Think of the best smartphone movies and, at best, you'll be imagining that video you once took of your drunken friends trying to push over a cow before falling into a ditch. At least it was in HD.

But you should realise that your smartphone is silently weeping, hating you for not realising the untapped potential in its high power video camera, as quality and affordability have now aligned in such a way that almost anyone can become a filmmaker.

Don't believe us? Just look at the number of smartphone film festivals that have popped up, from Festival Pocket Films in France, to the iPhone Film Festival and Mobil Film Festival in America and the Olleh International Smartphone Film Festival in South Korea. All of these and more are dedicated to films shot largely or entirely on smartphones.

And filmmakers have already found some success in the field. The first feature length smartphone film, 'SMS Sugar Man', was shot back in 2007 on a Sony Ericsson W900i and since then there have been several other full length movies and numerous shorts and music videos.

These include 'Olive', which was shot on a Nokia N8 with a 35mm zoom lens and was the first ever smartphone film to get a cinema release.

Also of note is Park Chan-wook's 'Night Fishing' short, which was shot on an iPhone 4 and won the Golden Bear for Best Short Film at the 61st Berlin International Film Festival and 'Departure', a film shot on iPhones by three different directors in three different countries.

There's clearly an appetite for using the medium of a smartphone to create a feature length piece of cinematic glory, but surely a 'proper' camera makes more sense?

Power within

It might seem weird to think that a filmmaker would choose a mobile for their movie, particularly someone established like Park Chan-wook, who's better known for his award winning revenge thriller 'Oldboy', but with the phones we have today it's not that much of a surprise.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 for example can shoot 1080p video at 60fps or 2160p video at 30fps and soon more phones are likely to have 4K cameras, allowing for higher quality videos across a range of handsets.

Indeed Ruben Kazantsev, the co-founder of the iPhone Film Festival, thinks that this isn't a fad created just because the technology is there.

"Smartphone film making is here to stay," he told us emphatically. "We have been running IFF for over three years now and each year the films get better and better. So as the technology changes so will the quality of the films."

There are real advantages to shooting on a phone too. For one thing, it's a lot cheaper than conventional camera equipment, and it also opens up the medium to a gigantic number of wannabe directors as manufacturers have smuggled this high-power tech into your pocket, removing the barrier for entry.

Not only does that empower almost anyone to be a film maker, but it also makes it easier to counter equipment problems on set. Kazantsev, also a producer on the smartphone film 'Departure', highlighted an issue that only a smartphone could have solved:

"During our filming of departure we had a warehouse space for a limited time and we were down to the last scene with 20 minutes left.

"As we were getting ready to start filming I noticed my hard drive was full and had no time to download the footage to make room, since we had 20 minutes left.

"So I asked our crew 'who has an iPhone?' and almost everyone popped one out of their back pockets. If we did not have the backup cameras/smartphones we would have never gotten the last shot."

Filming on a phone also allows more risks to be taken as there's less money at stake. And because of their size and portability, smartphones can film almost anywhere, which potentially allows for shots that a traditional camera couldn't get.

A smartphone film called 'Goldilocks' included a scene where a phone was put in a ziplock bag, then placed in a glass and had wine poured on it while filming. If you're feeling a little more flush with cash, solid state microSD cards can be fitted to phones and flung around to get some truly amazing shots – you might smash the phone, but the footage will survive.

Smartphones also allow for more opportunistic filming, allowing you to capture moments that would otherwise be lost because you didn't have your video camera with you, used more often than you'd imagine in professionally produced films.

Of course there are downsides too. Susan Botello, the person behind the Mobil Film Festival, laments the lack of storage space on phones, telling us that "a phone with a great camera for video [but] low space makes it worthless."

She also argues that most phones have a horrible microphone and that the handling of low light situations needs to improve – elements which are being focused on quickly by the likes of HTC, Nokia and Apple with multiple microphones with dual membranes to improve sound quality, and massively upgraded low light sensors in cameras.

Other issues include the fact that the battery will be drained quickly when filming and ideally you'll probably still want to invest in some other equipment, such as lights, microphones and a tripod.

These issues and more mean that smartphone films haven't yet hit the mainstream. They're still fairly few and far between and the need for smartphone-specific film festivals demonstrates that they're not always comparable to more conventional films.

That isn't necessarily a bad thing. These festivals give mobile film "a platform which is a parallel to the traditional industry and open a door to film makers who use smartphones to shoot" according to Botello.

And in their very nature smartphones are going to attract independent and guerrilla film makers. Those who are unable or unwilling to work within the system and who can't afford the major expenses of a standard film.

This leads to unique projects that perhaps wouldn't be seen in mainstream cinema, such as Luke Geissbuhler's 'Space Balloon' short, which involves an iPhone being shot into space and then falling back down to earth, all while filming.

