsive and adaptable web, rather than a reversal to the static Web 1.0."
Web 1.0: the read-only internet
For some, Web 1.0 is a distant memory of a different internet, one that relied on dial-up. For the younger generation, Web 1.0 doesn't mean anything. Was there a time before broadband? For them, a liking of Web 1.0 designs and ideas is a retro, avant-garde movement, not a return.Loosely defined as the internet in 1996 when it had a global user base of just 45 million people across the globe, Web 1.0 was all about simple, read-only home pages. This was a time before online shopping and social media; chat rooms, web forms, directories and rudimentary banner adverts were all the rage. There was no Google – the arbiters of Web 1.0 were the search engine AltaVista, and Netscape, the dominant browser.
The next decade changed everything, with Web 2.0 evolving to deliver a more interactive experience to an awful lot more people – around a billion people were using the internet by 2006. Blogging, tagging, community websites, Wikipedia and the birth of Google all followed, and slowly led to the portable, personalised web we have today.
It's better-looking, location-aware, responsive to what device it's being viewed on, built around apps, fully optimised for search, and riddled with advertising. It's a whole lot more demanding and intrusive for its current three billion users than Web 1.0 ever was. Despite the advances, for some it's Web 1.0 that represents when the internet was at its best.
Is there a yearning for Web 1.0?
"Yes," says Richard Healy, co-founder of BaseKit, a web development platform that works with the likes of names.co.uk and 123.reg. "Markdown files and static site creation is on its way back – they're quick to create and easy to deploy. I've seen a lot more sites being deployed as Github pages." Healy thinks that static file creation makes sense for small sites that do not change much, such as instructional sites. "We spend a lot of our time worrying about databases, speed and deployment," says Healy. "Sometimes it just makes sense to go back to basics."Web developers are obviously at the forefront of the penchant for Web 1.0, and there's a definite shift in how websites are being developed. "Lots of developers are raving about Jekyll at the moment," says Healy. "It's a simple static website generator that's easy to deploy … I think there will be more sites generated on this technology."
Some argue that Web 1.0 is still with us. "The majority of web is still web 1.0," says Byrnes-Fraser. "Most small businesses still use very static sites, albeit responsive static sites."
Ello, Rooms and the search for simplicity
Contextual data: the modern web's joker
It's easy to confuse a desire for simplicity with a return to the old days before several important innovations changed our expectations of what the internet could do. The chief culprit here is the smartphone with GPS, a device that continues to define how the modern web is used – it's become completely mobile. With the creation of apps, there's an expectation that websites must be fast and responsive to all kinds of inputs – and especially geographic location.
"Web 1.0 was less complex, but also offered less contextual information," says Byrnes-Fraser. "Citymapper is more complex than any way-finding application of the old web, but is significantly more useful … people now expect the web to respond to their location, device, preferences and update dynamically." In that sense, the yearning for Web 1.0 only goes so deep.
Ello, and Facebook's Rooms app
Ello is a social media network built on the freemium model. Created in 2014 as a response to Facebook and Twitter, Ello doesn't feed data on retweets and 'likes' to advertisers. Its one million plus users also get a minimalist design that recalls the early days of the internet. "Ello saw an opportunity to design a clean user interface with a minimal feature set," says Byrnes-Fraser. "Making it ad-free is a nod towards some people's desire not to see ads."If Ello could be considered a Web 1.0 fashion statement, so could Facebook's latest app, Rooms, an anonymous message board where people can connect with others all over the world. However, Byrnes-Fraser also argues that it's exactly the proliferation of user-data collected about people's online behaviour – and its analysis – that is behind a new desire for simpler, more tailored websites, and the birth of niche apps, that can all be mistaken for a revival of Web 1.0.
"Facebook must have seen specific use-cases in their current groups functionality that led to a decision to split-out a separate service," says Byrnes-Fraser. "Isolating use-cases of activities makes sense on complicated service," he adds. "Facebook did the same with its Messenger application."
Put simply, user data is allowing developers to identify specific kinds of users for the first time; all we're seeing now is new services being developed in response.
