The Korean manufacturer is gradually furnishing owners of the 5.3-inch smartphone/tablet device with the update, with immediate availability depending on region and mobile network.
The update brings early phablet adopters the chance to parade the newest Android and Samsung-made features alongside those Johnny-come-lately Galaxy Note 2 owners.
Android 4.1 obviously brings the awesome Google Now app into play, while a host of Samsung Premium Suite features are also piggy-backing along for the ride.
Multi Window and Page Buddy
Original Galaxy Note owners will get the neat Multi Window functionality which allows users to use two apps simultaneously (i.e. sending an email and watching a video) without switching screens.
It also brings Page Buddy, which launches a window featuring relevant apps when a user, for example, pops out the S-Pen or plugs in headphones.
There's also a customisable notifications panel and the Smart Rotation feature that also proved popular on the Galaxy Note 2.
It's little surprise that Samsung has furnished the device with the update. The Galaxy Note was insanely popular and proved a lot of people wrong with its stellar sales performance.
The update, when it hits your part of town, will be available to download over-the-air or using Samsung's Kies desktop software.
Not much is known about Microsoft's upcoming "Windows Blue", but if a couple of recent job postings are any indication, the secretive project will introduce user interface and experience "improvements", particularly in relation to the Windows Start Screen, windowing and customization features.
Based on the most recent information available, Windows Blue should be more akin to a service pack than a full-fledged successor to Windows (i.e. *not* Windows 9), but will encompass more products than just its desktop OS. The project is believed to be the precursor to more rapid and incremental Windows-family update schedule, possibly even setting the stage for a future subscription model.
Windows Blue is expected to bring numerous tweaks and improvements to various aspects Windows 8, Windows RT, Windows Phone 8 and Windows 2012 Server. Additionally, the update is rumored to introduce changes to Microsoft's peripheral services, such as SkyDrive and Outlook.com.
The February 15 job posting for a software engineer was found here, although it was recently taken down -- presumably Microsoft either filled the position or didn't like the attention. According to ZDNet's Mary Jo Foley, the posting read:
We're looking for an excellent, experienced SDET to join the Core Experience team in Windows Sustained Engineering (WinSE). The Core Experience features are the centerpiece of the new Windows UI, representing most of what customers touch and see in the OS, including: the start screen; application lifecycle; windowing; and personalization. Windows Blue promises to build and improve upon these aspects of the OS, enhancing ease of use and the overall user experience on devices and PCs worldwide."
Although that particular position has since been removed, another interesting "Windows Blue" job offering cropped up: a development lead for Excel MX. In the job post, Excel MX is billed as a "high quality Excel app for Windows Phone Blue".
Rumors suggest Blue's launch could happen as soon as this year, with all platform releases occurring around the same time.
You may remember us giving the down low on the new Sony Smartphone, the Android Sony Xperia Z. Now Sony has given an official release date of the device in Germany. Per Sony’s Facebook page, it will be set loose on February 21st. We can make a decent guess that the rest of Europe will also see the phone the same day as it was put up for pre-sale orders in the UK already.
The Sony Xperia Z is touted as being dust and water resistant, 5 inch HD display with 1920 x 1080 resolution, has a whopping 13 MP camera, and 4G LTE. Under the hood it sports a 1.5GHz quad core Snapdragon S4 process with 2GB of RAM.
So when could it arrive in the United States? While we can’t say for sure at the moment, odds are it won’t be too much longer after that. In the meantime, it sounds like it will be avaliable unlocked from places like Negri for around $720 right when it hits Europe.
Did you take part in the pre-order for the Xperia Z? What do you like about this Sony phone?
With the Wii U already on shelves and Microsoft's next-gen console imminent, Sony will be looking to set its PlayStation 4 apart from the competition. According to a report by the Wall Street Journal, one such feature may be the inclusion of games streamed in real-time over the Internet.
In 2012, Sony acquired Gaikai for $380 million, a company who's claim to fame is streaming graphically-intense games from the cloud. "Our technology is such that we can stream the world's most graphically rich video games and other content instantly to almost any device, anywhere," Gaikai claims. The PlayStation-maker may be leveraging Gaikai's game-streaming technologies for its own use in console gaming.