Source : techradar[dot]com

LG has offered the first indication of when its impressive LG G2 handset will be furnished with the new Android 4.4 KitKat update.

The Korean company told Mobile Syrup that the new version of Google's operating system will begin hitting Canadian networks sometime during March 2014.

While the representative failed to mention US and UK networks it seems reasonable that we could expect the update around the same time, if not a little sooner.

Currently the highly-rated G2 remains on Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean, so fans of the uniquely designed handset will be hoping for a finger or two of KitKat as soon as possible.

Opinion splitter

The handset arrived in the UK last month, following its launch in August, packing a full HD 1080p 5.2-inch display with a pixel resolution of 424ppi.

It's also got plenty of power, thanks to a with a 2.26GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 CPU and 2GB of RAM.

Aside from its top specs, the G2's calling card is undoubtedly its rear-mounted volume rocker that has so far split opinion among smartphone enthusiasts.

• The LG G2 has everything except a soul, argues Marc Flores.

Source : techradar[dot]com

The LG G Flex could start arriving on our doorsteps as early as December if you're living in Europe.

As flagged by 3G.cn, LG has sent out invites for an LG G Flex event in Hong Kong on December 3, which is reportedly to mark an international launch.

Currently, the phone is only available in Korea, where it went on sale in early November for the eye-watering price of 999,900 Korean Won - about $940 in the US, £583 in the UK and AU$992.

The G Flex will be available in France on Orange towards the start of December - that much we know - so we're hoping to see it hop over to the UK around the same time. As for the US, the flexy phone won't be making its way over until early 2014.

Out of shape

The G Flex, LG's first curved phone, has a 6-inch curved OLED, a 2.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor, 2GB of RAM and a 13-megapixel camera.

It also has a rear case that can heal itself when scratched, which might be even more exciting than the bendy headline feature.

And let's not forget about the Samsung Galaxy Round, which curves along a vertical axis instead. Although there's no guarantee we'll be seeing that outside of Korea any time soon.

• Look! The LG G Flex can actually flex!

Source : techradar[dot]com

We all know the dangers. The smartphone is the portal to online shopping, our bank accounts and all manner of social network profiling – for many, it is our digital identity.

We know what we have to do: make sure it has a lock code, and never share it with anyone.

But…what if even that isn't enough?

Researchers at Cambridge University recently proposed a method of discovering the PIN on your Android phone by using a malicious app to capture data through your smartphone's camera and microphone. This technique made headlines as it was able to correctly identify a 4-digit PIN, from a test set, 30% of the time after two attempts, rising to 50% after five attempts.

Flanking manoeuvre

The reason this technique, known as a "side-channel" attack, is so noteworthy, is that it circumvents the supposedly secure split between the Android system and the trusted zone on your smartphone.

"Side-channel" attacks use sensors like the gyroscope and accelerometer, or hardware, like the microphone and camera, in order to capture data that's uploaded to a remote server where an algorithm is used to take an educated guess at your PIN.

The 'trusted' part of your phone is separate from the main OS and is designed to isolate sensitive applications, such as banking apps. This is all part of a move to keep sensitive data like your PIN on separate hardware, with companies like ARM inventing technologies such as TrustZone to ensure this stays secure.

However Laurent Simon, one of the authors of PIN Skimmer: Inferring PINs Through The Camera and Microphone, told us, "it's not obvious that the accelerometer or the microphone could be used to leak information…the focus is on the touchscreen, on securing the screen."

How does it work?

This attack involves using the PIN Skimmer app, which is malware disguised as a game, to record users interacting with the touchscreen.

The front-facing camera can be used to capture a shot of the user and determine what they look like when pressing a specific point on screen. This data can then be used to build a model and analyse a video of them entering their PIN.

This is further bolstered by using the microphone to capture audio of the haptic vibration feedback when the user presses the screen in specific spots.

In fairness to phone developers, victims have to download the app and grant it permission to access the microphone, the camera, and the Internet in the Android system.

Once the attacker identifies a likely PIN, they still need the smartphone physically in hand before they can try it, as Simon explained, "in that sense it's limited, you can't do everything remotely; you would need to [inadvertently] collaborate with thieves."

Before you dismiss this idea as never going to happen to you, consider that malware could also be used to track your location, and smartphone theft is at an all-time high. Earlier this year the Met revealed that there are more than 300 mobile phones stolen every day in London alone.

How can you protect yourself?

Marc Rogers, Principal Security Researcher at Lookout (WHICH IS?), told us "The absolute, most common, method of compromising your smartphone is installing something from a third-party store that will send out your phone number, your contacts list, your SMS messages, and allow someone to remotely control the phone.

"We did a study on the likelihood of encountering this kind of malware and we found in the US and UK that the likelihood of encountering something nasty (a phishing link, adware, or malware) is around 2% to 3%. Your probability of actually encountering malware is about 0.5%."

