TechRadar Deals: The best HTC One M9 deals in September 2015
Best HTC One M9 deals
The HTC One M9 is an interesting phone. Some say it's not a huge advancement on the HTC One M8 which preceded it but the company has switched the camera to a new, higher resolution version that aims to produce much better pictures than the M8 did.HTC is a leader in design though, and its handsets are always solid, well-built and reliable. And let's be honest, if you're someone that works phones hard during their lifetime then you'll appreciate the tough metal body of the One M9 - and now it's even cheaper as autumn rolls closer.
Compare the market: use TechRadar's HTC One M9 comparison charts
The camera is, as we said, sharper by far than the dual snapper found in the M8. HTC also made the sensible decision to keep the microSD slot, something Samsung has removed from its recent Galaxy S6 phones.
It does have to be said that, while this phone is ideal for most people, you may want to consider the M8 which is now a great deal cheaper and offers a virtually identical design with many of the features that make HTC's handsets so attractive.
The UK's best HTC One M9 deal:
Free phone | 1000 minutes | unlimited texts | 1GB data - £29pmCongrats to Vodafone which has the best deal on offer this month. For a modest £29 per month (with £72 cashback) you get a 1GB data plan, 1000 minutes and unlimited texts. You get the phone in the awesome gunmetal grey and there's no upfront cost - Bonza! Total cost over 24 months is £624.
- Get this deal: from Mobile Phones Direct
Now let's break down the best HTC One M9 deals by network…
Best HTC One M9 deals on Vodafone
Vodafone prides itself in coverage and quality, it's often a bit mean with data, but there are extras like Spotify and Sky Sports Mobile thrown in.Free phone | unlimited calls | unlimited texts | 2GB data | £34pmNot much change here from last month, but this is still a pretty great deal. What's more, for just a few quid more than the star deal you can get an extra gigabyte of data. While we say 1GB is the bare minimum, we're big fans of high allowances! Total cost over 24 months is £816.
- Get this deal: on Mobile Phones Direct
Free phone | unlimited calls | unlimited texts | 6GB data | £39pmJumping up another five quid from the deal above gets you a massive 6GB of data on Vodafone, and it still won't cost you a penny up front - and we challenge you to break that much data in one month. Total cost over 24 months is £840.
- Get this deal: on Mobile Phones Direct
Free phone | unlimited calls | unlimited texts | 10GB data | £40pmHere's a nice little deal that was hiding away, and has dropped in price from last month. For £40 per month (plus £40 cashback) you can get 10GB of data with a free phone along with unlimited calls and texts. This is a pretty modest increase in price over the 6GB deal above but offers 4GB more data - amazing. Total cost over 24 months is £920.
- Get this deal: on Mobile Phones Direct
Best HTC One M9 deals on EE
EE is the network to go to if you want high-speed 4GFree phone | unlimited minutes | unlimited texts | 2GB data | £31.99pmEE goes straight in with the 2GB deals - no messing around with the pointless 1GB option. Really this is ideal if you plan to just generally browse the web on your commute and EE's 4G network remains one of the quickest out there, so it's a fantastic choice and it comes in gold or silver. Total cost over 24 months is £767.76.
- Get this deal: from buymobiles.net
Free phone | unlimited calls | unlimited texts | 5GB | £31.99pmLet's go all out - you can pretty much ignore that last deal unless you were desperate for gold or silver (this one comes in gun metal grey). It's unlimited calls and texts too, with no upfront cost... a really cracking deal when you do the sums. Total cost over 24 months is £767.76
- Get this deal: on buymobiles.net
Free phone | unlimited calls | unlimited texts | 20GB data | £49.99pm
TWENTY GIGABYTES OF DATA! Seriously, if you're someone who is always downloading something then this tariff is absolutely the best possible for data. Three might offer unlimited data and free 4G but EE has far better speeds and broader coverage. This isn't all that cheap - although £120 cashback helps... Total cost over 24 months is £959
- Get this deal: on Mobile Phones Direct
Best HTC One M9 deals on O2
O2 is the network with extras, including the popular O2 Priority serviceFree phone | unlimited calls | unlimited texts | 1GB of data | £32.50This deal hasn't really improved since last month. It's a reasonable price though, and one of the cheaper ways to get hold on the HTC One M9. We do urge caution, as always, on 1GB plans though as modern smartphones can eat a lot more than you think. Total cost over 24 months is £780
- Get this deal: on Mobiles.co.uk
Free phone | unlimited calls | unlimited texts | 3GB data | £36pmThree gigabytes of data is a pretty good compromise, and here it's only a few pounds more than the 1GB tariff above. Obviously for some reducing monthly outgoings is more important than data, but for those who need a bit more, this is the deal for you. Total cost over 24 months: £864
- Get this deal: at The Carphone Warehouse
Free phone | unlimited calls | unlimited texts | 5GB data | £39pm
O2 does have some 10GB data deals but the prices are way to high for our liking. If you need a lot of data, head over to EE where the prices are a little more sane. Here though is a 5GB deal that offers good value for money. Total cost over 24 months is £936
- Get this deal: on Mobiles.co.uk
Best HTC One M9 deals on Three
Three is one of few providers that offers unlimited data, and Feel at Home is amazing for regular travellers.Free phone, unlimited calls, unlimited texts, 1GB data, £35pmThree might not always be the cheapest, but it is one of the quickest to adjust its prices. This tariff has come down by a pound over the last month, and you do get some decent perks too if you like the numerical network. Total cost over 24 months is £840.
- Get this deal: on Buymobiles.net
Free phone | Unlimited minutes | unlimited texts | 2GB of data | £38pm
2GB is a decent slug of data, although it's quite a pricey deal. That said, you do get unlimited everything else, which is more than can be said for the 8GB plan - and it's for the gun metal grey version, which we think is the best thanks to slightly more rounded edges. Total cost over 24 months is £672.
- Get this deal: on Buymobiles.net
Free phone | Unlimited minutes | unlimited texts | 8GB of data | £40pmHere's a decent amount of data for you, and while it comes somewhat at the cost of the included minutes, this is still a great tariff for those who want to watch a lot of YouTube or listen to streaming music - and it's dropped by £1 this month. Not a lot, but that £24 could buy you a half-decent t-shirt. You're welcome. Total cost over 24 months is £960.
- Get this deal: on Buymobiles.net
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Amazon may release a super cheap 6-inch tablet before the end of the year
A new report suggests that Amazon may launch a new 6-inch tablet with a super low price tag of only $50.
The Wall Street Journal is reporting the super-cheap tablet will be released before the end of the year, according to "people familiar with the matter", and will be launched alongside 8- and 10-inch variations.
The sources told the publication that the specs and features will take a hit due to the low cost, adding that it will likely only have mono speakers instead of stereo, but not much else was revealed.
A new line, or old?
With a $50 price tag, the new tablet will be the cheapest in Amazon's current line up, costing about half the price of the 6-inch Fire HD and even less than the cheapest Kindle, which costs $79.We're not really sure what to expect in a $50 tablet, but with the new Kindle Voyager and updated Kindle Paperwhite already out this year, we assume it likely won't be another e-reader.
Still, it's also currently unclear if the slates mentioned will be updated versions of Amazon's Fire HD tablets, but Amazon is expected to announce updated Fire HD tablets sometime later this year.
We'll be reaching out to Amazon for more information, but we'll likely have to wait until it makes its announcement before we know more.
- Here's what we think of the Amazon Echo personal assistant/Bluetooth speaker
Read More ...
TechRadar Deals: The best LG G4 deals in September 2015
LG G4 deals
On this page you'll find a run down of all the best LG G4 deals, network by network. It's one of the top phones around right now, with myriad new features, one of the best screens on the market, and a genuinely different design that both sits nicely in the hand and, should you go for the leather variant, offers something really alternative from all the boring blocky designs on offer.First up is the camera. Seriously, this thing is top of the line. One of the great features is the amount of control you can have, and the resulting pictures are so good that it's often hard to believe that they come from a phone. It uses lasers to autofocus in a ridiculously short 0.6 seconds, and with the ability to alter every single element of the phone, from ISO to focus, there's little to hate here.
We're also fans of the fact that the phone offers a removable battery and the option to increase storage with a microSD slot. These aren't features everyone needs, but given many phones aren't offering it any more, it's a real winner for many.
The UK's best LG G4 deal:
Free phone | 1000 minutes | unlimited texts | 1GB data | £25pmIt's Vodafone again offering the UK's best LG G4 deal, with a stunning £25 per month for a phone that's free upfront and comes with all these lovely bells and whistles. It's only got 1GB of data (although unlimited for the first three months), where we'd recommend two for this large-screen wonder at least, and you'll need to make sure you're not SUPER chatty - but at this price, worth it. Total cost over 24 months: £600
- Get this deal: from Mobile Phones Direct
- See more deals: See all LG G4 deals
Best LG G4 deals on Vodafone
Vodafone prides itself in coverage and quality. It's often a bit mean with data, but there are extras like Spotify and Sky Sports Mobile thrown in to many of its contracts.Deal 1: Free phone | unlimited calls | unlimited texts | 2GB of Data | £30.00pm
A little more data here, a lot more calls but an extra five pounds per month. It's worth it when you boil down the costs, especially with £72 cashback thrown into the mix, but it's a tiny bit more expensive than the best deal out . Total cost over 24 months is £648.
- Get this deal: from Mobile Phones Direct
Deal 2: Free phone | unlimited calls | unlimited texts | 4GB of data, £31pm An extra pound getting you 2GB of lovely 4G data per month, and the same cashback deal? Probably the one you should be going for if you like a little extra safety with your data. Total cost over 24 months is £672.
- Get this deal: from Mobile Phones Direct
Deal 3: Free phone | unlimited calls | unlimited texts | 8GB data | £36pmMost people won't need 8GB of data, but do remember that streaming and downloading music, YouTube and any apps you download can soon add up. Podcast streaming is another way to blow through your data allowance too. If you need more, then this is the deal for you. Total cost over 24 months is £792.