Cloud-based gaming brings a number of potential benefits to PlayStation 4 owners, although what we'll actually see remains unknown. Sony is expected to announce more details about its plans for streaming (amongst other things) this Wednesday.
The PS4's backwards compatibility with PS3 titles despite its anticipated architectural overhaul is just one possible example of the benefits of streaming. Other potential advantages include persistent game worlds, persistent progress saves, platform independence by way of virtualization (playing high-end games on any type of low-end hardware -- PS4 games on the PS3?) and on-demand-style gaming for ultimate convenience. Additionally, Sony and other game makers will likely be pleased by the natural anti-piracy effect which accompanies hosting protected content remotely.
Despite its perks, streaming also brings with it a few conceivable perils for gamers. With the disappearance of physical discs, gamers will also see the evanescence of both used games and local game rentals. By extension, borrowing, swapping and selling games may become tougher, if not impossible. Of course, any form of Internet dependency also comes with its own set of obvious drawbacks, not the least of which are availability and down times -- some people simply don't have access to quality connections or even broadband at all.
If all of this "cloud" talk makes you nervous, it's important to note that it won't all be streaming though -- Sony is still expected to incorporate a physical media drive into its next-gen console.
Looks like we can expect better cameras in new Nexus phones
Future Google Nexus devices will boast 'insanely great cameras' according to the head of Google+ Vic Gundotra.
In a post on his Google+ page, Gundotra revealed he was struggling to decide on the camera equipment to take on a trip to the mountains, beyond his Android phone and prototype Google Glass unit.
Commenter Sizar Adam quite pertinently asked: "I hope that someday we will just carry our future Nexus and we won't worry about heavy cameras. Is that possible, Vic Gundotra?"
In response, the Google executive wrote: "We are committed to making Nexus phones insanely great cameras. Just you wait and see."
Tantalising
The tantalising post will raise questions about what the Nexus team has up its sleeve and which manufacturers it is working with to improve the camera tech on future own-branded smartphones.
The most-recent device, the LG Nexus 4, boasted an 8-megapixel camera, which "could have been better," according to the in-depth TechRadar review.
"We found it to be good in a variety of situations. It won't blow your socks off – but as long as you don't go into this expecting a miniature DSLR, you'll not be disappointed," the review read.
Indeed, smartphone cameras continue to improve steadily, to the point where on most occasions some people are happy to rely on them to capture memories rather than carry a compact camera.
However, when picture quality has to be relied upon, there really is no substitute for the real thing. Can Google and its OEM partners change this?
What are you doing on March 14? Perennial phone-botherer Eldar Murtazin suggests you keep it free for a big announcement about the Samsung Galaxy S4.
"Save the date for a big announcement - March 14," he tweeted, before adding "And keep silence."
He's a 'do as I say not as I do', kind of a guy, clearly. Further down the conversational thread, he replied "Yes!" to the suggestion that it will be the S4, and added that the launch location will be New York.
So good they named it twice
Obviously this is far from confirmed - Murtazin had a good track-record of nailing Nokia leaks but he's missed as often as he's hit in the recent pass with his incessant insistence that a Nokia sale to Microsoft was on the cards.
We're yet to see any fruits from that rumour, but this one seems more likely since we're expecting the Samsung Galaxy S4 to launch this side of summer.
Specs supposedly on the cards include a 5-inch Full HD screen, beefed-up quad-core Exynos 5440 chip and a 10 or 13MP camera.
While we're not completely convinced about this March 14 launch date, we'll be keeping an eye on it just in case.
We are starting to learn more and more about the upcoming LG Optimus G Pro 5.5-inch smartphone, including the fact it will be one of the first Snapdragon 600-based devices. We also now know that it is in fact coming to North America.
For those that don’t already know, the Snapdragon 600 one of the latest Qaulcomm processors out there. The 600 isn’t as beefy as the upcoming Snapdragon 800, but the 1.7GHz quad-core chip is certainly a bit ahead of the existing S4 Pro.
Other specs for the Pro include a 3000mAh battery, 2GB of RAM, a 13MP rear cam, microSDXC and LTE. There is also a front cam on the device for video conferencing and recording.