Those figures are based on data captured from millions of Lookout Mobile users, with Rogers suggesting that to protect themselves users should "stick to [Google's] Play Store and don't go to third-party stores. These don't necessarily have the same level of protection and that's why the probability rises from 0.5% in the UK to around 40% in the Russian Federation and Ukraine."

Simon agreed that "in general Google Play is a safe bet, but that doesn't mean you can't be compromised a different way", citing a Chrome exploit that enabled attackers to gain control over a Nexus 4 and a Galaxy S4 after getting people to click on a link.

Is anyone trying to protect us?

The researchers at Cambridge University are focused on what OS vendors and smartphone manufacturers can do to combat this threat.

The PIN Skimmer research paper suggests various countermeasures, but concedes that one of the main ways is blocking access for various sensors during sensitive transactions, or randomizing the placement of digits on the PIN pad, which would have a detrimental impact on usability.

As Simon suggested, "when you're typing a PIN you don't really need to have access to anything, it takes a few seconds, but it's a big decision for them to say 'we're going to block everything', people might start complaining if they miss a call."

What about biometrics?

Could developments like Apple's Touch ID be the answer? Rogers suggested "it's a really good way to bring security to the masses. It's convenient, it's easy to use and it fits within the user's normal processes.

"The biggest risk you face with the PIN code is that someone is going to trick you into surrendering your PIN, via a website or app. A PIN can be tricked out of someone, but you can't trick a fingerprint out of them. If you marry the two, so that now you need two credentials to gain access, I would rate that security as pretty high."

So biometrics, which also recently debuted on the HTC One Max, are the mobile industry's way of addressing this issue, but it remains to be seen if this is the answer, or if multi-factor authentication is a step further than users would accept for everyday smartphone use.

So in the short term the only option may be to sacrifice some convenience for peace of mind. As Simon said: "anything you can do to make things harder for the bad guys is always a good thing."

Source : techradar[dot]com

This just in from our existing-phones-in-different-colours correspondent: looks like Samsung is going to release the Note 3 in both red and white gold next year.

It's getting to the point where if you want to stand out from the gadget pack, you'd be better off going for a plain old black handset.

Via Sammobile

More blips

Blips are available in all the colours of the rainbow.

• Ridiculously expensive gold Battlefield 4 item you can only stare at
• HTC One goes gold for Christmas to the delight of cash-strapped Wise Men
• Slim Xbox One probably won't be this tiny, but imagine if it was

Source : techradar[dot]com

If you're rocking a Samsung device which hasn't yet been upgraded to Android 4.3 you might want to count your blessings, as it appears the Korean firm is still having issues with the latest version of Jelly Bean.

Samsung has admitted to TechRadar there is a new issue, which we were tipped off about. Our tipster highlighted that since the Android 4.3 update on his Galaxy S4, Outlook no longer syncs with the Samsung Kies desktop software or the handset.

It appears that this problem isn't restricted to just S4 handsets, with many Samsung owners reporting similar issues over on the Android Central and XDA forums.

What does this mean for users? Well anyone who relies on Outlook for contacts, calendars and email will be unable to sync these details with their Samsung handset - if it's running Android 4.3 that is.

Fix coming in "near future"

We contacted Samsung to try and find out more, and a spokesperson for the firm told us: "In the near future, an improved Kies tool which will also support 'Outlook sync' will be released.

"This new version of Kies 3.0 will be available in due course from www.samsung.com."

Unfortunately Samsung was unable to tell us an exact date for the new Kies tools, but it's yet another embarrassing turn of events for the Korean firm, so surely it won't be too far off.

• Are you having issues with your Samsung post-Android 4.3 update? Let us know in the comments below, on Facebook or via Twitter.

Source : techradar[dot]com

Apple stores will offer gift cards on Black Friday instead of the discounts expected by shoppers.

The day after Thanksgiving, also known as Black Friday, is a day of blissful debauchery for eager shoppers, who swarm retail stores in the wee hours of the morning and all through the day in search of unprecedented once-a-year deals.

But unlike years past, Apple won't offer discounts this time. Instead, shoppers will receive Apple Store gift cards with select purchases.

The coupons are available to shoppers both in Apple's retail stores and online, including in regions outside the US. In fact, Australian shoppers can see them now.

Raw deals

We won't know the exact values of the coupons being offered outside Australia until the promotion goes live in other regions, but shoppers down under who buy any MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, or iMac will get an AU$150 ($136, £83) gift card.

The iPad Air, on the other hand, comes with an AU$75 ($68, £41) gift card, while the iPad mini, iPad 2 and iPod touch come with a mere AU$50 ($46, £27).

Even further down the ladder is the iPod nano, which comes with just AU$25 ($23, £13).

Gift cards also come with third-party products like the Olloclip, Parrot AR.Drone, the Fitbit Flex, and Beats headphones.