- Get this deal: from Mobile Phones Direct
- See more deals: See all LG G4 deals
Best LG G4 deals on O2
O2 is the network with extras, including the popular O2 Priority service.Deal 1: Free phone | unlimited calls | unlimited texts | 1GB of data | £27.50pmHere you get the LG G4 in the striking titan grey. A modest 1GB of data is supported by unlimited calls and texts and the phone is, of course, free - plus comes in super cheap too. Total cost over 24 months is £660
- Get this deal: from mobiles.co.uk
Deal 2: Free phone | unlimited calls | unlimited texts | 3GB of data | £31pmNo real change in price here, but 3GB is a much more realistic amount of data for a normal user. This particular offer also comes in the same grey and the nice drop in price makes this an attractive choice for new users. Total cost over 24 months is £864
- Get this deal: from mobiles.co.uk
Deal 3: Free phone | unlimited calls | unlimited texts | 10GB data, £39pmLet's ramp this party up and throw you in a deal that gives you a whopping 10GB of data and adds in the more premium black leather cover as well. Unlimited calls and texts plus oodles of data? Yeah, that's the stuff. Total cost over 24 months is £936
- Get this deal: from mobiles.co.uk
- See more deals: See all LG G4 deals
Best LG G4 deals on EE
EE is the place to go if you want high-speed 4GDeal 1: Free phone | unlimited minutes | unlimited texts | 2GB data | £29.99pm2GB is a much more realistic amount of capacity for most users in a month than the cheaper one GB, and you've got unlimited calls and texts to play with. It's a great price for the much-vaunted brown leather version of the phone. Total cost over 24 months is £719.76
- Get this deal: from Mobile Phones Direct
Deal 2: Free phone | unlimited calls | unlimited texts | 5GB of data | £31.99pmFor those who want a little more downloading on EE's ultra-fast network then this deal is great. You get a massive 5GB allowance along with unlimited calls and texts at a great price... and it's gold too, with £50 cashback. Total cost over 24 months is £767.76
- Get this deal: from Mobile Phones Direct
Deal 3: Free phone | unlimited calls | unlimited texts | 10GB of data | £44.99pmIf you want the top whack of 4G data, this is the phone deal for you. It will give you lots of flexibility about how you use the phone, and EE's network is still one of the best places to get high speed downloads on 4G. Total cost over 24 months is £934.76
- Get this deal: from Mobile Phones Direct
- See more deals: See all LG G4 deals
Best LG G4 deals on Three
Three is one of few providers that offers unlimited data, and Feel at Home is amazing for regular travellers.Deal 1: free phone | unlimited calls | unlimited texts, 1GB data | £33pmWhile it's great you can get a free phone, this is still one of the pricier deals. At least it's come down by £3 this month, and offers unlimited texts and calling. Total cost over 24 months is £792
- Get this deal: direct from Buymobiles.net
Deal 2: free phone | 600 minutes | unlimited texts | 8GB | £38pmHere you're taking a cut to free minutes in order to get 8GB of data. For some people this is great, others might not agree, but it too has had a £3 price cut this month. Total cost of 24 months: £912
- Get this deal: direct from Buymobiles.net
Deal 3: free phone | unlimited call | unlimited texts | unlimited data | £46pmHere we get Three's flagship unlimited package and the G4 in delightful red leather. Everything else is unlimited too, including calls. The next tariff down is only £1 cheaper - this is the best option for heavy users. Total cost over 24 months is £1,104
- Get this deal: direct from Buymobiles.net
- See more deals: See all LG G4 deals
Read More ...
iPhone 6S display touted to get a pretty big resolution upgrade
With only two days left until Apple's big iPhone event on September 9, the rumor mill is still spitting out leaks about the expected iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus.
This time, a leak posted by @KJuma on the Chinese site Weibo suggests the iPhone 6S is set to sport a 4.7-inch screen with a 1125 x 2000 resolution, which works out to be 488 pixels-per-inch.
That's a massive increase, with last year's iPhone 6 carrying a 750 x 1334 resolution screen, with 326ppi.
According to the leak, the iPhone 6S Plus will also be getting a resolution bump up to 1242 x 2208, with a 466ppi count. The iPhone 6 Plus had a screen resolution of 1080 x 1920, with a pixel count of 401ppi.
But wait, there's more
The Chinese site also included alleged benchmark scores from Geekbench that had the iPhone 6S running a 1.8GHz A9 SoC chipset with 2GB of RAM.Besides these specs, however, this isn't the first time we've heard of a resolution increase for the new iPhones, with a 2K display for the iPhone 6S Plus previously rumored.
And with rumors of Force Touch to be a new addition on both the iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus, an upgraded display for both handsets doesn't seem too much of an assumption.
Of course, with only two days until the launch of the new iPhones, we suggest taking all of this with a grain of salt - we'll find out all the details soon enough.
- Until then, here's every big iPhone 6S rumor, ranked
Read More ...
TechRadar Deals: Best Samsung Galaxy Note 4 deals in September 2015
It's hard not to love Samsung's amazing Note 4. This is, after all, a device that no-one thought would ever work but now four generations in the phone is selling brilliantly and it has invented a new category of mobile phones.
Plus it's even more important now as the Galaxy Note 5 hasn't launched here in the UK - we've only got the Galaxy S6 Edge+ on this side of the pond. That means if you want a large phone with an S Pen inside you'll have to get a Galaxy Note 4 this year.
That's not a problem though - the Note 4 adds bundles of amazing features that makes this handset a legitimate flagship. There's a removable battery and a microSD card, both of which have now vanished from the Galaxy S range.
Even more important though is the stunning camera on the Note 4. If you're using your phone for photography then you won't be disappointed by what you get out of the Note. The S-Pen enables you to write notes and translate them from handwriting to text and while it's a niche feature, it can be very handy.
What's more the larger size means you get amazing battery life, a screen that just screams quality and makes you want to watch Netflix constantly. This phone won't suit everyone, but if you're a big phone lover, this is where it's at.
Best Galaxy Note 4 deals on EE:
Free phone | unlimited calls | Unlimited texts | 5GB data | £31.99pm
The best deal in the UK right now is from EE and it's not been beaten in a while. It's £31.99 a month but it comes with a huge 5GB of data, unlimited calls and texts as well as a free phone. It's pretty difficult to get through 5GB unless you're a real heavy user so we'd recommend this deal over everything else. Total cost over 24 months is £767.76
Compare and filter: all Galaxy Note 4 deals
Best Galaxy Note 4 deals on Vodafone:
Free phone | 1000 mins | unlimited texts | 6GB of data | £35pmWhen
we say "best" deal here, we don't mean cheapest. This costs a little
more money than EE's amazing deal, but here you get an extra GB to play
with and you'll get unlimited data for the first three months of the
contract. Perfect for downloading all those apps to set your phone up. Total cost over 24 months is £840.Compare and filter: all Galaxy Note 4 deals
Best Galaxy Note 4 deals on O2:
Free phone | unlimited calls | unlimited texts | 1GB data | £27.50pmIf you're not in it for the internet, this is the deal we'd recommend. You can save a few pennies over EE's deal with this but you will only have 1GB of data to use every month. If you're always on Wi-Fi though, maybe this will suit you fine. Total cost over 24 months is £660
Compare and filter: all Galaxy Note 4 deals
Best Galaxy Note 4 deals on Three:
Free phone | unlimited minutes and texts | 500MB data | £31pmThree
is particularly bad this month - the unlimited internet deal from last
month seems to have ended so we've had to choose a much worse deal.
Honestly, don't choose this unless you 100% have to be on Three.
Anything else on this list is better. Total cost over 24 months is £744.Compare and filter: all Galaxy Note 4 deals
Read More ...
TechRadar Deals: The best Samsung Galaxy S5 deals in September 2015
Samsung Galaxy S5 deals
Samsung's Galaxy S5 is not the newest smartphone you can pick up right now, but don't let that put you off considering it. This phone was a superstar when it launched, and it remains a brilliant little phone now. It has a few little annoyances that were addressed with the Galaxy S6 but in the long run those aren't particularly worth the extra money it'll cost you.As it's an older phone, there are some great deals to be had. That might be extra data, very low monthly fees or some accessories thrown in but it all adds up to a better buy than a new phone.
Compare and filter: all Samsung Galaxy S5 deals
There are some big advantages of having the S5 including a removable battery, meaning you can keep a spare one around for when your main one runs out. It's only available in a 16GB model now so there's also microSD support to add loads of extra space to the phone for music, videos and photos.
Speaking of photos the camera on this phone is amazing too. For all but the most demanding you'll be thrilled with the results, and while the S6 is even better it's not so pronounced as to make you sick with jealousy when a friend pulls out the newer model.
The UK's best Galaxy S5 deal:
Free 16GB phone | unlimited minutes | unlimited texts | 2GB data | £22pmVodafone is still top this month but with a different deal to last month. It's not the cheapest on the market, but it's certainly the best deal as it comes with 2GB of data and unlimited everything else. With cashback it's quite a bit cheaper and you've even got unlimited data for the first 3 months. Total cost over 24 months is £528
Get this deal from Mobiles Phones Direct
Compare and filter: all Samsung Galaxy S5 deals
Now let's break down the best Samsung Galaxy S5 deals by network...
Best Galaxy S5 deals on EE:
£9.99 16GB phone | unlimited calls | unlimited texts | 2GB of Data, £26.99pmYou
now need to part with a little cash at the start to get your Galaxy S5
in gold, but it's worth it in the long run. We think this is the best
deal in the UK right now especially considering you've got unlimited
calls and 2GB of data to play with. Total cost over 24 months is £647.76Get this deal from The Carphone Warehouse
Compare and filter: all Samsung Galaxy S5 deals
Best Galaxy S5 deals on Three:
Free 16GB phone | 600 mins | unlimited texts | 2GB of data | £28pmThree
was acting weird last month with really high prices, but now it seems
to have sorted itself out. This deal is one of the best in the UK right
now, plus Three offers a lot of benefits such as free 4G and the Feel At
Home package. Total cost over 24 months is £672Get this deal from BuyMobiles.net
Compare and filter: all Samsung Galaxy S5 deals
Best Galaxy S5 deals on O2:
Free 16GB phone | unlimited calls | unlimited texts | 1GB - £27.50pmO2 is charging quite a bit for its 2GB contracts so we've gone a little lower here with only 1GB of internet. You can get an even lower price if you want to use one of its weird 300MB deals, but we wouldn't recommend unless you're a super light user.Total cost over 24 months is £660
Get this deal from The Carphone Warehouse
Compare and filter: all Samsung Galaxy S5 deals
Best Galaxy S5 deals on Vodafone:
£9.99 16GB phone | 1000 minutes calls | unlimited texts | 1GB data - £25pm Vodafone
provided us with the best deal of the month up the top of this page, so
we've opted for a bit less internet here with a lower price tag. It's
certainly cheaper but if you're a data hungry user we would recommend
going for the deal up above. Total cost over 24 months is £600Get this deal from The Carphone Warehouse
Compare and filter: all Samsung Galaxy S5 deals
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3 reasons why a smaller iPhone 6S battery shouldn't worry you
Introduction
With leaks emerging about the iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus ahead of next week's Apple announcement, business users may have nothing to worry about when it comes to the smartphone's battery life.Chinese site cnBeta revealed that the successors to the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus will come with smaller batteries, representing a 5% reduction in power.