Outside of the improved hardware, we’ve also learned that new software tweaks will arrive with the Optimus G Pro that include the ability to record from both camera at the same time and the use a VR Panorama mode that it supposed to be similar to Google’s Photo Sphere.
So when is the North American launch for the LG Optimus G Pro coming? The phone is expected to arrive in the North American market sometime in Q2, alongside its release in Japan. Final details (including a more exact launch window) will likely be revealed at MWC.
You need a finger extension to get the most from 2013's huge new 5-inch smartphones
Sony's Xperia Z launches at the end of February, bringing a high-end 1080p resolution screen to the masses. Or at least, to what Sony hopes will be masses of smartphone buyers.
Problem is, 1080 x 1920 or 1080p resolution displays are about to become commonplace in 2013, as the phone manufacturers of the world, struggling to compete on power now that EVERYTHING is super-powerful, turn to screen density and display clarity in an attempt to beat their competition.
So as well as the Xperia Z, early 2013 will see the arrival of young upstart Huawei and its Ascend D2, also packing a 1080p display measuring some 5 inches, plus its Chinese rival ZTE is launching the equally enormous ZTE Grand S. The latter is another big 5-inch model that again packs a 1080p screen.
Sony's Xperia Z, opening the 1080p mobile metaphorical floodgates
This time last year, any one of this high-spec trio would've stunned us with the audacity of offering a 1080p display on a mobile phone. But in the fast moving world of Android hardware, we're now in a position where we can be fussy. So let's be fussy. Which one's best?
Xperia Z vs Ascend D2 vs ZTE Grand S: Operating system
The Xperia Z is scheduled to arrive with Android 4.1 as its launch OS, with Sony promising an update to Android 4.2 shortly after launch. The Sony model features masses of bespoke modifications, though, with Sony incorporating Google's enhanced visual notifications system, adding a custom lock screen, and completely overhauling Android's usual camera and gallery systems. While perhaps a little bland looking, Sony's interface customisations heap on the features and make Android even more versatile than usual.
The Ascend D2 is closer to the "stock" Android experience, with Huawei offering Android 4.1.2 as its initial OS. It's still fiddled with a few things, visually speaking, as part of its in-house Emotion UI skin. This means you get a user-definable number of Home screens (up to nine), a reworked camera system and a selection of power and feature toggles in the notifications pane.
We'd prefer stock Android to Huawei's skinning, but at least Huawei usually offers us the option to turn most of the maker's customisations off and revert to a more standard version of Google's Jelly Bean code.
The Grand S, meanwhile, also arrives powered by Jelly Bean, with ZTE needlessly altering Google's dock icons and widgets, plus the multitasking button we see on most new Android models is absent - the Grand S sticks with the old fashioned Menu button in its below-screen touch button area. There's also the duff TouchPal keyboard pre-loaded for text input, but that's best ditched for the standard Android option.
Xperia Z vs Ascend D2 vs ZTE Grand S: Processor
Both the Xperia Z and ZTE Grand S run on a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro quad core CPU, with the Xperia Z's unit clocked at 1.5GHz and the Grand S maxing it out at a whopping 1.7GHz.
That's the same unit that powers the awesome Nexus 4, so while it's not amazingly cutting-edge and thrillingly new in these days of warp speed mobile tech advances, it's still proven to be one of the most capable and speedy chipsets out there today. It'll be taxed a little harder pushing a 1080 x 1920 display around, though.
The Huawei Ascend D2 is more of an unknown quantity, in that it's running on Huawei's own newly developed 1.5GHz quad-core processor, so we have no real way of knowing what it'll be like out there in the field when asked to run Super Hexagon for nine hours a day.
The Ascend D2 is a little more substantial, but the battery will run and run
Xperia Z vs Ascend D2 vs ZTE Grand S: Screen
Sony's Xperia phones have always had superb displays, with the company's blend of BRAVIA tech and the Reality Display thing it likes to talk about doing a great job of keeping everything clear and sharp. The Xperia Z features both those enhancements, boosting the BRAVIA stuff to version two status. What we saw of the new 1080 x 1920 display in our Xperia Z hands on was stunning. It'll be a winner, no doubt about that.