Apple no doubt figures it will make out just fine tomorrow anyway, what with the hordes of shoppers who will inevitably appear with cash in hand ready to make a purchase.

Hopefully Apple Stores survive the ire of those mobs of shoppers when employees try to hand them gift cards instead of discounts.

Of course, if you really want a discounted Apple product, plenty of other retailers will no doubt be offering the deals Black Friday shoppers expect.

• TechRadar Tip Off: Top Black Friday deals we recommend

Source : techradar[dot]com

It seems Huawei has some Android tricks up its sleeves, one of them being the newly leaked eight-core Huawei G750.

The previously unheard of device reportedly packs MediaTek's powerful new octa-core processor, according to the photos and info that leaked on the Chinese site MyDrivers.

That's the same monster MediaTek processor rumored to be coming in Sony's next batch of Xperia phones.

However, it's unclear whether the G750 is merely the codename or model number for the Huawei Honor 4/Glory 4, which are also rumored to be powered by the new MediaTek chip, or a separate device entirely.

Bragging rights

MediaTek has been vocal about its new 1.7 GHz MT6592 System on a Chip (SoC), which it claims is the "world's first true octa-core mobile platform."

The Taiwanese chip maker says in addition to the eight-core chip's raw processing power, it has the advantage of being fully scalable and consuming less battery power than the quad-core processors that are currently popular in various flagship smartphones.

Other than that juicy tidbit, based on the specs pictured in this leak it seems the Huawei G750 will sport a big but disappointing 720p 5.5-inch display, 2GB of memory, 32GB of storage, and 13- and 5-megapixel cameras.

It will also reportedly come with the slightly outdated Android 4.2.2 and be available on China's three big carriers, China Mobile, China Unicom, and China Telecom.

• If those specs have you down check out Huawei's other rumored smartphone, the 6.1-inch, 1080p display-packing new Huawei Ascend.

Source : techradar[dot]com

Geeksphone said "Happy Thanksgiving" today with the announcement of a new, reportedly higher-end Firefox OS device, the Revolution.

There's a catch, though: the mysterious new smartphone isn't technically running Firefox OS.

According to CNET, the Geeksphone Revolution actually runs Boot2Gecko, an identical Mozilla OS with a different name, because the Firefox OS brand is apparently unavailable to telecoms companies not associated with specific carriers.

Regardless, the Revolution has one very interesting feature: the hardware is capable of running either B2G/Firefox OS or Android.

Split personality

Geeksphone said when customers order the Revolution they'll be able to choose whether they want Mozilla's OS or Android.

The Spanish company dealt in Android phones before throwing its support behind Firefox OS.

Besides that literally no details about the new hybrid phone are known, but Geeksphone's new teaser website at geeksphone.com/revolution teases "a creation with a powerful heart" (is that an amoeba? Nope, looks like a processor!) and recommends we "stay tuned."

(The meaning behind the site's prominent imagery of a very pregnant woman is not quite clear.)

"We are...confident that we will surprise everyone by its very high performance," Geeksphone co-founder Javier Aguera said in a statement. "And it's very competitively priced."

Join the Revolution

Despite the apparent restrictions, Geeksphone is fully behind Mozilla's web-powered OS initiatives. It was one of the earliest supporters of Firefox OS, releasing two phones, the Keon and the Peak, to developers earlier this year.

An upgraded Peak model, the Peak+, is also reportedly in the works, though customers who ordered the Peak+ already can switch to the Revolution at no additional cost. It sounds like the Revolution will drop first.

As CNET noted, the Norwegian company Telenor today launched another Firefox OS device, the Alcatel One Touch Fire, which will be available in regions including Serbia, Hungary, and Montenegro by Christmas.

No word yet on whether the low end One Touch Fire will hit the US or UK, but as always we'll keep an eye out.

Huawei, LG, ZTE, and Sony are also committed to Firefox OS to varying degrees.

• Mozilla on Firefox OS: "what we're doing has a very good chance of working"

Source : techradar[dot]com

HTC offers a mean flagship, in the form of the HTC One. But the firm knows that a lot of the mobile market now lies in the budget sector, and this is where the HTC Desire 500 is pitched. It might not have the super low price of the ZTE Blade V, but even so, the price is hardly going to make your eyes water.

This puts the Desire 500 in direct competition with the Sony Xperia M and the Nokia Lumia 625, and just a little more costly than the Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini. It's also worth considering the cheaper Moto G here, which sports a deceptively low price for its feature set.

So has HTC equipped the Desire 500 with the necessary weapons to beat an increasingly difficult market?

It packs Qualcomm's Snapdragon 200 processor, backed up with 1GB RAM. This means that the Desire 500 might not pack the biggest punch, but the 1.2GHz quad-core chip is hardly a slouch.

While the Desire 500 does boast a 4.3-inch screen, it's unfortunately only 480 x 800, meaning a rather low 217ppi.