However, battery size alone is only part of the problem. Apple isn't selling you a commodity, in the form of a replaceable battery. Instead, the company is selling you an experience, and when packaged together with its software, latest processing technology and other improvements, a smaller battery may not necessarily result in degraded battery life.
Less juice
The iPhone 6S is expected to have an 1,715 mAh battery, down from the 1,810mAh pack on the iPhone 6, while the larger smartphone will have a 2,750mAh battery compared to the 2,910mAh battery on the current generation model.
This represents a 5.3% physical drop in battery capacity for the iPhone 6S and 5.5% for the iPhone 6S Plus.
The only unfortunate thing about this scenario is that leaked specifications for the iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus indicate that these models will have a larger chassis than the phones that they'll replace, despite having a smaller battery. With new, stronger metals and the Force Touch screen technology rumored, the iPhone models will grow slightly taller, slightly wider and slightly thicker.
1. Power-sipping iOS 9
Hardware alone is only part of the iPhone 6S story. Apple has historically played up its tight integration in creating its own hardware and software, and the story should be no different on the iPhone 6.
When it debuted iOS 9 earlier this summer, Apple promised that system-wide improvements compared to the current generation iOS 8 software should lead to about an hour of extra battery life.
The new operating system also comes with a Low Power mode, similar to Android phones from HTC, Samsung and Sony, that allows owners to squeeze even more battery life on a single charge by turning off idle processes and radios when they're not in use. With Low Power mode on, you can get up to three extra hours on current generation hardware.
These software improvements may go a long way to helping the iPhone 6s and the 6s Plus conserve battery life, despite having a smaller battery.
2. Better brains
Even though ARM chips are used on the iPhone and iPad, Apple makes tweaks to the processor design to help them deliver more power in a more efficient manner.
In terms of battery life, we can expect Apple's rumored A-series processor to be even more efficient this year. Apple released the A8 processor on last year's iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, so we can likely expect an A8x or A9 processor on this year's release.
A more powerful, but energy efficient processor can help bring faster performance and longer battery life at the same time. On the desktop, Intel is proving this with the recent release of Skylake, which brings better processing, graphics and battery life numbers.
3. Packing power
We'll still have to wait for the release of these new handsets to compare battery life against the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, but if you're still concerned, you can buy external batteries to get you through a long work day.
Even though Apple doesn't bless the iPhone with a removable battery, third-party case manufacturers have integrated batteries into the case design, bringing a compact solution that delivers the protection of a case and the power of an extended battery.
Incipio creates an offGRID battery case, and rival Mophie has a line of popular JuicePack cases that are designed for each iPhone model.
Given the slightly thicker, wider and taller dimensions leaked for the new Apple smartphone models, you may not be able to re-use your existing Mophie, Incipio or third-party battery case, but likely new models will come to accommodate your powerful new phone.
You can also carry a battery pack, if you want to preserve the handset's slim design and not have the bulk of an extended battery on your phone at all times, and plug your phone into the power pack as needed.
- Learn how to live stream Apple's iPhone 6S launch
Read More ...
Updated: iPhone 7 and iPhone 6S release date, news and rumors
iPhone 6S / 7 release date, concept and design
Wondering what's going to happen with the iPhone 7 this year? Bad news: it's going to be the iPhone 6, in all likelihood. Good news: it's going to be here really soon - so get saving.We're also expecting a larger model to arrive too, which would take over from the iPhone 6 Plus, and it'll probably be imaginatively named the iPhone 6S Plus.
And if that wasn't enough, Apple is also rumoured to be launching the iPhone 6C alongside the iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus as well.
Here's the inside skinny: it looks like the iPhone 6S will look very similar to the current iPhone 6, but will have fancy new features like Force Touch (enabling new ways of interacting with the phone) and a longer lasting battery.
But there's already a whole heap of other rumors swirling round about the next iPhone, so we've gathered them all together and split them up into handy bit sized chunks for your enjoyment. Go on, tuck in.
Latest update: New rumours suggest a new colour, Force Touch and a 12 megapixel camera will be present in the new iPhone 6S.
Cut to the chase
- What is it? Apple's next flagship iPhone
- When is it out? Apple has confirmed a September 9 announcement and rumours suggest it'll be on sale September 18
- What will it cost? A lot, at least £539 / $649 / AU$999
iPhone 6S / iPhone 7 release date
Apple has now confirmed the announcement is set for September 9. That's a Wednesday this time, when traditionally the iPhone is announced on a Tuesday.We've been invited to the event and the calling cards come with a vibrant Apple logo design with the words "Hey Siri, give us a hint." There's no word on timing or location just yet but we'll keep our eyes peeled for the latest as it comes out.
The latest leaks from two major German carriers have reported that it will go on sale on September 18, which makes sense, as the second Friday after the announcement is when Apple tends to start selling its phones.
An earlier leaked Vodafone email also claimed the iPhone 6S will be arriving in September. However, it states that it will be later in the month on September 25.
The new phones are already floating around though - web traffic at mobile marketing firm Fiksu has shown the 'iPhone 8,1' and 'iPhone 8,2' are accessing the servers. The iPhone 6 Plus is known as the iPhone 7,1 and the iPhone 6 as the iPhone 7,2, so it seems successors do exist and are in heavy testing.
According to GSM Dome Apple has started ordering camera sensors from Sony for the iPhone 6C, which follows news that Samsung is reportedly already producing the A9 processor that is expected to be included in the iPhone 6S, so all of the iPhone 6S/7 models seem well on target for the September launch.
iPhone 6S / iPhone 7 design
The front panel for the iPhone 6S has supposedly been snapped coming off the production line in China and it looks much the same as that on the iPhone 6. It's not a big surprise: we never expect big design changes on the S models of the iPhone.This follows the first photos of what might be the iPhone 6S, or at least of its case, leaked a little while back which again suggest it will look identical to the iPhone 6.
Want more leaked shots? Well you've got it, as further images have sneaked online claiming to show parts for the iPhone 6S hot off the production line - and yet again it all looks very familiar.
A video, allegedly of the same device, has surfaced - which sadly means the iPhone 6S will, as predicted, look identical to the iPhone 6 but with fancier innards.
However while it might have the same dimensions, a patent suggests there's a possibility that it could lose those plastic strips we know and hate. A Liquidmetal body is once again a possibility too, as Apple has extended its exclusivity deal with the maker.
On the other hand we're also hearing rumours the iPhone 6S / iPhone 7 might feature the lightweight and strong Series 7000 aluminium alloy it uses on the Apple Watch Sport.
A recent bend test video shows an alleged zinc-infused and anodization coated iPhone 6S shell to be almost 2.7 times as before. You may be safe to stick the new iPhone in your back pocket again.
A set of schematics have also emerged which again claim that the iPhone 6S is set to be 0.2mm thicker than the iPhone 6, but will otherwise look pretty much the same as last year's handset.
The extra depth could be due to Apple including Force Touch technology behind the screen.
It could be getting a new colour scheme as well, as the gold version will apparently be more yellow than it is on the iPhone 6, the space grey version may be getting darker and a rose gold version is said to be on the cards, as well as a pink model.
However new rumours suggest that the touted pink and rose gold models will be one and the same, with the confusion arising from how similar the colours are.
But enough about what the iPhone 6S will look like on the outside, what about the inside? If you're keen to take a peek under the bonnet of the upcoming iPhone, MacRumours has released a video claiming to show an opened iPhone 6S and its exposed hardware.
Force Touch
The biggest change to the new iPhone 6S will be the screen - the same Force Touch technology that sits inside the Apple Watch and the new Macbook will very likely be used in the latest version of Apple's handset.How will it work? Think how a longpress works now, and you'll get some idea. One of the big ideas being touted around (originating from Marc Gurman of 9to5Mac) is that for Apple Maps: press lightly to highlight a place, then press harder to start directions there.
Extend that out and you'll see how this could be used throughout the phone: press the screen to scroll through video, press harder to skip through faster (rather than lifting your finger uncomfortably up the screen).
Other suggestions include 'hard' pressing a track to offer options to add it to a playlist, or doing the same on a link in Safari to see a web page preview.
The 'exciting' thing about this new addition is that the Force Touch used on the new iPhone (which might not even be called Force Touch, but a new moniker for the tech) will have more levels of pressure - three, rather than two.
It could even have more, depending on the level of sensitivity Apple can grant the iPhone 6S' screen - but the ways its used are going to be more interesting.
iPhone 7 concept
Here at TechRadar, we're a pretty giving bunch, so we've done Tim Cook's crew a favour and shown them how the iPhone 7 should look.Well, given it's nailed on to actually be the iPhone 6S this year, we've taken the view of improving what's already there, rather than giving it the complete overhaul we're going to see in 2016.
The big changes are quite simple: there are two cameras on the back, not for 3D pictures, but to have the ultimate HDR mode with hyper-clear sharpness.
The sides of the phone have been used to allow for stereo speakers - holding the phone in landscape mode for watching movies will leave them unencumbered for brilliant, bass-filled sound. There's also a touch sensitive panel for the volume, rather than having to mess around finding buttons - a simple slide up and down the side will save your ears.
The home button is the biggest loss, with touchID moving to the screen rather than a dedicated button. This means more space for screen real estate, with the much-needed 1080p resolution finally arriving.