Huawei's also been doing good work in the display world, with its older Ascend P1 and the budget G300 and G330 looking sharp. The Ascend D2 promises to hit a 443ppi pixel density level, making it another super-sharp screen choice. The display's viewing angles also impressed when we went hands on with the D2 at CES.
ZTE, meanwhile, has less of a reputation for quality, seeing as it's been happy chucking out cheap clunkers for years. The Grand S managed to look "crisp and clear" in our CES hands on, although 1080p video playback looked a little disappointing. Hopefully that's something ZTE can amend before the phone's launch.
Xperia Z vs Ascend D2 vs ZTE Grand S: Storage
All three of these phones come with around 2GB of usable RAM, although Huawei's spec sheet says users can expect to see more like 1.8GB reported in actual use. That's literally stacks of RAM, more than enough to ensure Android can handle multi-tasking with ease. Some cheaper phones out there today are still launching with 512MB, to put things in perspective. You won't have to worry about shuffling apps off to an SD card or deleting things for quite some time with these monsters.
In terms of onboard options for storing media, music and other files, the Xperia Z comes with 16GB built-in and an SD card slot, the Ascend D2 packs 32GB internally but has no expansion slot, while ZTE's Grand S mirrors the Xperia Z in offering 16GB inside and an SD card slot for heaping in more Breaking Bad episodes.
All three super-sized phones come with 13-Megapixel cameras around the back, too
Xperia Z vs Ascend D2 vs ZTE Grand S: Camera
Camera spec is another area where there's little to pick between today's top smartphones on paper. It's not until you get a finished phone out there in the real, often dingy world, that megapixels can be translated into meaningful results.
On paper, the Xperia Z claims it'll enhance its staggering 13.1-Megapixel output with Exmor RS technology, which ought to improve low-light images, with an HDR option for jazzing up gloomy locations - and HDR video options, too. The Ascend D2 matches most of this, also offering a 13MP sensor with flash and HDR stills shooting mode, while the Grand S also records images at 13MP resolution.
Front-facing chat cameras are also part of the high-end Android spec sheet these days. The Xperia Z's front-facing camera captures at 2.2MP resolution, the Grand S manages 2MP through the front lens, while the Ascend D2 has a 1.3-Megapixel resolution secondary camera.
All three shoot video at 1080p resolution, too. It'll come down to the lens quality and noise levels in the end, something we'll cover in more depth in future reviews of all three monster mobiles.
Xperia Z vs Ascend D2 vs ZTE Grand S: Connectivity
Sony's been going all-out with NFC support for some time, with the Xperia Z fully compatible with NFC tech and Sony trying very, very hard to make sure everyone knows about it. The phone's also 4G ready for use with the UK's about-to-explode next-generation network, while the Xperia Z also features Sony's own implementation of the Miracast screen sharing tool, for easily whacking your media on an HDTV.
There's no 4G connectivity or NFC chip in the Ascend D2, but ZTE's Grand S is a member of the next-gen LTE club like the Xperia Z and also boasts NFC abilities. All three offer Wi-Fi b/g/n connectivity, Bluetooth 4.0 and HSDPA radios for the best possible 3G speeds.
The Grand S is the slimmest and lightest, due to skimping on battery
Xperia Z vs Ascend D2 vs ZTE Grand S: Dimensions and weight
ZTE's Grand S is a slim one. Measuring just 142 x 69 x 6.9mm, it's one of the slimmest Android models on the horizon with just a slight bulge around the back to house the camera optics. It's also pocket friendly in terms of heft, weighing just 110g.
The Xperia Z is a big old fatty in comparison, coming it at a slightly bigger 7.9mm thick (139 x 71 x 7.9mm all round), while weighing a much more substantial 146g. Huawei's Ascend D2 is the real heavyweight in this round-up, coming in at chunky 9.4mm thick (140 x 71 x 9.4 mm). But if it's kind to our wallets, we're less likely to mind the weight.
Xperia Z vs Ascend D2 vs ZTE Grand S: Battery
Big screens require big batteries to keep them alive. Any shortage in this department and you've just committed to spending £36 a month for the next two years on a constant source of disappointment.
In terms of physical capacity, the Xperia Z offers a 2330mAh battery, the Grand S is rated at a low-end 1780mAh that's a surprisingly small choice given the size and power of the phone, while the Huawei contains an enormous 3,000mAh unit.