The problem with Web 1.0
Put down those rose-tinted spectacles – Web 1.0 was an impossible maze. "Things might have seemed simpler in the days of Web 1.0, but finding obscure content online was an uphill battle," says Mark Thomas, Managing Director of DeepCrawl, an auditor of website architecture. "Search is key to the modern day web experience, and search in 1.0 was virtually non-existent."At the core of the modern web is the desire to create a simple user experience where search is effortless, but doing exactly that often relies on complex website structures. However, it's a two-way street. "This 'connecting' and 'sharing' has created a web that allows mass user collaboration, but has had the unintentional by-product of building an environment that can sometimes feel unnecessarily intrusive."
It may seem a lazy distinction, but the web can be divided into two main eras; pre-Google, and post-Google. Search was impossible, and now it's easy… too easy? "Web 2.0 has ushered in an age where we can reliably find obscure information, but we must deal with the reality that we ourselves are more susceptible to discovery," says Thomas. "Perhaps the desire to go backwards comes from a fear that we have shared too much of ourselves online, especially when using social networks and search engines."
The search for simplicity
There may be a growing demand for 'retro' web frameworks, but the yearning for Web 1.0 – for the 'quiet internet' – isn't really a movement. "Simplicity isn't a movement," says Byrnes-Fraser. "The web will evolve to adapt to people's understanding of it … as a user uses a service it will adapt to their level of understanding."The desire for simplicity will never go away, thinks Thomas: "The challenge lies with web builders to balance the need for a more complex and connected web with the psychology of the humans who will use it."
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Google Now brings better search to Chrome OS
Google is rolling out an update to Chrome OS to bring the Google Now experience to Chrome OS. The feature was previously available in a beta of the Chrome operating system, and now all Chromebooks have access to Google's anticipatory search computing engine in the public release.
Along with porting Google Now from Android to Chrome OS, there are a few other notable changes as part of the Chrome OS version 42.0.2311.87 update. Now, Chrome OS supports password-protected zip files and the Files app received a Material Design makeover.
There is also an updated calculator and an improved Chrome OS Launcher that brings better search and voice search.
Better search
Google isn't the only one porting its Google Now engine to Chrome OS. Similarly, Microsoft is bringing its Cortana search on Windows Phone to Windows 10, which is currently available in technical preview.Like Cortana, Google Now allows users to search the web - it integrates with Google search being a Google product - and it also anticipates when you need information to deliver relevant results without user intervention. Google Now will update you on the weather at home and at work, traffic conditions, travel times and delays, and news snippets based on your search history.
Google presents the information that it anticipates will be relevant to you in a card-like UI.
More of Android on Chrome
In addition to Google Now, Google is also porting its popular Android experience, which is reserved primarily for smartphones and tablets, to the Chrome OS. Google is making its Android Runtime for Chrome engine available to allow developers and users to run Android apps on Chrome systems.This gives Chrome users access to the 1.3 million Android apps available on the market today. In this sense, Chrome is growing up to be a platform for apps, and not just a gateway for web apps.
- Read our picks for the top Chromebooks
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In Depth: 4K laptops are gorgeous, but they're not worth it yet
4K to the human eye
As laptop manufactures pack more and more pixels into their screens, the question of "is it worth it?" arises. In most cases, an Ultra HD laptop will look absolutely gorgeous, but that doesn't translate to it being useful. There are some serious trade-offs, including price, a lack of 4K content and performance that need to be considered before spending the money to move beyond 1080p.When it comes to clarity, 4K could knock 1080p from the top of the hill as the new resolution king and replace it in the coming years. Increasingly, devices of all shapes and sizes have taken the next step to go beyond traditional high definition, but as these screens go beyond the limits of traditional high definition, you may be left asking, is a 4K laptop right for me?
More than meets the eye
As far as resolutions are concerned, most people would agree at first glance that higher pixel density will give you a clearer picture. But according to Dr. Bryan Jones, research assistant professor of ophthalmology at the University of Utah, this is only true "to a point.""Assuming that you are sitting at 30-inches from your display and your eyesight is 20/20, any more resolution than about 220 pixels per inch is going to be indistinguishable," he said. The two most common screen sizes for 4K laptops are 13.3- and 15.6-inch. At those sizes, pixel density exceeds the 220 ppi density by roughly 60 and 110 or more pixels per inch, meaning all those extra pixels no longer add anything to what the human eye can perceive at a normal laptop distance.