Actually, that's not the biggest change: you'll note there's no headphone jack any more. This seems likely for all Apple smartphones in the future as the company aims for thinner phones, shoving the audio out of the Lightning port or over Bluetooth.
The main problem we can see is this: all this stuff will munch that battery right down, already a slight problem for the Cupertino brand. Hey, we can't solve everything...
iPhone 6S / iPhone 7 screen
The iPhone 6S will very likely remain at 4.7 inches, with a 5.5-inch iPhone 6S Plus option too and possibly even a 4.0-inch iPhone 6C model.As well as being available in a smaller size, the screen might get tougher, as rumours suggest that Apple has teamed with Foxconn to produce sapphire displays for the iPhone 6S.
Such screens were rumoured for the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, but production difficulties seemingly got in the way. Hopefully this time we actually will get them as it would bring better scratch protection and higher visibility to the screen.
The iPhone 6S could some cool innovative features if rumours are to be believed, and the big one is Force Touch. This is something we've seen on the Apple Watch and it allows the display to differentiate between different strength presses, responding in different ways.
According to Bloomberg a Force Touch iPhone 6S is already in production, while sources speaking to Apple Insider and echoed by The Wall Street Journal and China Times have previously talked about it, so it seems likely that the feature will make it across to the iPhone 6S (or possibly just the iPhone 6S Plus).
Meanwhile recent rumours suggest that while Force Touch will be present in the iPhone 6S, it won't be called Force Touch by Apple.
The same rumours also claim that Apple won't be using the ultra scratch-resistant Sapphire Glass for the iPhone 6S' screen, and will instead stick to standard ionized glass.
Sources spoke to Chinese site Feng and revealed the iPhone 6S is set to get a 1080p display whilst the iPhone 6S Plus will jump up to 2K. We'll bet the house that there won't be a 2K iPhone this year - but 1080p on the iPhone 6S could, COULD happen.
But be prepared to be disappointed there...
The rivals
As the only flagship iOS device the iPhone 6S will be in the fortunate position of not having any direct rivals. But look towards Android and it could have quite a lot of competition. The HTC One M9, LG G4, Sony Xperia Z3+ and Samsung Galaxy S6 are high end alternatives and are likely to have dropped in price considerably by the time the iPhone 6S launches.
Both also sport a premium design, making them every bit as aesthetically pleasing as the iPhone 6. Speaking of the iPhone 6, that too could be a rival, since the iPhone 6S will probably have the same look and may not have many new features.
Samsung is bound to have another Note up its sleeve, with the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 likely to be a serious iPhone 6S Plus rival.
iPhone 6S / 7 camera, battery, power and OS
iPhone 6S / iPhone 7 battery and camera
Someone who claims to work for Foxconn has revealed that the iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus will have 12MP rear cameras and support 4K video, as well as 240fps slow-motion footage.The front-facing cameras will apparently be 5MP and could also benefit from a flash, 1080p video, slow motion video and a panorama mode if hints found in the iOS 9 code are to be believed.
Yet more rumours have since emerged that also claim the iPhone 6S will have a 12 megapixel camera, an improved image processor and will be capable of shooting 4K video.
We've heard rumors of that 12MP boost before too and Apple has acquired a company which creates smartphone cameras designed to match DSLR quality, so we could also see a big jump in image quality on the iPhone 6S.
That lines up with earlier reports from Daring Fireball's John Gruber, who said the iPhone 6S will have "the biggest camera jump ever", featuring a two-lens system which apparently brings it up to DSLR quality.
There's even an outside chance that the camera might include a lens swap feature, making it even more like a DSLR, as back in early 2014 an Apple patent for swappable lenses was uncovered.
But don't hold your breath for these features, as the original two-lens rumour has had doubt cast on it by a separate source, claiming that it won't happen as it would apparently require a radical redesign of the chassis - something we're not likely to see until the following year.
The battery may be in for a boost though, as Apple is seemingly going on a hiring spree for battery-related positions.
How powerful will it be?
A leaked benchmark purports to show the iPhone 7's A9 chip in action and has it beating out the A8 by 20%-30% in both single and multi-core performance, as well as topping the Samsung Exynos 7420 for single-core, but losing out when all cores are fired.We're hearing again that Samsung is in the frame to build the chip, which will apparently be 15% smaller, 20% more powerful and 35% more power efficient than the Apple A8 processor found in the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.
It will also be better to flick around, thanks to the mooted upgrade in the specs - 2GB of RAM would certainly soup up an already zippy phone and it's an upgrade which has now been rumoured a second time and a third time, so it might well happen. That said, the obvious worry is whether developers hoovering up that extra power will cause Apple to return to its usual battery woes.
Apparently the iPhone 7 could have a new Qualcomm made LTE chip, which would both double its 4G speeds and lead to longer battery life, as the chip is more efficient than the one found in the iPhone 6.
Recently China Mobile revealed its plans for a new LTE-Advanced network, which will allow Cat 6-enabled products to use super-fast LTE-A mobile internet, and Apple was mentioned as part of the announcement.
Although Apple has not spoken about its LTE-A Cat 6 ambitions, the inclusion of its logo by China Mobile could have been an accidental reveal of Apple's plans for the iPhone 6S.
The iPhone 6S will clearly ship with iOS 9 and we know all about Apple's upcoming software now too. Expect improvements to Siri and Apple Maps, a new keyboard and battery life extending smarts among other things.
Anything else I should care about?
According to patents, we theoretically could see Apple ditch the home button, with new technology allowing the Touch ID fingerprint scanner to be integrated into the screen - but recent leaks (and common sense) says that's not going to happen.Then there's the Apple SIM, which first appeared in the iPad Air 2 and allows users to switch network without changing their SIM card. Network freedom would be great, but we're not convinced that carriers will support it.
Apple iPhone 6C
Along with the iPhone 6S and the iPhone 6S Plus there's talk that we might see an iPhone 6C. This is expected to be a comparatively budget plastic handset, much like the iPhone 5C was.It looks like the iPhone 6C will be launching at the same event as some sources are citing it'll be available concurrently with the two larger phones.
However the iPhone 6C could prove more popular as it's expected to have a 4.0-inch screen, making it not just cheaper but also smaller than this year's other iPhones.
We may already have caught a glimpse of the iPhone 6C in red and while its existence still isn't confirmed a number of rumours have pointed to one, so it's looking likely.
If the iPhone 6C does exist it's rumoured to have curved screen edges, a little like the iPhone 6, but with a design that has more in common with the iPhone 5S (or the 5C, since it looks to be plastic).
It's unlikely that the iPhone 6C will share many specs with the iPhone 6S and indeed a report from DigiTimes suggests it will ship with an A8 processor (as found in the iPhone 6) and will also include Touch ID and NFC (for Apple Pay).
iPhone 6S / iPhone 7 cost
There aren't yet any rumours associated with the cost of the iPhone 6S, but we can take an educated guess that it won't start at less than £539 / $649 / AU$999, since that's what you're looking at for an iPhone 6.The only possible exception to that is the iPhone 6C, which likely will be a little cheaper if it exists. If anything though the iPhone 6S might be even more expensive, since it's likely to be jam-packed with high-end tech.
iPhone 6S / iPhone 7: what we want to see
1. A smaller screen
For many people the iPhone 5S is the perfect size, big enough for apps but not so big you need a friend to help you carry it. If you tend to use your phone as a phone, bigger screens can be counter-productive, especially if you have small hands or just don't like holding something enormous to the side of your head.
We think an iPhone 6S or iPhone 7 with the same screen size as the 5S would be a winner, not instead of the larger models, but alongside them. The good news is rumours suggest this is exactly what we're going to get.
2. Wireless charging
Wireless charging remains one of the most frustrating technologies around, because while it's here, it works and it feels like living in the future, it isn't as widely supported as we'd like.
It's rather like Google Wallet's NFC payments in that respect: the idea's sound but maybe it needs a fruit-themed firm from Cupertino to get on board before it'll really take off. An iPhone 6S or iPhone 7 with wireless charging would be great, especially if the same charger worked for the Apple Watch too.
3. Lightning cables that don't die
Some members of the Ephemeroptera family, such as mayflies, have a lifespan of just one day. That means they last approximately eleventy billion times longer than Lightning cables.
We know that spontaneously self-harming cables should be covered by the warranty, but if the iPhone 6S and iPhone 7 Lightning cables could be toughened up to save us those trips to the Genius Bar we'd be delighted. If Apple won't give us wireless charging, it could at least eliminate the weakness in its chargers.
4. No more 16GB models
iOS 8 adoption has stalled, and we reckon it's largely because people with 16GB iPhones don't have enough free space for the 5.7GB over-the-air update and don't want to use iTunes because, well, iTunes.When your software updates are too big for your entry level products, your entry level products clearly don't come with enough storage. How about starting at 32GB for the iPhone 6S and 64GB for the iPhone 7? We can't store everything in iCloud, even when it's working properly.
5. The same camera as the iPhone 6 Plus
The iPhone 6 Plus camera takes better photos than the iPhone 6 camera because it's stabilised.
The necessary bits and pieces add a whopping 0.2mm to the thickness of the device, and we can promise Apple that the number of people who wouldn't buy an iPhone 6S or iPhone 7 because it was 7.1mm instead of 6.9mm is as insignificant as that 0.2mm difference.
6. More RAM
The current iPhones are perfectly nippy, but Safari's need to reload web pages when you've only got a few tabs open is a big clue that iOS would really like some more RAM to play with. The more stuff your phone does, such as tracking your health or communicating with your Apple watch, the more RAM it can use.64-bit apps need more RAM than 32-bit apps anyway. Thankfully the iPad Air 2 has 2GB of RAM and there's speculation that the next iPhone will as well.
7. An alternative to super SuperSlipOMinium
The iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus are made from a metal that appears to be SuperSlipOMinium, a substance so slippery that human hands simply can't grip it. That's great news for the screen replacement and third party protective case industries, but it'd be nice if holding our phones was easier than gripping a wet eel.
8. A higher resolution screen
The screens of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus deliver 326ppi and 401ppi respectively. That's pretty good, but the higher density of rival devices such as the HTC One M9's 441ppi and the Samsung Galaxy S6's 577ppi is better still. If you like big phones and tend to hold them close, you'd want that kind of pixel density in your iPhone 6S or iPhone 7.