These will give varying levels of performance when in use, and Sony's making a big deal about the power-saving hibernation features within the Xperia Z, but on paper you'd have to choose the fatter Huawei for its potential uptime if you demand a long-life mobile.
The future's pink and at least five inches across
Xperia Z vs Ascend D2 vs ZTE Grand S: Early verdict
There's something to recommend in all three, is the sad, fence-sitting conclusion here. The Xperia Z will feature Sony's incredibly packed and versatile custom user interface, although the Android hardcore will moan that it's not appearing with Android 4.2 as its launch OS. It'll be a great piece of hardware, though.
ZTE's Grand S offers the slimmest chassis and is by far the lightest and most pocketable of the three big-screen phones, but the compromise here is the poor 1780mAh battery - surely not enough given the power demands of its quad-core chipset and enormous display.
The key offering from Huawei is its enormous battery, with that 3,000mAh cell set to be one of the otherwise chunky and otherwise unremarkable phone's biggest selling points. It's the fattest and heaviest of the trio, but with nearly double the battery power of the ZTE model, it'll surely keep you amused the longest.
New name, new phones - but does BlackBerry have new enough ideas?
Did the BlackBerry Z10 launch fall a bit flat? Not from where BlackBerry is sitting. "The feedback has been incredible," UK MD Rob Orr told us at the BlackBerry Jam developer event.
"And that's feedback right across the market, from developers to enterprise customers to walk-in buyers to the senior management in the mobile networks and the retailers, down to the Saturday store staff."
BlackBerry doesn't release sales figures itself; that's up to the retailers such as Carphone Warehouse and Phones 4U, or to market researchers GfK, but the stories about people walking into London stores such as Selfridges and buying 10 BlackBerry devices at a time? "There's been a lot of that," he claims. "And that's before we started the advertising…"
Want to sell a lot of phones? You need the mobile networks behind you - from the staff in phone shops who get asked for advice to the executives who decide on tariffs, special offers and which phones to put in their adverts.
The networks do a good job of sounding excited about all the new handsets that come along, but what's impressive is that BlackBerry can produce senior figures at every UK phone network who seem to actually understand the new features in BlackBerry 10.
Equally on side are the technical teams who test phones before they're allowed on the network. Testing can hold up your phone; look at how long it takes operators to approve new updates for Windows Phone. That makes it more impressive that some of them worked through Christmas to get BlackBerry Z10 handsets approved so they could go on sale quickly after launch.
Because BlackBerry didn't want to wait for Mobile World Congress 2013, with its flood of announcements and launches, timing was tight to find and fix any issues and get phones in boxes and on the shelves.
Instead of dragging their feet, the networks pitched in. "Over Christmas they had warehouses opening, labs opening," Orr told TechRadar. "The kit was coming through and we had testing taking place between Christmas and the New Year break to get us to the launch date - and that's quite rare. It's quite a rare thing for them to come out and say 'this is different, this is special and we are behind it'."
Why so helpful? "We're an important part of their business today. We're comfortably the third place platform in the UK market - and this helps me solidify that position and ultimately start to make inroads and grow it from where we are today."
BlackBerry and the competition
Where BlackBerry is today is, of course, behind iPhone and Android. We asked European MD STephen Bates: What has BlackBerry learned from the success of other devices?
"The difference between us and others is the choice we took - which was a hard choice. To develop a completely new platform has given us the ability to create a different user experience," he admitted.
"That's something that you cannot get if you were to OEM it from a third party. What the competition has done is setting this concept of an app grid. That's a great user experience and what we've done is taken that and moved it on to have a fresher, smoother, more integrated feel.
"It's about the flow, the gestures. With up to eight apps open and with your social networks in the hub, if you add it up you've probably got 15-16 things and the ability to flow across them and keep the context of what you're doing. That's a unique experience."
Bates is happy to admit that BlackBerry has learned lessons. "We haven't been perfect. We've learned a lot in the last two years and we've tried to take those learnings and build a new better BlackBerry.
"We've used this time to spend a lot of time talking to customers about what is the essence of BlackBerry; what do you like, what you do not like? For BlackBerry 10 we wanted to keep the essence of what BlackBerry is about and deal with the disqualifiers."