"If your vision is less than perfect or you find yourself sitting further away from the screen, the pixel density can be far lower [before noticing a difference]," Jones said, down as far as 90 ppi per inch, or even lower if you are "sitting on the other side of the room watching a movie."
Jones added another thing to note is "there is more to 'how clear' an image appears than just resolution." Brightness, contrast, color fidelity and viewing angle all come into play. No amount of pixel density will compensate for poor color.
The drain game
One of the main reasons laptops even exist is because they're portable, which means that they run off battery power as needed. If you're the type of laptop user who shuffles from meeting to meeting or to several different locations with your computer tucked under your arm, battery life is a serious concern. Somedays it's not easy to predict when the next chance to plug-in will arise, which makes battery life an important part of any laptop discussion.The power required to push a QHD or 4K display is higher than that of a vanilla HD screen, which naturally leads to a decline in battery life. In our review of the MSI GS60 Ghost Pro 3K gaming laptop, which is actually a 3K machine, we lamented its lackluster battery life. In our tests, the battery went flat in just over two hours. In fact, poor battery performance seems to be the common thread among the laptops we've reviewed. The Toshiba Satellite P50T only lasted 2 hours and 40 minutes on battery, and its power-saving screen-dimming feature while on battery makes the computer virtually unusable outdoors.
Pushing more pixels in a display isn't the only added stress on battery life. The power necessary to output such pixel-packed visuals means most high resolution laptops require discrete graphics cards rather than integrated graphics. The need for a dedicated graphics card means the computer will naturally require more power than a laptop with integrated graphics.
Ultra HD media that matters
A distinct lack of 4K media
Another disadvantage of 4K and QHD laptops is there aren't really too many sources for 4K content as of yet. Blu-ray players will upscale 1080p movies to 4K, but it's not true 4K. Netflix is working to increase its 4K content, but to stream movies at that resolution requires a steady internet speed of 25Mbps.Netflix does a monthly roundup of the fastest ISPs and even the speediest fastest providers only average around a fifth or less than that lofty requirement. The even-more heartbreaking news for those interested in a 4K laptop is that even if you meet the lofty requirements for streaming 4K content from Netflix or Amazon Prime Instant Video, which also offers some 4K content,'s Prime service, you're limited to only compatible television sets. Neither services' UHD offerings currently work on computers.
If you want to stream 4K content on the go, for now you're currently limited to YouTube. Of course, this could all change in the future, as is the case with any new technology. Remember those first HD-only channels that consisted largely of programs that showed off sweeping shots of landscapes and wildlife? Most 4K content is still in the "ooh" and "ahh" phase, but it will get more prolific. If you're thinking of getting a 4K laptop to watch movies, however, you'll be disappointed.
There's also a fair chance you'll be paying a considerable premium for a 4K laptop over its Full HD configuration. The Dell XPS 13, for example, is available as a 1080p machine for $999 (£879, AU$1,799), while the QHD model rings in at $1,299 (£1,099, $2,498). Likewise, the 2015 Razer Blade normally starts at $1,999 (about £1,337, AU$1,041) but pinning a high-res display on this machine brings the price up to a lofty $2,399 (£2,035, AU$3,699)..
When a 4K laptop makes sense
Now the question is when does a Ultra HD laptop make sense for you. The immediate situation that comes to mind is the field of photography, where a screen that best captures what the final, printed product will look like is ideal, perhaps even required.Having a laptop on the go that can display the highest resolutions would be a godsend to photographers whose livelihoods depend on capturing and reproducing photos with as much tack-sharp clarity as is possible, a QHD or 4K laptop makes sense.
But as Dr. Jones pointed out, there is much more to a nice image on the screen than resolution. Having a 4K laptop doesn't guarantee that the colors and contrast will be reproduced accurately in a final print. Colors will need to be calibrated, just like with any other monitor. But once that step is taken care of (any photographer working in a professional capacity is going to have a calibrated monitor anyway) the bump in resolution will almost guarantee there are no surprises once the final product is printed.