This is all packed into a 131.8 x 66.9 x 9.9mm plastic chassis, leading to a low 123g weight, and a rather inconspicuous footprint in your pocket. The HTC Desire 500 is ideal then, if you like wearing skinny jeans.

HTC also has also provided the Desire 500 with Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n (so no dual band surfing), as well as NFC, GPS and 3G. Unfortunately, there is no 4G.

Design wise, the HTC Desire 500 is very visually reminiscent of the HTC One S. So much so, in fact, that we found it a little difficult to tell them apart.

The plastic casing wraps around the screen, causing us some difficulty when it came to removing it.

We passed it around to a few friends, and eventually they all realized that just pulling gently below the screen would ease it off.

A massive hint for this was that the screen doesn't sit flush within the casing. This is a minor niggle, but made the Desire 500 feel a lot less premium than it could have done.

Sat behind the screen is an 1800mAh battery, which is removable. We're getting ever-more skeptical about the need for a removable battery, but it is a nice touch for intense users.

The microSD slot (supporting up to 64GB) and microSIM port are also hidden in behind the wrap around case.

The Desire 500 is by no means an unattractive device. Our review model was white and red, but we did also get a chance to play with a white-and-blue one (which we preferred), and there is an all-black version.

We can't work out why HTC hasn't done a black and red version, as it's a color scheme we were big fans of on the HTC Sensation XE.

The red wraps around the edge of the Desire 500, as well as providing highlights to the camera and the HTC branding on the back.

Speaking of cameras, the Desire 500 doesn't come packing the same UltraPixel technology that we have seen adorning the entire One range. Instead, the HTC Desire 500 comes with an 8MP sensor, as well as a 1.6MP snapper on the front. Thankfully, there is an LED flash on the rear as well.

In the way of buttons, the Desire 500 comes with two soft keys, sat just below the screen. We felt that this made the handset look a little odd, given the massive gap between the back and home buttons.

Long pressing the home button doubles up as the menu key, but we can't see why HTC wouldn't just put in a dedicated menu button.

For physical keys, the power/lock button is placed in the upper left corner of the HTC Desire 500.

The volume keys are sat on the right hand side, integrated into the red band. This is a great design touch, especially as the small break in the band allows you to easily differentiate between the two buttons, without the need for a rocker.

We found that we were able to hit all the buttons easily one handed, a consequence of the smaller 4.3-inch screen.

HTC has also provided the Desire 500 with the obligatory 3.5mm headphone port (in the top right corner), and the microUSB in the centre of the base.

Overall we're impressed with the design of the HTC Desire 500. It is light, and the 4.3-inch screen means that it sits very nicely in the hand.

The screen not sitting flat with the casing is disappointing, as is the slight unbalanced feel of only having two buttons, but not enough to stop us taking another look.

Source : techradar[dot]com

Windows Phone users may have got a little excited after news from Italy confirmed that Sky Italia would be providing Sky Go support for the Microsoft platform.

Unfortunately we've been brought back down to earth with a bump, as BSkyB in the UK has confirmed that it does not have any similar plans at this time.

A BSkyB spokesperson told TechRadar: "Sky Italia and Sky are separate companies operating in different countries. We as BSkyB are currently prioritising bringing support to additional Android tablet devices."

Bumpy ride

Sky Go had a bit of a bumpy ride since its launch, with just a handful of Android devices gaining support for the live streaming application, and while Sky is committed to rolling it out to more tablets, its pace still feels a little slow.

It does, however, give full support to Apple's range of iPhones and iPads, with the iOS platform a lot easier to develop for thanks to the lack of fragmentation with plagues Google's OS.

Windows Phone integration isn't completely out of the question though, as the spokesperson confirmed that "we will continue to monitor the marketplace and should we see an uptake by our customers of Windows phones will explore support."

• What is Sky Go? Read our in-depth review

Source : techradar[dot]com

The five star HTC One may be about to get even better as word that the dual-SIM version is heading to our shores, complete with microSD slot.

We didn't find much wrong with the HTC One when we reviewed it, but one of the minor points against the handset was the lack of expandable storage - but that's about to be rectified.

The dual-SIM HTC One has been available in Asia since the handsets launch, but only now has the Taiwanese firm made the decision to roll it out to other countries.

However, that additional functionality will come at a price - the back cover will be removable, which has the effect of making the phone feel less well-packaged, as we saw on the supersized One Max.

Why, exactly?

The dual SIM offering is an interesting - HTC reckons there's a large amount of users who are carrying two phones for international reasons, or just want to have a work and home phone.

Here's the weirdly good news: there will be very little price difference between the two models, with the HTC One dual SIM coming for the same price as the original HTC One, according to HTC's official store.

It will also be coming to the high street as well as be available through online retailers in the new feature, as HTC is touting that fact it's talking to a number of outlets at the moment.