9. Better battery life
You could make this point in the wish list for any smartphone, of course, but while the iPhone 6 Plus is comfortably ahead of its rivals in the stamina stakes the iPhone 6 isn't. That's because the Plus has more room for a significantly bigger battery, but once again we'd be willing to trade slimness for power: a 4.7-inch iPhone 6S or iPhone 7 that was slightly thicker but lasted longer would be an easy sell.The big problem with battery life, of course, is that all the other stuff on your wish list tends to affect it. Higher pixel densities can negatively affect battery life, as can using more RAM. Such changes don't necessarily have a huge impact individually, but smartphones are very tricky balancing acts: you can have extraordinary performance, incredible displays and astonishing battery life, but you can't have all three at the same time just yet.
10. Flexible displays
Never mind fighting against accusations of bendy phones. Apple should embrace them and make the iPhone 6S or iPhone 7 the bendiest smartphone the world has ever seen. We're talking flexible screens printed on plastic instead of glass, iPhones that you can bend and twist and sit on to your heart's content without any unpleasant consequences. If nothing else Apple should do it purely to annoy Samsung, who have been promising bendable smartphones for years.
iPhone 6S / iPhone 7: Concepts
We're a long way from the launch of the new iPhone, people. If you can't wait to find out what it's going to look like, well, the internet never disappoints.OK - it does if you're looking for actual accurate visuals on the next iPhone, but the concept artists have already been grinding their digital looms into action to start showing us how they think the next version should look:
The TechRadar edition
Yes, we've turned our hand to designing our dream iPhone 7 - and we're pretty chuffed with the outcome. Now all we need is for Apple to pay attention and make the damn thing!
Bring back the Nano!
A slightly older look to things, this concept by Jackson Chung uses new technology to bring the size of the iPhone back down.
With the touch sensitive panels on the side, the phone will enable a low power display to show message or app notifications without needing to waste energy firing up the battery-guzzling screen.
Plus the side controls allow for all new gaming abilities for your digits - that's an idea we can get on board with.
Sharpen up
Apparently Apple's subtle curves got it all wrong. What we need is to drop the home button (but keep the space as an homage to the logo) and then make it grippably industrial again.
The always-popular edge to edge display is out in force once more, and Jan-Willem Reusink's idea is still all about the metal. But what about the radio signal eh? That's one for Apple to work out, apparently.
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Ubisoft's theme park: 8 rides we'd love to see
Ubisoft's theme park: 8 rides we'd love to see
Ubisoft has announced plans to open a theme park in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in 2020. Unlike Nintendo, it's not just a land, this is a full blown theme park based around the franchises at one of the world's biggest game studios.
We know the company has 10,000 square meters to play with and there'll be feature rides, shows and "other attractions" based on Ubisoft franchises – but so far there's no word on the exact game titles themselves.
But they don't need to worry about that – we've come up with all the ideas ourselves.
Here's some of the rides we'd love to see and be riding at Ubisoft's very own theme park at the end of the decade.
Far Cry Blood Dragon shoot 'em up
As much as we loved Far Cry 4, the ride has to be all about Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon. You sit down in your Jeep to be thrown forward in time to the year 2007 as '80s music blares out of the speakers in your cart and you're thrust a machine gun.
You then enter the world of advanced humans, robotic T-Rex's and VHS tapes before having to shoot everything in sight. Prepare to get wet on the way around and whoever gets the top score of the day manages to walk away with their very own Cyborg Power arm.
Just Dance: The Ride
One Direction are looking for a new member after Zayne parted ways with the group (#NeverForget), and this is your chance to fill the void.
Dance your way through 1D's hits in your limousine, bust moves in front of adoring audiences at packed venues and strike poses for the paparazzi who could be round any corner!
Do you have what it takes to become the fifth member of One Direction? All you need to do is just dance.
Prince of Persia fairground ride
As it would be difficult and eye-wincing to try and re-create the Parkour elements of the game in 3D, this is a more back to basics ride.
It features feats of strength and dexterity akin to Duct Hunt and Whack-a-Mole in little games areas situated around a larger area. To traverse to the next game area, players take a walk, run or leap around a soft play walkway, with wobbly-feel wooden walkway over a cavern, lantern swing avoidance path and other forms of assault course to get to the next test of strength.
Winner gets a Jake Gyllenhaal "Look I have Abs" t-shirt and a fake plastic scimitar.
Watch Dogs ctOS controller simulator
Forget Aiden Pierce, we all know how playing as that miserable git worked out… the Watch Dogs ride would allow you to play as the real hero of the story - Stephen.
Stephen, Steve to his mates, works in ctOS HQ and has to clean up after all Pierce's antics. The ride invites you into his desk, let's you sit where Stephen once sat and look out over the city chasing down Pierce and his comrades.
Send your minions to sort out the traffic light accidents, fix the broken roads and reimburse all those poor people who have had their bank account hacked. We salute you, Stephen.
Assassin's Creed Leap of Faith rollercoaster
Welcome to the world's longest rollercoaster - we're going to need it to make it all the way from the time of the Crusades to the modern day. You enter the coaster with Altair's first ever leap of faith before flowing down through history.
Zoom through Renaissance Italy and the American Revolution, making it to the crow's nest upon the Jackdaw before diving off and surfacing in Paris in 1776. You'll then jump across the pond to Victorian England.
The only problem is keeping this ride up to date – hopefully we can add in some World War 2 and Feudal Japan sections before it opens for business.
CSI rollercoaster
Rather like a spooky hall of mirrors/London Dungeons, this ride takes you through the franchise's most famous cases. Each breakdown of the case requires you to vote on the evidence and outcome using keypads built into the carts. Kinda like a digital 'who wants to be a millionaire'. If the audience vote outcome is incorrect, another victim dies or your cart suddenly finds itself in 'jeopardy'.
We can picture it now: over in one room Grissom stands looking at maggots through a microscope, talking to Dr Robbins about what he found in the autopsy. Whilst in another Sara and Warrick argue over their conclusions for the case files.
All visuals from the game episodes are projected into the ride area as holographic images, a nod to the high-tech look of the show.
The ride fuses the story progressions and glossy visuals of the TV show with the point and click element of the games giving users interactivity as well as their favourite characters.
Ubiboft Collect-a-thon playground
Enter a scaled down map filled with hundreds of icons, pointing out collectables, side quests and more. Feel joy turn to self disgust as you run to pick up your 400th icon, only to realise that you're not really having fun, and all these collectables don't really mean anything anyway.
Watch out for some collectables which are booby trapped with messages telling you you need to download an app to collect them! Leave this attraction feeling tired, emotional, and empty inside.
Chessmaster: the world in your hands
The world is in danger. Aliens are on the brink of attacking and unless they're beaten in their favourite pastime, our planet will fall under their control for ever.
The pastime, you ask? It's chess.
Battle your way through 18 gruelling rounds of chess in a ride critics are calling "depressingly close to reality", "ball-achingly tedious" and "the worst thing since sliced bread."
You better know your Pawn from your Rook, the world is depending on you. Start the clock...
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Updated: iPhone through the ages: just how much has it changed?
The birth of Apple's superphone
It was January 2007 when Steve Jobs took to the stage of the Moscone Center in San Francisco to announce the arrival of the iPhone, which went on sale worldwide later that year.
If you find it difficult to remember that far back, Leona Lewis was number one in the UK with A Moment Like This and people were flocking to the cinema to get teary-eyed at Will Smith in The Pursuit Of Happyness.
While our pop music and movie choices may not have improved much, smartphones were changed forever: from that point on, touchscreens, apps and digital media were the way forward.
iPhone 1 (first generation)
Launched: June 2007 (US), November 2007 (UK)
Steve Jobs introduced the iPhone as three devices in one: a touchscreen iPod, a revolutionary mobile phone, and a truly mobile web browser.
Now we take touchscreens, digital media playback and web access for granted, but in 2007 the iPhone was unlike anything that had appeared before. Its 3.5-inch screen had a 320 x 480 pixel reoslution (one of the best displays of the time), with a 2MP camera built in, and up to 8GB of storage.
Third-party apps were not yet allowed on "iPhone OS". In the TechRadar review, we noted that despite several shortcomings, the phone had "changed the mobile device landscape… multitouch will prove to be a model for interfaces in the future".
iPhone 3G (second generation)
Launched: July 2008
High-speed connectivity was big news in 2008, which is why the second generation iPhone included 3G in its moniker (rather confusingly, as this was the second generation iPhone). It also brought with it a thinner shape, a plastic back and – crucially – support for the newly launched App Store.
The app store model worked so well you'll now find it replicated in everything from your smart TV to your Windows 8 laptop, and the change helped Apple's phone really start to gain traction.
We said in our iPhone 3G review that buyers would be "amazed by the function and feel of this handset". The iPhone era had begun in earnest.
iPhone 3GS (third generation)
Launched: June 2009
The iPhone 3GS upgrade was viewed as disappointingly minor at the time, but look at the detail and a different picture emerges: as well as faster performance, the new handset offered a better 3.2MP camera (that could now record video as well as take photos), extra storage options and voice control (the precursor to Siri).
The display was the same 3.5-inch 320 x 480 screen, and the device's appearance remained largely unchanged from the 3G model. TechRadar's take on the unit praised the multimedia and internet capabilities, while still finding niggles with the camera, call quality and battery life – this was the first of the more iterative updates to the iPhone, but did enough to keep users happy.
iPhone 4 (fourth generation)
Launched: June 2010
If the 3GS was a minor upgrade, the iPhone 4 was a serious step up – a new, flat design with an integrated antenna (although questions were raised about how you held the device), a high-resolution Retina display (640 x 960 pixels) that showed the rest of the world how it was done and a superior 5MP camera (featuring HD video recording), on top of internal performance improvements.
The competition was catching up, and Apple had responded in brilliant fashion. We were certainly impressed, despite some reservations about the high price, saying "It's intriguing to see record-breaking numbers queuing up to pick up this device – but after playing with it for a few days, you can see why."
iPhone 4S (fifth generation)
Launched: October 2011
Apple pulled out the "S" tag again for the fifth generation handset, indicating a minor upgrade rather than a major overhaul.