Video cameras capable of shooting in 4K are becoming more and more common, and phones are beginning to tout their 4K video-shooting capabilities as a selling point. Obviously the only place to accurately edit 4K video is on a 4K laptop, but this also means storing 2GB of data for every minute of RAW footage. Even the 1TB hard drive , a machine like the Toshiba Satellite will fill up quickly. Additionally, the enormous power involved in simply working with 4K video means that a laptop would be less capable compared to a dedicated desktop machine, even when taking convenience into account.
Gaming like a boss
The most apparent and readily available way to enjoy content that pushes beyond the limited of regular high def comes in the way of PC gaming. Resolutions greater than 1080p are becoming commonplace in the world of PC gaming, and new high-end graphics cards for desktop rigs, such as Nvidia's Titan X, are pushing graphics beyond 4K. Building a desktop PC for gaming, however, can be an expensive gamble and doing so requires a fair amount of know-how on the part of the builder.For those who want the power of PC gaming without the potential for a headache, a laptop is a great alternative. Ultra HD machines have even showed up on our list of the top 10 gaming laptops. But once again, there's a catch. Yes, games can look incredible at Ultra HD resolutions, but unfortunately to achieve that level of clarity, something has to give. That means sacrificing detail or frame rate. The Razer Blade 2015, one of our top-rated machines, was only able to run some games at 10 fps when set to its maximum 3,200 x 1,800 resolution.
Laptops have an advantage in that their relatively small screens create an inherent viewing distance for viewing 4K and QHD content at its optimum level. But for now, the trade-offs for a gorgeous display may still be too high to justify the price and sacrifice in battery life on a laptop running at such high resolutions. For a field photographer who's always a stone's throw away from an outlet, an Ultra HD laptop might make sense, but for those who are looking for the highest available resolutions without any unfortunate side-effects, the time for a 4K laptop might not be now.
- What is 4K and Ultra HD all about anyway?
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You won't need Apple's expensive USB-C cords to charge your new MacBook
You're going to need a lot of accessories for your new MacBook - the one that does away with almost every traditional port - and now you can add third-party cords to the list.
The new MacBook uses the brand new USB Type-C connector, but it turns out you won't be limited to Apple's expensive first-party versions.
Apple has revealed that the new MacBook will be compatible with third-party USB-C cords - including third-party chargers.
MacBook users up to now have been forced to use Apple's overpriced and low-quality MagSafe power chargers, so it's great to see the company letting other accessory makers take a whack at the new MacBook's charger.
There may be one caveat: "Your MacBook will charge from USB-C power adapters not manufactured by Apple if they adhere to the USB Power Delivery specification," reads an Apple Support page. But third-party charger makers will doubtless keep that in mind.
There are plenty of USB-C cords and adapters on sale already, so you can start stocking up now if you're inclined.
- Apple laid down the gauntlet with the 2014 iPad Air
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Drunk roommates stab each other in iPhone vs Android fight
Think your iPhone vs Android debates with friends are fierce? Two Oklahoma roommates took a literal stab at making all of our smartphone arguments seem rather tame overnight.
Trolling each about the iPhone 6 and new Samsung Galaxy S6, the pair's late night exchange escalated when they decided to break beer bottles and stab each other.
"Police believe alcohol played a big role in this fight," said local television station KTUL in the most obvious statement ever.
One man is said to have smashed a bottle over the back of the other's head and both were hospitalized. Neither the men, nor their mobile operating system preference, was identified.
There was no clear winner in the iPhone vs Android argument, or an obvious aggressor, as the police are more interested in. Also, no Windows phone roommate was harmed in this altercation, likely because there wasn't one.
Just another reason to know your roommate's smartphone of choice before signing that lease and moving into an apartment.
- Guess which ranks #1 in our best mobile phones list
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In Depth: How to run Android apps on any laptop or desktop
What is ARC anyway?