In terms of the HTC One dual SIM release date, we're a little in the dark. The model launched in China quite soon after the announcement of the original One, so it's not a case of getting production up and running.

Here's hoping that HTC has opened its eyes and realised there's still a huge appetite for expandable storage on phones - will the HTC One Two follow suit?

Source : techradar[dot]com

The BlackBerry Z10 was the first handset from the company formerly known as RIM, now renamed BlackBerry, to run its new operating system BlackBerry 10, and there was much more on the line here than simply making a few pennies – arguably the company's survival rested on the success of this device and the BlackBerry Q10.

It's no secret that BlackBerry is on the rocks, with the company even admitting that it hasn't been in the best shape of late, and the 4G toting Z10 was the start of what it hoped would be a successful revolution.

Since its launch in January the BlackBerry Z10 has received a few software updates which has seen things become more stable, plus the app store has also witnessed some new arrivals, so we've taken the time to update the keys parts of our review with the latest information.

In the UK the handset has witnessed a massive price drop since launch and you can pick up the Z10 free on contracts starting at £32 per month, while you'll need to fork out just £149.95 if you want it SIM-free.

Sporting a 4.2-inch 1280 x 768 display, 1.5GHz dual-core processor, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage and lower price tag, the BlackBerry Z10 finds itself jostling for position with the Nokia Lumia 925, Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini and iPhone 5C.

Lock eyes on the BlackBerry Z10 and you'll notice it's an unassuming slab of black glass and plastic that mimics the general aesthetical design of many a smartphone these days.

The Z10 is a little bezel-heavy with a sizable gap above and below the screen, and that's before we even get to the additional plastic chunks stuck on both ends of the handset.

It all seems a little unnecessary but luckily it doesn't make the BlackBerry Z10 overly cumbersome, with the handset measuring a comfortable 130 x 65.6 x 9mm (5.1 x 2.6 x 0.4 inches).

Weight wise the BlackBerry Z10 finds a happy medium – weighing 137.5g (4.85 oz), it's nowhere near as heavy as the Lumia 920 and Lumia 820, yet it's not as feather light as the iPhone 5.

The weight gives it a reassuring presence in the palm and while the chassis is distinctly plastic, the handset's heft at least restores some form of premium feel.

Around the back you're greeted with a textured plastic rear that is slightly rubberised, providing a decent level of grip.

There are only a couple of things to note on the back of the BlackBerry Z10: the 8MP camera with a single LED flash, sat in the top-left corner, and the shiny metallic BlackBerry logo in middle.

We were pleased to find that the rear can be removed easily by placing a finger in the indented speaker grill at the base of the Z10, enabling us to simply peel off the plastic.

Underneath you'll find microSIM and microSD slots, with the latter capable of supporting cards up to 32GB in capacity, although we've been told that a future update may see this support boosted to the 64GB variants.

This means you can build nicely on the already decent 16GB of internal storage, which will appeal to many who have been put out by the likes of the iPhone range and HTC One, which don't offer storage expansion.

An added boon is the removable 1,800mAh battery, enabling you to switch out a dead battery for a fully charged one if you're someone who likes to carry multiple power packs around.

On the rear cover itself you'll notice the NFC pad, which enables the BlackBerry Z10 to interact with other compatible wireless devices.

On the right-hand side of the Z10, anyone familiar with the BlackBerry PlayBook will instantly recognise the triple button setup, with volume rocker switches separated by a central key – used for playing/pausing music and activating voice control when held down.

Up top you get a centralised power/lock key next to a 3.5mm headphone jack, while on the left there's a couple of handy connectivity ports.

The metal finish of the keys gives the handset a touch of class - if not a little sharp when you catch your finger on them - and all are well positioned, enabling us to reach them easily when using the Z10 one-handed.

The now standard microUSB port that features on pretty much every phone these days (bar the iPhone) is present, alongside a miniHDMI port. This enables you to connect the BlackBerry Z10 directly to a TV for big screen viewing.

There's no HDMI cable in the box so you'll need to pick one up separately, but there is at least a USB cable so you can hook the Z10 up to your computer.

The BlackBerry Z10 doesn't wow us with a new design, but it's a sturdy handset with a decent build quality and functional layout that makes it easy to handle.

Source : techradar[dot]com

Blimey Nexus 5, we were starting to wonder if we'd ever see you.

Now that Google has gone official with the Nexus 5, which is the first device to come packing Android 4.4 KitKat, the good news is that you don't have long to wait to get your hands on its chocolatey goodness.

So we've pulled together a list of networks and retailers who will be offering up the handset. Keep an eye on the list though, we'll be updating as we hear more...

• Nexus 5: Everything you need to know

Google Play Store

As expect, you can buy the Nexus 5 straight from the Google Play Store. It's available for £299 for the 16GB model in black or white, or £339 for 32GB.