The essence of BlackBerry isn't just the keyboard or BBM, important as those are. "To me fundamentally it's a communications device where we deliver a capability to people who naturally multitask, who want to get lots of things done," added Bates.
We can flow across these worlds and enable you to interact with all the networks you want to connect with, be it Facebook, Twitter, BBM, Foursquare, Whatsapp, Skype - we don't care. Whatever your flavour of communications is, we want to deliver unique fast experiences, and that's what the hub is all about."
Plus there was dealing with the places BlackBerry was behind; Bates calls those table stakes, things BlackBerry just had to get right.
"We solved the classic reasons why people don't stay with BlackBerry; the browser, the apps, multimedia. We've now got probably the best browser. We've got a very competitive app market. Multimedia; the screen is simply beautiful."
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder of course; if you were hoping for dedicated apps, having iPlayer and YouTube open in the browser may be a surprise, but it is a browser that plays Flash and gets a higher score for HTML5 compatibility than the desktop versions of Chrome and Firefox.
(Sneakily, the browser has a new user agent, which means a site that's sending older BlackBerry users to a mobile version will give BB10 users the full desktop site because it won't recognise the agent.)
The 4.2-inch screen is larger than the iPhone 5's screen, and the 1280 x 760 resolution beats it and matches the Google Nexus 4 and Nokia Lumia 920. The pixel density is lower than the iPhone's retina display, but videos look more than acceptable and you have the HDMI out to push movies to a larger screen at 1080p as well.
Certainly, this is a world away from the low resolution screen and clunky video player in BB7, especially when you look at apps such as Nobex, which now plays video podcasts as well as internet radio stations.
And yes, it did take a push from other handset makers to get here. Or as Bates puts it with a more positive spin; "the consumer wins in all this because we've moved on; we've brought something fresh, we've brought something new. It's a great demonstration of the power of that competitive market."
The keyboard is coming
Around April the BlackBerry Q10 goes on sale. Why bring out a touchscreen phone first when BlackBerry is known for its physical keyboard?
Orr says this isn't just BlackBerry hedging its bets. "The reason we launched the touchscreen device first is because the BB10 platform was built as a gesture-based touch interface. We have gestures for peek and flow and the way we reinvented the experience is best showcased in a purely touch environment.
"But we built the keyboard phone because the BlackBerry base is very loyal to that tactile physical interface."
It also gives BlackBerry more time to get the right content. Some big name apps are ready (Facebook, Twitter, TuneIn and Angry Birds) with others "committed" to BlackBerry 10 but not launched yet (Skype, Kindle and Whatsapp), and BlackBerry "in talks" about getting Netflix and Instagram too.
It's disappointing that big names are waiting until BlackBerry has more users to finish delivering their apps (and there's no sign of Spotify, which just came out in beta for Windows Phone 8).
"We're going out and making sure we have specific apps and services that matter for this market, that we have the movies and music and content and shows that people want. So we have the BBC back catalogue and the ITV back catalogue in BlackBerry World," Orr points out when speaking on the benefits of BB10 in the UK.
"Things like having the tube map is important. BBC iPlayer is available on the device; that's important for the UK. New things will pop out and we need to jump on them."
It's interesting to note that BlackBerry World isn't filled with ported Android apps; those make up only 15% of the 70,000 apps at launch, and over half are native apps built in BlackBerry's own hardware-accelerated Cascades framework.
Orr echoed CEO Thorsten Heins, who called the launch the starting line rather than the finish line (which is especially true in the US, where the BlackBerry Z10 isn't available yet. "This is the start of the next 10 years of our evolution. There will be lots of exciting innovations and improvements along the way."
The first of those comes on the BlackBerry Q10 as a new feature called Type and Go. If you just start typing when you're not in an app, the BlackBerry will treat it as a command. Type 'email Paul' or 'BBM Dan' and that's what you'll find yourself doing.
Developers will be able to add these hotkeys to trigger their own apps, so you could start typing to open your favourite internet radio station or iPlayer channel. And yes, you'll be able to do that on the touch keyboard of the BlackBerry Z10 at some point.