Android has a large, vibrant ecosystem of applications. From Heartstone to Plex to Twitter, Google Play is home to over 1.5 million mobile apps, according to AppBrain.Wouldn't it be great to run all these apps on your computer, too? Now you can, thanks to Android Runtime for Chrome.
What is Android Runtime for Chrome?
Simply
put, Android Runtime for Chrome (or ARC, for short) is a software
package that lets users run Android apps inside their web browsers.Google announced ARC last summer, and initially designed it with Chromebooks in mind. The idea was to bring popular Android apps to Chrome OS, which is still largely limited to running web apps. And while many popular services, like Instagram, have Android apps, not everyone offers a full-featured web-app equivalent. This fact alone made ARC a potential boon for Chromebook owners.
Then earlier this month, Google released an update to ARC, which lets users run Android apps within the Chrome browser on OS X, Linux and Windows as well.
By some measure, using ARC is a little like running a Java app in a browser in that it's a virtual environment that lets users run a certain class of apps across multiple platforms. As it turns out, Java is the programming language of choice for Android app development.
For now, ARC is still in beta, so you may encounter bugs and some apps may not work properly. While the current release is primarily for Android developers to test their apps and see how well they run, any daring soul can download ARC and try it out for themselves.
How to get Android Runtime for Chrome
All you need to run ARC on your computer is the latest version of Google Chrome. If you're using a Chromebook, Google recommends using the latest "stable channel" (non-beta) build. From there, you can get the necessary ARC Welder add-on for Chrome via Google's Chrome Web Store, and installing it takes only a couple of clicks. The download itself isn't that big, either: it's a shade under 12MB.Running apps
Once ARC Welder is finished installing, it's almost ready to run Android apps (called APKs) from your computer.Getting the APKs is the hard part, particularly if you aren't a developer and don't have any apps of your own making to try. You can't readily download APKs from the Google Play Store directly to your PC, so you'll have to hunt down APKs using other means. APK mirror sites are one option, but that route is a risky proposition rife with potential security issues and other pitfalls.
Instead, your best bet may be to try extracting apps installed on your phone and then copying them over to your computer. Various options exist on Google Play; just do a search for "APK extractor." Many APK extractor apps are free, so you can try a few before you settle on one you like. We used the aptly named APK Extractor from Meher for our own testing and liked it.
You'll also need a way to get the APK off your phone and onto your computer, and you can do this either over a USB connection or via a cloud storage service like Dropbox.
If you're on a Mac and choose to go the USB route, you can use the free Android File Transfer app to access files stored on your device. However, depending on where your extractor app stored the APK, you may not be able to get to it this way. Instead, you may need to download a file manager app like Astro to locate the extracted APK. Once you locate the APK, you can transfer it to your computer via email or via Dropbox or other cloud storage service.
Now that you have an APK to try, launch ARC Welder from Chrome's in-browser app picker, or through the Chrome App Launcher that appears in the OS X dock, Linux dock or the Windows taskbar. The first time you open ARC Welder, it'll ask you to pick a folder for it to store files. Once you do that, you're ready to rock.
Click Add your APK and find the APK you saved to your computer. Select it, then press Open. ARC Welder will ask how you want to run the app (in portrait or landscape mode, in tablet or phone mode, etc.). Select the options you want, then click Launch App.
How is running apps in Chrome?
A work in progress
Now, as for how the apps themselves work in the Chrome browser, we tried the official Twitter app, and amazingly enough, it works almost flawlessly. Until it doesn't, anyway. In our testing, we were able to browse our Twitter feed, post tweets, view pictures - all the usual stuff. The app ran fairly smoothly on a late 2012 MacBook Air, and it looked good, although the typography was a little light compared to the regular desktop site, so some things were hard to read. It responded to mouse clicks as if they were finger taps, and even let us scroll up and down using OS X's two-finger scrolling.We did encounter one hiccup though, when ARC Welder ran into a problem and forced the app to close. It is beta, after all. But still, it's neat to be able to run apps intended for a mobile device on a computer.
While it would be easier to run your Android apps on a tablet or smartphone as they were designed to be used, ARC could be a huge boon for Chromebooks and eliminate the web limitations of Chrome OS. What's more, this could be the starting point of a rich Chrome app ecosystem.