The design of the iPhone 4S was the same, but inside was Apple's new A5 processor, vastly improved graphics capabilities and an 8MP camera with 1080p video recording. iOS was evolving at the same rate as the hardware, of course, and Siri began life as an iPhone 4S exclusive.
The improvements were enough to persuade us to describe it as "the best thing Apple has ever created" in the official TechRadar review.
iPhone 5 (sixth generation)
Launched: September 2012
After six handsets, Apple finally decided it was time to tweak the iPhone's screen size and aspect ratio.
Coming in at 20% lighter than its predecessor, the 2012 iPhone adopted a 4-inch screen, running at 640 x 1136 pixels.
Otherwise, despite the usual speed bump and a stronger antenna, it was very much business as usual in terms of the design and capabilities.
Our biggest gripe in our iPhone 5 review was with the aging iOS, but with iOS 7 arriving on September 18 that issue is very much negated, which will please a number of iPhone 5 users who've been holding onto the handset for nearly a year.
iPhone 5S/5C (seventh generation)
Launched: September 2013
The big step in the seventh stage of the iPhone's evolution was the arrival of the iPhone 5C, a slightly cheaper, plastic-backed model to help battle Android in the busy mobile middle market. The signs were there already – remember Apple kept the iPhone 4 and 4S on sale during the iPhone 5 era.
Apart from the plastic shell and larger battery, though, the iPhone 5C was, in terms of specs, a carbon copy of the iPhone 5 – which was retired to make way for the two new handsets.
As for the flagship iPhone 5S, it was a case of under-the-hood improvements again: more power, a better camera, and a fancy fingerprint reader hidden under the home button. The bigger changes arrived with iOS 7, the most radical revamp of the mobile operating system since the App Store arrived back in 2008.
iPhone 6/6 Plus (eighth generation)
Launched: September 2014
After the smaller changes that came with the iPhone 5C and iPhone 5S, Apple was back to its revolutionary best with the following generation, as the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus brought the biggest alterations in design and features since the leap from the iPhone 4S to the iPhone 5.
The most striking change the eighth generation iPhones ushered in was undoubtedly the screen size, with the iPhone 6's display leaping from the iPhone 5's 4 inches to 4.7 inches. Apple also upped the resolution from the 1136 x 640 of previous iPhones to 1334 x 750. This meant that the larger screen still had a high pixel density of 326ppi (pixels per inch), so image quality was incredibly sharp and detailed.
As the name suggests, the iPhone 6 Plus went even larger, with a whopping 5.5-inch display, marking Apple's first foray into the phablet market. The iPhone 6 Plus also got a resolution boost to full high definition, 1920 x 1080. With a pixel density of 401ppi, not only does the iPhone 6 Plus have the largest screen of any iPhone ever, but it also has the clearest.
The iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus also benefit from Apple's use of "dual-domain pixels", which along with the 1300:1 contrast ratio makes the screen on the handsets look absolutely fantastic.
Both the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus also ditched the industrial and sharp-edged design that had been with the iPhone for four generations, in favour of a more ergonomically-pleasing chassis with a screen that curves into a body with rounded edges and corners.
Both handsets feature metal backs, and as we pointed out in our reviews, they take a lot of design language from the iPad Air, resulting in a product that looks and feels genuinely premium.
Another big change is that the boosted screen sizes and the corresponding increase in body dimensions have meant that the power button now resides on the right-hand side of the devices.
Along with the launch of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus Apple, released iOS 8, which kept many of the flat aesthetics of iOS 7 and ushered in some neat new features.
It wasn't a completely smooth launch, however, and after only a few months Apple has already patched it to iOS 8.1.3 in a bid to squash bugs and fix problems.
The rocky launch of iOS 8 was in stark contrast to the assured releases of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, with Apple proudly announcing that the two iPhones broke the company's records for pre-orders in the first night they were available.
iPhone 6S/7 (ninth generation)
Launching: September 2015
This brings us bang up to date, so what does Apple have in store for its next iPhone? While we don't know for sure what it's name will be, we're relatively confident we'll see the incremental iPhone 6S, rather than the entirely new iPhone 7.
As for what can you expect from Apple's ninth generation smartphone, the latest rumours suggest it'll be the thinnest iPhone yet, and there's plenty of speculation claiming we'll witness the biggest camera jump ever.
The new iPhone will almost certainly come with a new processor, most likely called the A9. Other rumours suggest Samsung will build the chip which will be 15% smaller, 20% more powerful and 35% more power-efficient than the Apple A8 processor found in the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.
Could the iPhone 6S or iPhone 7 follow in the curved screen footsteps of the Galaxy Note Edge and S6 Edge? We don't think so, but there have been rumours Apple might try something drastic with the screen.
Rumours also hint at the upcoming iPhone having a rugged sapphire display, while others say we'll also see a smaller 4-inch design in a bid to appease people who weren't too keen on the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus' increased dimensions.
Apple announced iOS 9 earlier this year, and the software is currently in its public beta phase. Going on previous iPhone/iOS launches, you can safely assume the new iPhone will arrive with Apple's latest software onboard.
After all, iOS 8 is so 2014.
- Keep an eye on our iPhone 7 release date, news and rumours article for all the latest.
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IFA 2015: Netflix: consumers don't want to download our videos
Netflix seems remarkably, perhaps professionally, unfazed by Amazon's Prime Instant Video download offering, despite the general air of positivity that's greeted its rival's recent unveiling.
When we spoke to Neil Hunt, Netflix's Chief Product Officer in the environs of IFA last week, he had a different take on the industry, still championing the streaming model as the way of the future.
"I feel like what consumers want is not the download model," Hunt told us. "What they want is the ability to consume anywhere they happen to be. And that might be on a plane, on a train, in a car or outside."
"I think the download model is fairly complex. You have to plan ahead; if you're planning for a long flight you're going to need quite a lot of storage to hold maybe several titles and a lot of time to prep that download. And I think that's challenging."
Netflix then is remaining resolutely focused on streaming over downloading, claiming there are more interesting directions to take video in rather than just shifting towards the old download standard.
"One direction we can take is our open connect servers – which is a small box, essentially a whole Netflix footprint in a little package that doesn't use much power," said Hunt. "We built those servers so we could place them inexpensively in internet exchange points and peer with the broadband networks."
"The thought experiment is what if we deployed those boxes on planes alongside or instead of the inflight entertainment system. Then you'd have Netflix streaming on a plane without requiring excessive air to ground bandwidth. It's a thought experiment that actually seems fairly practical."
Practical it may be, but with most airlines having already established inflight services it might take a lot to encourage them to add, or switch to, a Netflix system. It may have more immediacy than a pre-planned Amazon download setup for your long haul plane journey, but it's unlikely to ever be as pervasive as what you can take with you.
High-efficiency
The more interesting proposition though has Netflix signing up to the Open Codec Alliance to help develop a next-generation, high-efficiency codec for streaming on the go.
Netflix is joining forces with Facebook, Microsoft and Google to put together this royalty-free, or low-royalty, high-efficiency encoder for mobile streaming.
"What we've seen in the past few years is the energy has shifted from EVC encoding to HEVC encoding to support 4K imagery," said Hunt. "HEVC does very little for a 10cm screen – there's not a lot of efficiency gain there. We've focused our energy on trying to build the next generation of encoder that's particularly efficient for small screens and very low bandwidth."
If the level of data required to get a good video streaming experience over a mobile network isn't suddenly going to destroy your data plan, or your wallet, then that could be a much more intriguing proposition than the download model.
"The stretch goal I would like to achieve is a decent picture on a 10cm screen at 250kbps," said Hunt. "That suddenly begins to put a typical Netflix consumption pattern – 30-40 hours a month – within reach of a mobile plan."
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Review: Runtastic Orbit review
Intro, screen, battery and build quality
The Runtastic Orbit entered a busy market in July 2014, as a host of brands from Garmin to Samsung to Huawei put out a tracking band at around the same time.The Runtastic Orbit landed at a key time, about a year after the frontrunners like the Fitbit Flex, but just before the faster brands spun out second-generation products. So a year after launch, and a few price drops later - to about £80/$70 - how does the Runtastic Orbit stack up?
Screen and battery life
The screen, according to Runtastic, is an OLED number, measuring about 14mm square. You hit the single silver button to experience the off-white-on-black OLED dot matrix display.
It's bright enough indoors, but outdoors it's not only tiny, but so washed out as to be all but useless. The fact that the company's logo is slapped beneath it like a sticker that needs removing doesn't add much to the experience, either.
Battery life is claimed to be 'up to 7 days', which based on my using but not charging the band for over a week or so, seems about right.
Build, comfort and strap
Runtastic has ingeniously created a range of accessory straps and pedometer-style pods for the Orbit device. Like a Fitbit Flex or a Samsung Gear, the screen unit pops out to allow your sense of personal style to take over in choices of strap (as long as it's one of the six mandated colours). I landed the standard black and blue straps, and they're a little underwhelming.
The strap is a slightly hard, rubberised texture that doesn't telegraph quality to your senses. That said, I've not had any mysterious allergy rashes from wearing it over a week.
The strap is fastened with a double stud arrangement that skewers the strap in a way that's identical to Samsung's Band. It's a simple system that works well in practice, especially given the super-lightweight mass of this device, a mere 24 grams in band mode and 18 grams in pedometer pod mode.
Run and step tracking, and the Runtastic app
Run and step tracking
The point of the Runtastic Orbit is to track your movement, and as a general 'wellness' band it's pretty strong. It logs steps, active minutes, sleep and ambient lighting (in your room while asleep) fairly accurately, distance and calories burned not so accurately, and there are optional inactivity vibration alerts to spur you into action.There's enough storage to track these stats for 7 days before syncing with an app - and as noted, 7 days is also the quoted battery life.
However, Runtastic is primarily a run-tracking brand (the clue's in the name) yet it's on the running front that the Orbit is a let-down.
Tracking arm movements is less useful for monitoring running, and there's no built-in GPS, so the Orbit calls on the power of the Runtastic running app, syncing seamlessly over Bluetooth to bring up your in-run stats.
Put simply, the app is using the device as a second screen. What Runtastic calls Orbit Connect. It's not a bad idea, but the execution is a different matter.
I tested the app on a Samsung S6 - Android, iOS and Windows Phone are all supported - and using the phones GPS and Exynos processor got handy distance, time, calories, current/average pace and average speed on the screen at a press of a button each. There's also the option to display heart rate if you've synced a compatible pulse monitor.
