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The S5: A Threat to the 5S

The battle continues between two of the most popular smartphone manufacturers in the world, Samsung and Apple. The competition keeps getting tougher as new releases are launched. The iPhone 5C and the 5S surprised a lot of people and impressed quite a number of critics, but when rumors about the S5 being released in April are abound, I’m starting to wonder how long Apple can stay on top of its competition.

Of course we still do not know how the S5 will actually look like but we know that leaks are pretty much on the spot so we all are getting quite excited if the rumors are true.

The iPhone 5S’ design is truly spectacular with its aluminum body that feels very premium and you just know once you hold it in your hands that it is really top of the line. The S5, however, is rumored to have a metal chassis that will be a very capable opponent to the 5S’ design.

Now when it comes to the camera, the S5 looks as if it’s also going to rival its predecessor, the S4 with a 16MP snapper. The iPhone has always got a great camera and the 5S 8MP is not lacking anything, but why stick to that if you can have 16MP with other additional built-in camera features? Couple that up with an even better screen resolution and there’s really not much of a reason to stick to the 5S anymore, is there?

Sure, there is still the processor, but if what we’re hearing is true that the Samsung S5 will pack a 64-bit processor with about 3 or 4 GB of RAM, then there’s really going to be an easy switch for a lot of people.

The 5S is enjoying the limelight now, as it is still the best iPhone to date and probably the most premium looking smartphone in the market. With Samsung dominating the Android market though, it won’t be long before this Korean giant topples the Cupertino mogul. These two companies have been in the battle of the best for the longest time and each scores a point against the other now and then. However, a lot of people felt that, even though packed with great features, the 5S fell behind expectations and that is why Apple fans were not too keen on the upgrade. Samsung’s rumored S5 however will have great specs that make even its predecessor small. This is the kind of improvement people are looking for now. We want something that will be worth our money if we are to upgrade to something time and again. A feature or two or an improved resolution will not be enough for my money’s worth I must say, but with a camera that is almost doubled in pixel resolution, a RAM that promises really smooth multi-tasking operations and a design is as premium as the other, there is a big interest in the switch here for me. Whether the S5 will measure up to expectations or not is still a verdict we have to wait for until its release. All we can do now is to hope that another great smartphone will be born soon.

Nokia Normandy Android Leaked Images

Check 21

With the hope of speeding up the whole process of cheque payments, a new law has been passed by the government to allow the acceptance of cheque photos uploaded through an app. This means that people in the UK will now be able to use an electronic copy of their cheque or an image capture of it from their smartphone to pay electronically instead of going to the bank.

This process has been used in other countries for the past couple of years and it is to much relief that it will now be available in Britain as well. Barclays is said to spearhead the move around April of this year, followed by a good number of banks that will enable the wide use of this process before the end of 2014.

Check 21 will indeed make it a lot easier for everyone. Hopefully, the transition will go smoothly because this would prove to be a very convenient thing for, well, anybody who’s busy.

Top 5 SmarPhones 2014 - Video Review

Has Nokia Failed to Catch Up with the Big Boys

Nokia handsets bring a bit of nostalgia. We all remember the very likeable mobile phones that this Finnish phone manufacturer has made popular back in the late 90s, the familiar interface, the stylish designs and even the interchangeable covers that we have come to love. Nokia has brought actual mobile phones to the world and although there is a good deal of people who have flirted with Siemens and Sony Ericson, they still go back to the beloved Nokia handsets. With a drop of the hat, we all went for the upgrade to the latest model, especially when the N series came out. 

This is not the case anymore though.

The age of smart phones has come a few years back but it looks like Nokia is failing to catch up even until today. Nokia is slowly stepping out of the limelight, it seems like, even though it keeps trying to come up with a device that could be a worth opponent to the giants of the smartphone industry like Samsung and Nokia.

Nokia’s Lumia line boasts of smartphones that are budget friendly. Created with Windows OS, Lumia models almost had it all at a good price. Unfortunately, none of those measure up to iPhones or Galaxies. At least, that’s what I believe and quite a big number of the people I know, as well as other reviews, news and pretty much quite a bit of statistics.