Where does ARC go from here?
On some level, ARC seems a little out of place in a world where native mobile apps are the norm and web apps fill most compatibility gaps.Still, it's unreasonable to expect all developers to hop on the web app train, and for our Chromebook-using friends, having an additional source of apps could be a godsend. Just don't expect it to completely remake the app landscape anytime soon.
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Review: Epson Moverio BT-200
Introduction, design and comfort
Augmented reality is an older technology but, like virtual reality, is starting to regain attention again.Mostly known for making printers and sensors, Epson branched out into the world of AR with the Moverio BT-100 a couple years ago. The design was clunkier and was solely for enterprise purposes.
The new Moverio BT-200 model remains a cumbersome device but after shedding 60% of its weight, is far sleeker than the BT-100 and offers up more features that take it beyond the office space.
Still, at $699 (£568, AU$849) a pop and fairly experimental, Epson has a ways to go to make the augmented reality device more accessible for everyone.
Design
A colleague of mine noticed me testing out the BT-200 and said, "I can't decide if that's the coolest thing ever or the most ridiculous." It's true, the glasses look a bit silly though when the shades are popped on, though they don't look as odd and instead take on a futuristic visage.
The BT-200 are also a far cry from Google Glass. Where Glass is just a tiny speck seen from one eye, this Moverio model fits on your face like normal spectacles - except they're larger and reminiscent of coke bottle glasses.
The 1.3 x 7.1 x 2.2-inch (not including the flexible plastic arms), 3.7-ounce frames have thick, clear rectangular lenses.
A bendable nose-guard sits on the inside, allowing you to better fit the glasses to your face. It also can lay flat on top of prescription glasses. Further adjustments can be made with the plastic arms and rubber stabilizer fins.
Wearing these outside of the house or office is frankly, something I can't see happening. In fact, I can't even imagine anyone wearing them in the office. They're not attractive and downright awkward.
Display
The new Moverio smart glasses project a transparent 960 x 540 resolution display (yes, it appears the resolution has been decreased since the BT-100) in front of wearers' eyes using two "Ultimicron" ultra-compact, high-resolution, full color LCD projectors that are capable of projecting 3D images.
The glasses are fully transparent but two removable covers provide varying degrees of contrast and have been useful for Netflix or gaming. There's also a lens insert for prescription glasses which you can ask your eye doctor to fulfill.
Comfort
I was pleased to see that I could use the BT-200 over my own glasses because I couldn't really use my own frames with Google Glass. However, it wasn't a comfortable experience and the combined weight forced me to hold the whole thing up on my face to stop it from sliding off. Now that I think about it, generally speaking the Moverio really pushed down on my face.
The discomfort may have been due to my heavy frames though. With lighter frames, the BT-200 actually sit and stay on pretty well even when walking around. One colleague of mine didn't experience the extra weight sliding around when he used them and his prescription glasses aren't as large as mine. Other colleagues who didn't wear glasses every day didn't like the feel and couldn't get the nose-guard to adjust properly, but didn't think it was excessively weighty.
After hearing impressions from several people with different face shapes and eyesight requirements, I think it's safe to say that the BT-200s aren't for everyone.
Features, performance and verdict
The AR glasses run on a version of Android 4.0, which feels outdated when you first turn it on. It's still a familiar interface, so that is a relief. There wasn't any lag while navigating the main screen but there were definitely laggy spots during gaming.Motion sensors detect your head's movements, and Dolby Digital surround sound pumps noise into your ears. There's also a front facing camera that lets you use augmented reality apps with it - though there aren't many apps you actually can use.
There's a textured touchpad the size of an iPhone 5 that lets you navigate the interface and plugs in via a proprietary connector. It can be disconnected for easy storage and is surprisingly responsive and light despite housing the battery, processor and other components.
Along with a micro USB charging port, a volume rocker can be found on the right side and a button that lets you adjust brightness, 2D/3D effects and volume within the interface lies on the left. A handy microSD slot also lives on the left. The top holds the power and lock button while the bottom has a home, list and back option.