"When we get an update [to BB10.1], it will come to the BlackBerry Z10 as well," head of software Vivek Bhardwaj told us. The main question is how to make it work without feeling like more work than just swiping across and opening the app with your thumb, which is why Type and Go is on the BlackBerry Q10 first.
There's no date for that BlackBerry Z10 update, or for getting BB10 on the BlackBerry PlayBook, but "BlackBerry 10 will be coming to the PlayBook at some point later this year," vice president Alec Saunders confirmed to us.
Sony is about to take console gaming into the future, and if industry experts are correct, that future will begin on February 20. That's when the Japanese giant will give the world its first glimpse at the PlayStation 4 at a press conference to be held in New York City.
Sony has remained tight-lipped about the event, but the Wall Street Journal claims that "people familiar with the matter" have confirmed the PS4's unveiling, making Sony the second player to enter the next-gen console arena in the past year, behind Nintendo (which unveiled its Wii U in November) and ahead of Microsoft, who hasn't made official any information about the Xbox 360 successor.
While the thought of a PS4 has us excited, we also can't help but wonder what this means for the PlayStation 3, which will undoubtedly see a price drop after Sony's announcement. To find out how good the PlayStation 3 deals may get, we turned to previous console announcements to see how they affected the prices of their predecessors.
The PS3 was announced at E3 in May of 2005. Prior to its announcement, deals for the PlayStation 2 had been averaging $160. After the announcement, the PS2 dropped to an all-time low of $129, or 56% its full retail price. At the time, that price was unheard of for the PS2.
Nintendo Wii and PS2 Hit All-Time Lows During Successor's Debut
Fast forward to the PS3's actual release to customers in November of 2006, and the PS2 dropped in price again; falling to a new all-time low of $116, or 61% off the full retail price.
In similar fashion, we found a Nintendo Wii deal that dropped to an all-time low of $89 (64% the full retail price) a week after the Wii U's debut last November. To this day that remains the best deal we've seen for a new Nintendo Wii console.
Naturally, these price drops are expected when any device's successor is announced, but if we go by these numbers, then deals on the PS3 160GB console could potentially hit as low as $144 (64% off full retail price). While that may sound extreme, keep in mind that we've already seen this model hit $200 multiple times in November and December (the 160GB PS3's lowest price to date).
For a system as powerful as the PS3, with a game library this large, $144 is an absolute steal for bargain hunters. The PS3 was also recently named one of the best Blu-ray players by CNET, another plus for the system.
PlayStation 4 deals to arrive 2 months after release
While it's anyone's guess as to when the PS4 will be available, it's never too early to begin thinking about deals. For that we turn to the only next-gen console available today — Nintendo's Wii U. The 8GB Wii U saw a $10 discount (3%) a month after its November debut. In January, it received a bigger $55 discount (18%) bringing it to an all-time low of $245. Not bad for a console that's less than three months old.
Meanwhile, the 32GB Wii U saw an equally modest $20 discount (5%) in January, and a more substantial $50 discount (14%) just weeks later. That brought the 32GB Wii U to an all-time low of $300. If the PS4 follows the same path, you could expect to see a 5% to 14% discount on the PS4 two months after its release.
Ultimately, this week's event from Sony is bound to be filled with surprises, but the real winners will be potential PS3 buyers who are likely to see new lows on Sony's still-popular console. To prepare, make sure to set up an email alert now for deals on PS3 and PS4 consoles, so you can jump on any price cuts the second we find them.
Republished with permission. Louis Ramirez is an avid gadget lover and Senior Feature Writer at Dealnews.
Stay ahead of the game with these top football-related apps
As legendary Liverpool manager Bill Shankly once said: "some people believe football is a matter of life and death - it is much, much more important than that."
That sentiment will ring true for any football fan, from those who stand on freezing terraces on Tuesday nights to those glued to the television every Saturday afternoon.
We've rounded up our top ten football apps for iPhone, which help you enjoy football even more.
Whether it's following your team, enjoying the finest goals from around the world or passing those hollow days between games, these are the best football apps for your iPhone.
1. Sky Sports Live Football Score Centre - free
Every Saturday, millions of people around the UK spend their afternoon feverishly glued to their TV, watching four grey-haired men from Sky Sports watch football.
US readers may find this a bizarre phenomenon, but if your team is in action, it's essential viewing.