Carphone Warehouse

Carphone was originally selling the Nexus 5 SIM-free. But sadly the retailer has informed TechRadar that it only had limited stock for SIM-free sales and they are now all gone. You snooze, you lose folks.

It's still stocking the Nexus 5 on pay monthly deals though, and for no cost if you join a £32 per month, two year 3G contract on O2.

That includes unlimited calls and texts and 1GB of data. Oh, you can get it on a 4G contract for £37 per month, which will lump on an extra 2GB of data fun.

O2

While Vodafone and EE aren't getting in on the Nexus action, O2 is offering the phone directly, but only in the larger 32GB variant.

Available on O2's Refresh tariff, the phone is free on a £32 per month deal, which gives you 600 minutes, unlimited texts and 750MB of data.

You can now also get it on PAYG, but don't do that - it's still £429.99, which is a tad expensive when you compare it with how much Google is offering it for.

Three

Data friendly network Three is also stocking the Nexus 5 and it has confirmed the handset will be supported by its 4G service which is due to roll out in December.

You can bag yourself unlimited data (plus 500 minutes and 5000 texts) on the Nexus 5 from just £29 per month, although you'll need to stump up £49 at point of sale.

The 16GB Nexus 5 is also available on PAYG, but at £399.99 it's extremely expensive so you'd be better off going via Google direct.

Phones4U

The Nexus 5 has popped up over at Phones4U, but it seems stock is hard to come by, as it's currently listed as 'unavailable'.

However, the great news for fans of funny finger shapes is that the Nexus 5 will be appearing back on the shelves shortly - it's just been nabbed by too many hungry fans.

Mobiles.co.uk

The 'secret' arm of Carphone Warehouse (as in, it's owned by the high-street retailer) has the Nexus 5 on most networks, and it's relatively cheap, starting at £17.94 on contract, although sadly there's no PAYG price.

MobilePhonesDirect.co.uk

A relatively similar deal here - with the phone costing £18 on a two year deal as the cheapest monthly option.

You can also pick up the phone SIM Free, but be warned: it's a pointless £454.99 to do it.

Source : techradar[dot]com

Apple is known for being a minimalistic company, but the number of assembly line workers it takes to build an iPhone is becoming increasingly complex.

The more intricate iPhone 5S is said to have 600 assembly workers on each production line at Foxconn manufacturing facilities, according a report by the Wall Street Journal.

"We have been churning out about 500,000 iPhone 5Ss everyday, the highest daily output ever," said an unnamed Foxconn executive to the paper.

By comparison, the less complicated, Touch ID-lacking iPhone 5 and the unapologetically plastic iPhone 5C are said to need 100 fewer workers. That's still a staggering 500 people per production line.

Wait times drop

With around-the-clock assembly lines producing one million iPhone 5S units every two days, the wait times for the new iPhone have dropped significantly.

You can now find an iPhone 5S in just about every Apple Store and it's available to ship within three to five business days online after quickly selling out at launch.

Even the once-precious gold model is readily available thanks to Foxconn's 500,000 a day figure, which is said to have put the plant at full capacity.

The supply has caught up to demand so much that we're starting to see certain retailers drop the price of the more expensive iPhone 5S ahead of Black Friday deals.

• iPhone 6 may let you refocus your photos using Lytro-like tech.

Source : techradar[dot]com

BlackBerry's BBM instant messaging service is becoming a little more social today thanks to the launch of its Twitter-like BBM Channels feature.

This update is available to all smartphone owners still wielding a BlackBerry after having been in beta since its debut in May, according to dedicated BlackBerry blog CrackBerry.

After downloading the newest version of BBM, Channels will give users the ability to follow and subscribe to other people or business' channels. Users can also set up and post to their own BBM Channels.

It effectively connects users to brands, proving that BlackBerry's messaging service is moving beyond peer-to-peer and group chats.

It's also a great way for BlackBerry to monetize its fledgling BBM service to businesses that want to market with targeted ads to BlackBerry users.

Coming to Android, iOS soon

As the company formerly known as RIM is getting its house in order by reshuffling its executive team, it's continuing to show interest in expanding its platform beyond BlackBerry devices.

To that end, BBM Channels is supposed to be "coming soon" to iOS and Android chatters.

Apple and Google hardware owners received a BBM app last month, and it was well-received with 10 million downloads in the first 24 hours.

BBM iPhone owners were particularly energized about the BBM app, which is set to expand with BBM Voice and Video within months.

BBM Channels alone may not be enough to right BlackBerry's ship, but it could make BBM an attractive spinoff in the future.

• Read: iPhone 6 may let you refocus your photos using Lytro-like tech

Source : techradar[dot]com

How do you follow up a phone like the HTC One? It was only the third smartphone to garner a highly coveted five star TechRadar review and the Taiwanese firm has got a job on its hands to repeat the trick with its successor.