Audio is available through a headphone jack on a clip on section of the wire between the touchpad and smart glasses.
I was able to secure the BT-200 better on my face with larger headphones, though Epson's included a pair of earbuds for your convenience.
Apps
The first Moverio was touted as a niche device that could be used in offices and by manual workers, like delivery people and field doctors. Those applications are still present, but now games and entertainment have entered the mix.You can tune into Netflix or play mini games that involve the touchpad, but they're sparse and play more like demos. There's a Moverio Apps Market but again, the selection is slim.
YouTube also works in a knock-off app, but you can browse the web and read articles without too much fuss.
The games on the main screen of my BT-200 were clunky and got old quickly. Netflix works well enough, but the tiny display doesn't do movies or TV shows like Daredevil any justice.
I was told that many people with DJI drones were fans of the BT-200 app, because it allowed them to safely fly their drones. Apparently, a few companies are also testing out the real world applications as well. Aside from these two areas, it doesn't seem like there's a wider consumer appeal with the meager amount of apps available.
Battery life
The battery life has held up surprisingly well. Epson says the smart glasses last up to six hours depending on usage. The BT-200 went down to 55% through two days of testing involving gaming, watching Netflix and general exploring.
Recharging just involves plugging the touch pad into a micro USB wall socket and only takes a few hours to charge up. Since the smart glasses aren't doing anything too intensive, I'd say the battery could last more than a few days.
We liked
Though still a steep price, asking for $700 isn't too bad. That's especially considering Google Glass was $1,500 (£1,000, about AU$ 1,589).There are also plenty of ways Epson has tried to make the smart glasses work, like including shades and a nose-guard. The battery life is also satisfactory, lasting me through a few days worth of testing.
We disliked
The general look of the BT-200 could be improved. The glasses simply aren't very comfy and look really silly. Frankly, I couldn't see anyone wearing these in public unironically.The software is also in greater need of attention. Sure, it's familiar and easy to navigate, but seeing KitKat or even Jelly Bean would be an upgrade. Also, more apps. There's simply not much you can do without apps.
Final verdict
You can buy the Moverio BT-200 for $699 (£568, AU$849) right now, but that doesn't mean you should. It's meant for the enthusiasts and developer community more than anything, and really not worth picking up just yet.With virtual reality hitting its stride and finally finding a place in the mainstream as worthy tech, augmented reality is still grasping for a foothold. The Microsoft HoloLens seems to be changing that and, with stronger design all around, Epson could probably get there too. Right now, the Moverio BT-200 smart glasses just can't cut it.
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iPad Pro case leaks confirm dual-port, dual-speaker design
Unreleased cases obtained by Sonny Dickson confirm early rumors that Apple's larger iPad Pro may come with dual speakers and two ports. These are big changes compared to its predecessors, the iPad Air 2 and the iPad mini 3, both of which come with a single Lightning port and mono speaker on the bottom of the case.
According to the images, Apple's unannounced tablet may have an overall design similar to the iPad Air. The stereo speakers are said to be located at the top and bottom of the tablet, a design that rival Samsung has employed on its Galaxy Tab and Galaxy Note slates for better sound quality.
The leaked iPad Pro cases suggest that the tablet will come with two ports, one on the bottom and a second port on the left edge.
Ports
Currently, Apple uses a Lightning port on all products running iOS, including the iPod Touch, iPhone, and iPad series, but the Mac-maker is also using the new reversible USB Type-C, commonly referred to as USB-C, on its latest 12-inch MacBook. The iPad Pro could come with either two Lightning ports, two USB-C ports, or one of each.
As a non-proprietary standard, in addition to providing power to charge devices, USB-C can connect to larger external monitors without expensive adapters. To achieve a wired connection from the current iPad Air 2, users must purchase the Lightning Digital AV Adapter for $49 (£35, AU$65). USB-C, like regular USB ports, can accommodate other accessories as well, including flash drives, keyboards and mice.
Having a port on the left side and another on the bottom will give users more versatility - a port will always be accessible regardless of if the user places the iPad in a stand in portrait or landscape mode. If the user is using the iPad Pro in portrait mode, for example, the bottom port would be covered but the left port would still be accessible for charging or connecting other peripherals.