It is unfortunate that this has to happen to a great cellphone manufacturer, especially that their phones’ cameras are outstanding. Nokia has made its mark on this world and I’m still hoping that someday, it will still be able to create another innovation that could put them back to the spotlight. There’s even a rumor going around that Nokia will soon release an Android phone. Then again, there is another rumor about Microsoft planning to buy Nokia so what we need to do is wait and see what happens. You can get the latest mobile phone reviews on www.planetmobiles.eu

Till then, I’m sticking with my current smartphone.

The Dawn of Smart Watches

Nowadays, more and more watches are offering more functionality that simply just showing the time. Smart watches are now considered wearable computers as they let you perform calculations, translations, music playback, and run apps. Some smart watches even let you take pictures from your phone and would even let you take and make phone calls. 

I used to ignore smart watches whenever there is a mention of one somewhere. I was thinking that it’s just another gimmick from tech giants to make a lot of money from a useful but totally unnecessary gadget. But now that I am seeing more relevant functions and realizing how easy it makes life, for example when you’re out for a run and your watch lets you measure your heartbeat, I have come to appreciate this innovation.

Sony, Samsung and other smartphone developers have already launched their own version of the smart watch and quite a bit of upgrades are coming out as well. Apple will soon launch its own and many Apple fans are anticipating how innovative that is going to be.

2013 was said to be the year of the smart watch and there have been a lot of advancement with this gadget during that time. What’s more exciting is to see what developments there will be this year. One thing is clear, those things we wear on our wrists will change. We expect it of course to be a completely amazing device that lets us do all sorts of things without the constant charging or the heavy weight in our pockets.

I guess we all just have to sit back, relax and wait to see who wins the battle of the best smart watch.

Apple’s Bits

 Whether or not Apple is faring well on its latest releases is still a question that cannot be clearly answered at the moment. One thing we know though, the 5c, 5s, the iPad air and the iPad mini 2 have not made as much buzz as their predecessors. 

We know Apple as a company that has led innovations in the smartphone and technology industry over the past several years but it seems as though with the passing of Steve Jobs, the Cupertino giant is struggling to keep the lead against competitors.

Let’s take a look at Apple’s latest releases one by one.

5C

Although the colors are so nicely attractive, there still seems to be a great deal of new specs missing on the 5C and this is probably a reason we still don’t see it around as often as the older iPhones at the same age of release. Don’t get me wrong though, the actual specs of this phone is pretty impressive. It’s just it’s lacking of some innovation worthy of an upgrade. I was kind of thinking that those who still use the iPhone 4S would consider upgrading in to the 5C, considering that this is also a cheaper option than the 5S but I know a lot of people still sticking with the 4S.

5S

The fingerprint technology on the 5S was expected to be a game changer, at least at the drawing board. In real life though, not many Apple or non-Apple fans were impressed by this innovation. The cat’s paw that unlocked the 5S did not help the company sell the latest elite phone of its line. Funny as it may seem, it is rather disturbing to hear that kind of news. But there is actually more to the story than that. Of course, like a fingerprint, the cat’s paw had to registered into the iPhone 5S’ system for it to be recognized for security unlock. Unfortunately, there seems to be real need for this type of high-end security on smartphones. If there were, the 5S would have topped the charts for past and present smartphone sales.

iPad Air

Of course it’s no wonder that the iPad Air is the best tablet yet to date. It’s also the most attractive to say the least. Check the reviews about it and you will be pretty impressed. But has it made record-breaking sales since its release? I doubt it. Those who have purchased it are completely amazed by its performance but unfortunately; they are not that many to make a big impact. It’s just been a couple of months since the release so let’s see if iPad fanatics will go for the upgrade or just stick to the ones they currently have. As for me, I still like the convenience of my mini, plus the screen is also great.

iPad Mini 2

This one is another great product from Apple but still a bit pricey to be considered for an upgrade if you already own an iPad Mini. The only big difference it has with its predecessor is the Retina display, which is awesome if you have a deep pocket. Most of us don’t, so expectedly; many iPad Mini fans are sticking to the previous model. The second mini was not even announced with a bang, unlike the other Apple products. Come to think of it, neither was the iPad Air, if we are comparing it to other releases.

The current status of Apple’s latest products seems to not be as popular as the old models. I am guessing that many people feel like Apple fell short on expectations this time around. Now there’s a rumor going around about the iPhone 6 that will be released this year. There’s a lot of anticipation and expectations going on about it but we’re really hoping that this new model will have new features that’s worth of the upgrade and of course the price.