HTC is working on something though, as a myriad of leaks, rumors and suggestive benchmark results worm their way onto the web - all of which appear to reference the "HTC M8."

Why is this significant? Well, the codename for the original HTC One during development was M7, so the M8 moniker makes logical sense for the firm's next flagship smartphone.

The handset won't launch under the M8 name however; there's actually a bit of confusion over the name HTC will give it after backing itself into a little bit of a corner with its "One" brand.

Currently HTC One Two is being bandied about, but we reckon that's more for convenience rather than a hard and fast name for the market.

With 2012's One X, One S, One V and then One X+ followed by the One SV and headline making One in 2013 it's not clear where HTC will go next.

The HTC One+ perhaps? Or how about the HTC One Magnificent?

Bear in mind we also have the One Mini and One Max - variations HTC will no doubt want to exploit with its next-gen flagship - and we're left scratching our heads.

One thing is for sure though, the HTC M8 is going to have some stiff competition as the Samsung Galaxy S5 will also be rocking up in 2014, along with the iPhone 6 later in the year.

We've rounded up all the latest M8 chatter from around the web to bring you the best picture of what you may see from the HTC One Two.

HTC M8 release date and price

We have seen a mention of the HTC M8 release date, with perennial leaker @evleaks tweeting that the handset would be with all four US networks by the "end of Q1 '14."

In other words the HTC One Two should be hitting stores before the end of March 2014, which pegs an unveiling earlier that month, or even in February - could there be a MWC appearance for HTC's next flagship?

There's no mention of a HTC M8 price just yet, but if it does transpire to be the next flagship handset it'll carry a hefty price tag - so you might want to start saving now.

• How will the M8 beat the five star HTC One?

HTC M8 display

Big screens are the order of the day for today's flagship smartphones and various reports seem to suggest HTC will build ever so slightly on the 4.7-inch display found on the One.

It looks like the M8 will pack a 5-inch display, although one report says it could go as big as 5.2 inches.

There's been a lot of talk around 2K and 4K displays on smartphones arriving in 2014, but if an Antutu benchmark result is to be believed HTC will stick to the same full HD, 1920 x 1080 resolution for the One Two.

The 5-inch, full HD screen has been echoed by @evleaks - a usually reliable source of upcoming phone leaks.

HTC M8 power

The HTC One arrived on the scene with a relatively decent 1.7GHz Snapdragon 600 processor, but things have advanced since then and numerous reports are all pointing to the same chip for the M8.

That processor is Qualcomm's Snapdragon 800 SoC, and benchmarking results points towards the quad-core chip being clocked at 2.26GHz - the same as the LG G2.

There was a rumor doing the rounds claiming that HTC was looking to boost the One to an octa-core processor and 3GB of RAM, but the handset never materialized - has it been held back for the M8?

Several other leaks are quoting 2GB of RAM, which would be the same as the HTC One - but still plenty to run Android.

For those of you who love gaming on your smartphone there's some potentially good news for you, as the M8 has also been linked to the Qualcomm Adreno 330 GPU which will enhance the graphical output of the handset.

HTC M8 operating system

No surprises here, when the M8 finally launches under whatever moniker HTC has managed to bodge together you can be sure Android will be hiding under the hood.

The good news is that it's tipped to be the very latest version - Android 4.4 KitKat - and of course it will be coated in a heavy layer of HTC's Sense overlay.

• Android 4.4: Everything you need to know

Word is that the One Two will come with a brand spanking new version - Sense 6.0 - although we hope it doesn't deviate to much from 5.5, which we greatly enjoy.

If the details surrounding processor and RAM ring true then you can expect the M8 to run whatever version of Android it's rocking smoothly.

HTC M8 camera

HTC broke the cameraphone mould with the One as it introduced its Ultrapixel lens and proceeded to slap it on the Mini and Max variants of the handset as well.

The technology was met with mixed responses and questions were raised when the camera transpired to be equivalent to a 4MP snapper - albeit letting in a hell of a lot more light thanks to the larger pixels.

Some will be hoping HTC ditches the Ultrapixels tech in favor of the traditional megapixel approach and with the likes of the 41MP Lumia 1020 and 20.7MP Xperia Z1 on the market competition is fierce.

There's been little leaked on the camera front of the M8, but the one revealing benchmark result we keep referring to quotes the same front and rear cameras as the One.

HTC M8 chassis

Something which really made the HTC One stand out from the crowd was its all metal body - something only Apple had really fully embraced before, and it gave the handset a supremely premium look and feel.

A couple of images have already slipped out claiming to show the body of the HTC M8, and from first glance it appears almost identical to the One - no surprise, why change a winning formula?

The report reckons that HTC will keep the all metal body, but that the M8 will feature a slimmer form factor, making the handset even more pocketable - and hopefully a touch lighter too.

Source : techradar[dot]com