Size
Rumors suggest that the iPad Pro will have a screen size that measures between 12.2 to 12.9 inches. The tablet is said to have thin bezels.
Given the large screen size and stereo speakers, the iPad Pro can be used for productivity and for media consumption.
The tablet may not arrive until the end of this year at the soonest. Rumored production delays and supply chain issues may be the culprit for the delayed launch of the iPad Pro, with analysts expecting the tablet to launch in 2016.
If and when released, the iPad Pro will compete with other 12-inch slates, including Microsoft's Surface Pro 3 and the Galaxy Note Pro 12.2. It's unclear if Apple will bring mouse support to iOS when the iPad Pro is released. Owners of the Galaxy Note Pro and Surface Pro 3 can plug in a mouse and connect a keyboard dock to convert those tablets into Ultrabooks.
Source: Sonny Dickson
- Read our iPad Air 2 review
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Spotify ads will soon match your music mood
Spotify plays a lot of ads for people who use the service but don't subscribe to Spotify Premium, and those ads are about to get a lot more personal.
The streaming music company has announced that it's giving advertisers access to its first-party data about users, from age and location information to the genres of music you like.
"Brands can now target audience segments based on who they are (age & gender, geography, language), what they're listening to (playlist, genre), and when and how they're listening (time of day and by platform/device)," the company's announced said.
"Spotify Audience Targeting leverages 100% registered age and gender data, rich location and behavioral data, moods and need states, music taste trends, and much more," it continued.
Ads will also start to follow you around on various devices, a process called "cross-platform retargeting and sequential messaging." For example, the first part of a two-part ad might play while you're at the gym on your phone, with part two following later on your PS4.
What that means
Basically advertisers will now be able to target specific groups and users much more specifically.The end result may be that ads that play during indie rock playlists sound like indie rock songs, or that ads for Muscle Milk play when you're at the gym.
Whether that's a good thing is going to be up to individual users to decide.
- Get your Apple Watch pre-order while you still can
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You can be Darth Vader in Star Wars Battlefront, reveals new trailer
The new Star Wars Battlefront trailer has dropped in and it looks amazing.
Just a day after the Star Wars: the Force Awakens trailer came out, Dice has brought us a new Star Wars Battlefront reveal trailer. The game engine footage reveals plenty of mainstay Star Wars settings including Hoth, the forest moon of Endor and Tatooine with Rebel Alliance and Empire forces shooting it out.
However amidst the Y-wings dropping bombs on AT-ATs and Sullustans - which seem to be a stand-in for the game's engineer class - flying on jet packs with rocket launchers, the biggest reveals were a seemingly playable Darth Vader and Boba Fett. The short two minute trailer also revealed that the Millennium Falcon could be a potentially controllable vehicle for players.
- Here's everything we know about Star Wars: the Force Awakens
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Verizon has a new cable package that actually sounds good
By all accounts, Sling TV was the start of something big. The service cut big cable bills in half by providing users with a set of the most-watched channels and allowed them to add on specific sets of channels that matched their interest for an extra $5 a month.
Verizon, the national telecommunications giant, has taken a liking to the idea of a custom cable package and, starting Sunday, April 19, will give subscribers a taste of the good life.
Dubbed the "FiOS Custom TV package," subscribers will be offered a basic service that includes a mix of 35 cable and local channels and two sets of channels for $55 a month with the option of adding sets of custom packages for an additional $10. There are seven of these channel packs available: Kids, Pop Culture, Lifestyle, Entertainment, News & Info, Sports Plus and Sports.
What makes the new program so interesting is the ability to upgrade to "double play" - Verizon's term for its cable and internet bundle - for an additional $10, or "triple play," which includes TV, internet and home phone service for $75 a month, all without signing a contract.
While Sling TV remains the cheaper option at $20 a month for the basic 20-plus channel basic package, Verizon's ability to toss in internet and home phone to the mix will surely sweeten the pot for some subscribers.
- Want to cut the cord? Check out our list of the best online TV streaming services!
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