The good news is that the screen locks to the item you leave it on, so you don't have to keep scrolling round in a loop to keep an eye on your distance. The bad news is that you can barely see it.
The Orbit is simply mirroring a limited version of the app's data set, which is in turn using your phone's considerable tracking abilities. The app also has a load of functionality that the Orbit lacks, including automatic voice prompts after each kilometer or mile plus a range of voice coaching options, if you sign up for the Pro package. If you run with headphones plugged into your phone you'll get pace information audibly, again meaning you don't have to peer at the Orbit.
And that's just as well.
The Runtastic Pro's screen is tiny, and in direct sunlight it washes out almost entirely, making it almost impossible to read on the move. I found myself stopping mid-run to read the display in testing, which is far from ideal. It's hard to see why you'd try and use this as a serious training tool on the move.
In addition, there's no heart rate tracking involved in this setup, which is pretty essential for anything like serious training. Runtastic's Bluetooth HR belt is under £40 and fills this gap, and you can use any other third-party Bluetooth HR chest strap. The Orbit will then display the pulse stats that are piped into the app, as mentioned above. But again, you can barely see them on the watch.
App
You're probably getting the message that this product is all about the app, and as we've said above, Runtastic's core running app is an excellent effort, delivering a full-featured running data experience for free or £5/$6 for Pro.Another option is an annual subscription (£42.99), which gives you the Runtastic Pro app, an enhanced Runtastic Me app and more powerful online tools. These training plans, which cover a good range, from sub 3.30 marathons down to sub-5k runs, plus the ever-so-slightly sexist 'bikini body prep' plan.
Also covered by the annual sub is free access to Runtastic's 'story runs' (otherwise available as in-app purchases in free/Pro). These are themed audiobooks around 40 minutes long, designed to make interval training fun, in a similar way to Zombies, Run!
Backed by the app's tracking abilities this is a strong offering for enlivening otherwise dull, winter training trudge-fests. Pro also allows you to challenge your last time on a specific route, such as your run home, so you can endlessly compete with yourself.
Even in the basic free app you get mapping, distance, pace, average and max speed as well as elevation gain/loss. There's plenty of social sharing options, as well as a leaderboard to get some friendly rivalry going. There's also an option to sync a Bluetooth Smart heart rate monitor to add in the all-important HR stats.
If you're looking to sync a Runtastic Orbit with the Runtastic main app you'll need another app - Runtastic ME - to bridge the gap to the hardware, for some reason. With both apps installed you'll be able to get the stats flowing from one to t'other. Once you've managed this multiple-app scenario, the experience is pretty seamless. As I mentioned, the Orbit becomes a second screen for the Runtastic app, albeit one that's hard to see.
All controls are with the app, demoting the Orbit's button to a screen on/off button. The Runtastic Me app meanwhile deals with the step counting (default target: 8,000), calories burned and sleep metrics.
The step counting tracker is better than many, but don't expect to be able to check the display, walk 10 steps and see the figure increase by 10; it's just not that accurate. Over the course of a day, it gives results that feel about right, which is in line with most other step counters, to be honest.
The sleep tracker needs to be manually triggered by a long press on the Orbit's button, which after the first day is easily forgotten. It's slim enough to be worn through the night though, unlike some. The graphs of activity and sleep are pretty enough, but how useful they are is… Debatable.
Additional features and verdict
Additional features
It's a neat trick, but in our case merely confirmed that a day of office work isn't very good for your light levels. There are no smart notifications here; the Orbit is a slave device for a specific smartphone app, not your smartphone as a whole.
We liked
The Runtastic app is really rather good: download it now, if you haven't already. The ingenious multi- straps let you switch from pedometer to band, making the Runtastic Orbit the Optimus Prime of budget tracking bands. The battery life is excellent, too.We disliked
The screen is all but useless, being hard to read outside while stationary, and impossible while running. The build quality in general is hardly awe-inspiring, come to that.Verdict
The Runtastic Orbit is a fairly ridiculous device. It's supposed to work as a second screen for your phone when using the Runtastic app. So you can't leave your phone at home when running. But you can barely SEE said screen, so what's the point of that, then?It does serve as a decent 'fitness band', but for pure running it's just too lightweight in terms of the data it shows, and the screen means it barely 'shows' anything anyway.
The similarly-priced Garmin Forerunner 15 is far more capable, and another 20 notes would get you the Polar M400 with a heart rate belt, which is a package that's on a different planet to the Orbit in terms of ability.
For fans of the Runtastic app who want a companion device we'd suggest the sub-£40 Runtastic Bluetooth HR belt, which as well as being cheaper will add in those missing HR stats.
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iPhone 6S camera specs: what megapixels and features are coming?
The iPhone 6 camera is actually rather good – the 8MP sensor size doesn't sound like much, but a strong performance coupled with a multi-million dollar 'Shot on iPhone' campaign have embedded it in public conciousness as a 'good' camera.
So it might come as a surprise that Apple's reportedly planning to upgrade the camera sensors in the front and back of the iPhone 6S.
We're talking a 12MP sensor on the rear, with a much-upgraded 5MP snapper on the front, a big boost from the 1.2MP option on there now.
4K-ing great
The selfie camera would have the ability to fire the display to maximum brightness to provide a sort of illumination for the photo, something that LG experimented with on the G3 (although seems to have lost interest in).It'll be intriguing to see how Apple works this, as while being able to make the screen brighter to act as a flash seems like a good idea you won't be able to see the snap you're taking.
Apple's also going to do something a bit crazy too, and this perhaps falls lower down on the rumor scale: adding in 4K video recording to its camera.
This is a relatively new feature from Sony, Samsung, LG and friends, and really doesn't really add a lot beyond something to add to the spec sheet – something Apple's traditionally shied away from.
- Everything we know about the iPhone 6S
4K video would likely take up about 350MB of space on the phone per minute of recording, so Apple would need a way to expand that somehow – talk of a free iCloud service seems plausible, but would need a heck of a lot of bandwidth to keep it backed up and available when the user required it.
It seems certain that Apple's about to upgrade the camera on the iPhone 6S, both front and back and for video, but whether it's all warranted remains to be seen.
- Time to get saving - here's all the info on the iPhone 6S price
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This is the phone Sony's Z5 Compact should have been
Sony'a newly-launched smartphone range included the Xperia Z5 Compact last week, a smaller version of the the Xperia Z5 and Xperia Z5 Premium - but Sony doesn't seem to think it did well enough.
Rumours suggest an Xperia Z5 Premium Compact is coming to Japan soon, packing the sort of features we'd rather the current Compact had launched with, as it only had a 720p screen and smaller battery than its brothers.
The Premium Compact will feature a 4.6-inch Full HD display, 4GB of RAM and a slightly larger battery at 2900mAh. That's paired with the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 chipset, 23MP rear facing camera and 5.1MP front facing camera as we saw on the Xperia Z5 Compact.
Why the wait?
That's all spec we'd like to have seen in the original Xperia Z5 Compact instead of a slightly lacklustre screen resolution and 2GB of RAM.It's no wonder Sony is working on a higher spec version of the Xperia Z5 Compact, but this is going to be a more expensive device, and the Japanese brand needs to hit a certain price point for the it's smaller handset.
There's no word of an official release this may turn out to be an elaborate hoax but it wouldn't be a big surprise if Sony put Japan, a key market for the company, ahead of the rest of the west.
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New Nexus 6 set to top predecessor with fancy fingerprint scanner
With the rumoured release of the Nexus 6 (2015) on September 29 leaks are coming thick and fast about the upcoming phablet. A new set of images claiming to be of a protective case for the device apparently confirms the inclusion of a fingerprint scanner on the back.
With Android 6.0 Marshmallow putting fingerprint scanning front and centre, and Huawei – the rumoured manufacturer of the Nexus 6 (2015) – putting fingerprint scanners in its latest smartphones, it wouldn't be much of a surprise to see the new Nexus 6 do what the previous version didn't and include biometric security.
While the inclusion of a fingerprint scanner is good news, the images – which were posted by renowned leaker @OnLeaks on Twitter – also show a bulge where the camera will be located.
Battle of the bulge
This elevated section of the body, which is rumoured to protrude about 1.9mm, gives the Nexus 6 (2015) a distinctive look, though it's not one that everybody is fond of.Although the bulge isn't to everyone's tastes, we'd like to imagine that the reason Huawei is going for this unconventional design is because it'll be packing some pretty exciting camera tech in the new handset, and hopefully we won't have long to find out if the bulge is worth it.
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Hands-on review: IFA 2015: Acer Predator 8
A dose of gaming comes with any tablet. It's part of the territory, but few tablets say they're made specifically for games above all else. That's the Acer Predator 8's bag, as part of the Predator series.
Under this black and red umbrella you'll find real top-end gaming laptops like the Predator 17, as well as more accessible devices like this tablet and the Predator 6 Android phone. Extra gamer abilities here include vibration feedback and an unusually beefy speaker array. However, at its heart this is just a good old Android tablet with a gaming twist.
You'll be able to get hold of the Predator 8 for around 349 Euro or $400, which equates to around £260 in a currency conversion.
Love it or hate the look, there's no mistaking the Acer Predator 8 for a plain, classy tablet. Even Acer described the design as "super-aggressive".
Decked out in red, silver and black, and with pretty striking lines, the Predator 8 is sure to turn as many people off as it attracts. Have a look yourself, see what you think.
In more practical terms, the design seems reasonable enough. The shell is mostly plastic, but there's a plate of brushed metal on the back to give that touch of a more expensive style.
The Acer Predator 8 element that really hits you when you look at the tablet face-on is the speaker array. There are four drivers, one at each corner of the tablet's face. For the sake of the other people around us at IFA 2015, where the thing was announced, we didn't crank the volume. But Acer says the Predator Quadio speakers make it the "loudest gaming tablet on the planet".
In other words, it's louder than the Nvidia Shield Tablet. Or had better be.
The speakers make the silhouette of the Predator 8 pretty odd, but it doesn't seem to affect handling. It's a pretty skinny and light tablet too at 8.6mm thick and around 350g. Neither stat is remarkable, but you're not going to get arm ache from holding the thing up one-handed for five minutes.
Acer's other gaming hardware optimisation is vibration feedback, basically meaning there are similar motors inside to those that make your phone buzz. While Acer has worked with mobile gaming maestro Gameloft on this, it still boils down to the odd bit of vibrate in games like Asphalt 8. It's nothing too special, although we'd be happy to be converted once we get to play with the tablet a bit more.
Has Acer put a bit too much of a focus on the flimsy gaming extras? Well, there's some argument for that in the screen.
The Acer Predator 8 has an 8-inch Full HD screen. That may sound fine, but at this price you can get the Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4, which gets you a QHD screen. Even its follow-up the Tab S2 is meant to cost roughly the same amount.
into some elements of the screen's calibration. Acer says the Predator 8 can deliver 100 per cent of the NTSC colour gamut, meaning it has very deep shades of any colour you could name.
However, in person it looks a bit oversaturated, lacking some of the natural appearance of an iPad Air 2, for example. After playing with the Predator 8 we heard that there are options to tone down the colours a bit too, though. Fingers crossed they'll tame this beast.
Running the operation is an Intel Atom x7-8700 CPU, the same used in the Microsoft Surface 3. It's the fastest tablet CPU out there, and it seems unlikely that some of the most challenging Android games will have been as well-optimised for it as for the top Snapdragon GPUs.
get with top-end rivals: shiny wet pavements galore. With any luck the Predator 8's gaming chops should be largely the same as those of a Snapdragon high up the range. It doesn't beat the Shield Tablet's Tegra K1, though.
There's 2GB RAM on-board, which is generally enough to get you good experience from the Android 5.1 software used here. Storage is solid too, with either 32GB or 64GB on-board, plus a microSD slot to let you load it up even further.
Early Verdict
The Acer Predator 8 is a strange tablet. It positions itself as a gaming tablet, but really all tablets are gaming tablets. The quad-speaker array really needs to impress to lend a bit more weight to its cred.And while the design makes it firmly part of the Predator 8 family, we imagine many of you would prefer a slightly plainer look, one that won't compound the odd looks you might already get for playing Asphalt 8 on the bus. That said, despite all reservations it appears to have everything needed for a good tablet experience.
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New Canon sensor records 30 times the quality of 4K
Megapixels aren't the be all and end all when it comes to photography (the sensor size and lens quality is more important) but they certainly don't hurt - and Canon just set the bar higher than ever with a new 250-megapixel APS-H sensor.
The APS-H refers to the physical size of the sensor: it's a little bit larger than the sensors on consumer DSLRs and a little bit smaller than the sensors in professional top-end models. In other words, Canon has done a clever job of packing all these megapixels into such a tiny space.
Open up a 250-megapixel photo on your computer and you can zoom and zoom and zoom into the tiniest of details. Take a video, and the frame size would be 30 times that of 4K - a rather impressive benchmark.
Pixels aplenty
You'd need to pair this with a seriously advanced (and expensive) lens to take advantage of all those megapixels but on a technical level it's another notable breakthrough in the world of digital photography.With a picture size of 19,580 x 12,600 pixels, Canon says you could distinguish the lettering on the side of an aeroplane from about 11 miles away. According to the company the sensor uses "enhanced signal-processing technology" to reduce the noise you would otherwise see on such a big image.
It's likely to be a long time before a sensor like this makes it into your prosumer digital camera, but Canon says the new technology could be used for "specialised surveillance and crime prevention tools, ultra-high-resolution measuring instruments and other industrial equipment, and the field of visual expression."
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Apple's iPhone 7 looks set to be ridiculously thin
The iPhone 6S is likely coming on Wednesday this week, but we're already hearing news of the iPhone 7 and it sounds like it may be the thinnest phone from the company so far.
Ming-Chi Kuo, a KGI Securities analyst has said in a note to investors that they predict the next iPhone is going to be between 6.0 and 6.5 millimeters thick.
While analyst stories are usually based on very little fact, Kuo has a decent track record of predictions for Apple products, noting the new 128GB variant of the iPhone 6 and various iPad rumours too.
If that turns out to be true that'd make the iPhone 7 potentially as thin as the current iPod Touch and the iPad Air 2 that are currently 6.1 millimeters thick right now.
A whole year to go
That won't mean an end to force touch technology though as Kuo said, "Apple and its suppliers have invested heavily in iPhone force touch in 2015 and we believe 2016 new models will stick with a similar force touch structure as used in 2015."It's expected the iPhone 7 is going to be a big change from the iPhone 6 design but the upcoming iPhone 6S is sure to have the same design with some major changes to the internals.
We're expecting a new camera and the A9 processor to be introduced alongside the introduction of Force Touch.
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Hands-on review: IFA 2015: Acer Predator 17
Unveiled at IFA 2015, the Acer Predator 17 is a top-end gaming laptop, one set to sit among the most expensive and capable portable(ish) systems of 2016. It's a pretty important machine.
It's going to duke it out with the Asus ROG G752 as one of the biggest-name machines from the next wave, laptops that pack-in Intel's sixth-generation 'Skylake' Core processors. For an early preview of whether it has a chance at the gaming laptop crown, we took a closer look at the machine during IFA 2015.
Design and Features
The Acer Predator 17 is an unashamed gaming laptop. Unlike some of the recent systems we've looked at, it doesn't try to be remotely slim or light, instead letting its body bloom out with big heat outlets and a bold design featuring plenty of Predator series's staple red highlights.
One part that really comes to define the look is the great big heat grille on the back, pretty similar to what you see on the back of the Asus G751: one of the top gaming laptops of the moment.
Like most laptops in this class, the body is made mostly from plastic rather than the metal you get from a skinny Ultrabook, but from a quick feel the Acer Predator 17 seems as well-made as you'd hope. After all, with a top-end spec this laptop will end up eye-wateringly expensive.
Little extras to note include the three-zone keyboard backlight, letting you set the side macro buttons and the keypad to light-up with different colours to the main keys. The Acer Predator 17's macro keys are arranged in a column to the left of the keyboard. As ever you'll be able to program them as you like.
Much more unusual, though, is the hot-swappable drive on the left side of the Acer Predator 17. If you need an optical drive, that's fine: you can get one. However, CoolerMaster has also made a special cooling insert that contains another fan, designed to keep the heat down if you're really going to push the graphics card for a good long while. Acer calls it the Predator FrostCore.
The hardware isn't gamer-centric just in its look. There are also highlighted W/A/S/D and directional buttons on the keyboard, plus a dedicated 'trackpad off' button below if you're going to use a 'proper' mouse. Left with the trackpad? The Acer Predator 17 sensibly uses clearly defined buttons with a fairly deep action rather than ones integrated into the pad.
Just as the Acer Predator 17 will ideally be used with a mouse, you'll probably want to plug in a headset for the best audio experience. However, it also has a reasonably impressive, on paper at least, speaker array too. It has four mid/treble drivers and two subwoofers, which sit on the underside of the laptop, and are highlighted in Predator-classic red.
We can't tell you whether it sounds any good, as a technology show floor is no place for judging audio quality. We'll save that for the full review.
Aside from the annual spec upgrades you get with a new wave of laptops, the most exciting part of the Acer Predator 17 is its screen. As the name implies, it has a 17.3-inch screen.
What's so interesting is that Acer says the display's configuration will go up to 4K resolution. That's not when outputting to a monitor, but the resolution of the panel itself. Until now pretty much all 17-inch gaming laptops have had 1080p screens, simply because higher-resolution panels at 17.3 inches are not available.
It's finally time for true high-res, large screen gaming on the go. Of course, you shouldn't expect the Acer Predator 17's battery to last more than an hour or so when actually playing games.
Sadly, Acer was not actually showing off the 4K version of the Predator 17 when we had a look the machine. It was the plain old 1080p version we saw, but there is nothing in particular to complain about in quality terms. The colours are vivid, the display finish super-practical matt rather than glossy, and contrast seems to be strong. As with sound, we'll leave the conclusions to our review, though.
The prospect of a 4K display is what makes this laptop, and indeed other upcoming laptops in this class, particularly exciting. With the top specs heading the Acer Predator 17's way, it should not struggle to cope with games at this resolution.
The top-end model will use a GeForce GTX 980M CPU, 64GB RAM, a 6th-generation Intel Core i7 CPU (i7-6700HQ) and 512GB SSD storage. While the performance may not prove a gigantic improvement over the top 'current' 2015 gaming laptops, this is by some margin the most serious gaming laptop we've seen from Acer. The Predator series really turbo charges what the company offers for gamers, if not those after the cheap deals Acer so often comes up with.
Early verdict
In the US, the $1499 entry-level price tells you it'll start off with significantly lower-end specs, for those not ready to spend masses on their gaming laptop. In Europe the entry-level price is 1799 Euro, suggesting the spec floor there may be slightly higher. The exact specs and prices of the Acer Predator 17 remain to be seen, but from an early look this model has the potential to become one of the most desirable high-end laptop families out there.
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Missing link: New Bose SoundLink around-ear wireless headphones land
While "around-ear" still sounds strange as an alternative to over-ear to us (what, is there a hole in the middle of each can for our ears to stick through?), Bose has announced the Australian arrival of its new SoundLink around-ear wireless headphones II, promising "a whole new kind of wireless experience."
That's probably overselling what's on offer, but Bose' new wireless cans still appear to be packing some decent audio kit.
The first thing that catches our eye is the 15-hour battery life. While it's not as impressive as the 24 hours on offer from the Plantronics BackBeat Pro, it should still be more than enough to keep that dreaded dead battery from rearing its ugly head – as a comparison the Parrot Zik 2.0's are much pricier and only offer six hours.
Link and you'll miss it...
The SoundLinks also come packing NFC tech, so simply tapping your NFC-enabled device of choice to the right ear-cup should have them paired without messing around with Bluetooth settings. Of course if NFC isn't an option for you, Bluetooth is always there as a backup.The cans also enable you to switch between music and phone calls without touching your phone, and they feature voice prompts (in 11 languages for the multilingual out there) telling you who's calling, which device you're currently connected to, and how much battery life you have left.
The new SoundLinks will set you back $379, while the first generation of cans will remain available for $349.
- Looking for a wired option? Check out our Bose SoundTrue review.
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