Unfortunately, Saturday afternoons often have other dubious functions such as family, shopping and kids. If this sounds familiar, try Sky Sports Score Centre, which puts Jeff Stelling and his silver-haired gang in your pocket, with up-to-the-minute action from every game from the Premier League and Serie A to the Evo-Stick League, with team line-ups, live commentary and stats.
Football coverage is notoriously draconian and like our fathers and forefathers, most people have to wait for hours to see the day's action, but not you.
ESPN Goals enables you to watch the Premier League's stunning strikes minutes after the net stops rippling, absolutely free on your iPhone.
It's up to the minute coverage like you wouldn't believe, with excellent quality and it works over 3G. Make the most of it, however, because ESPN only has the rights until the end of the season, before Murdoch's papers snap them up.
If you take your football more seriously than those halfwits in the pub who spout half-baked observations based on tired cliches the FourFourTwo Stats Zone is the app for you.
It offers full analysis of all the Premier League games, from the basic shot count and possession to full pass maps and work rates of the players.
It's not just a pool of meaningless information for football geeks, as it can also be used for evil, adding insight to your fantasy football teams, weekend sports betting and pub trivia worth its salt.
A game for true football fans, Football Manager Handheld 2013 is a portable port of the classic PC game, which has sapped millions of collective hours from our youth.
It's made with footy-mad commuters in mind and while it's lighter on the options it retains all the compulsive enjoyment of its fully-featured predecessors.
The best thing about it isn't the breadth of teams or smooth learning curve, both of which are excellent, but that it can be picked up and put down easily, making it ideal for short journeys to work.
The game that took the world by storm last year, New Star Soccer is one of the best footy simulators out there. You command the career of an up-and-coming player who has to battle the conflicting interests of playing the modern game with gambling, sponsor commitments and high-maintenance girlfriends.
It may sound like a grown up version of The Sims because it is, but you get to score 40-yard wonder-strikes and enjoy your character having a better life than you.
So you've been dragged away for the weekend, the biggest game of the season is live on Sky Sports, and you're not sure what's worse: missing the turning point in the title chase or that you pay for Sky Sports and you're stuck in a rainy caravan in Morecombe.
Sky Go is the essential app for any iOS rocking Sky Sports subscriber, and it lets you watch the game live on your iPhone. We'd urge you to tweet the hashtag '#winning' but you might miss a goal.
The App Store is filled with footy games which let you flick and swipe balls into the net with varying degrees of majesty, but Score does it best.
Why? Because each of the wonder goals hammered home by your index digit are reenactments of the finest strikes in international football history.
Eagled-eyed gamers will spot them from the tournaments of yesteryear, from Michael Owen's mazy England goal that humbled Argentina in '98 to Dennis Bergkamp's dreamy volley in '96.
The game's made better by the rating system of the goals, and you need to get them perfect to unlock the next set; think Angry Birds does football and you're there.
Right, keep this one on the down-low because Rupert Murdoch will go mad if he finds out: 101 Great Goals has links to every decent goal in world football, usually with Middle Eastern commentary.
If your friend asks "did you see Messi's goal on Sunday where he beat 10 players and pirouetted the ball into the net?" you can find it in seconds.
The site also does a sideline in hilarious football GIFS, many of which feature Andres Villas Boas, who's hilarious in 10fps.
The Beeb has just released its official sports app, which puts all the latest football news at your fingertips. Not only is it great for the fascinating soap opera of football, but it also has live text commentary of the biggest games from the BBC's World-renowned team of journalists.
It's also fully customisable, so you can choose to filter football stories from the vastly less important rugby, tennis and athletics news.
You're in a strange city and it's almost the lunchtime kick-off - time to find a pub. Leaving it up to your mate who reckons "he knows somewhere nearby" is a sure-fire recipe for missing the first half or ending up in a friendly local Millwall hangout.
Leave nothing to chance with MatchPint, which find the games on TV and tells you where's showing them, offering reviews of the establishment in question and will even guide you there using Google Maps.
It's one of many apps that do similar things, but the simple interface and multitude of users make it a top-scorer in our eyes.
Football Week is the essential weekly magazine for fans, made by Future Publishing, the parent company of TechRadar in partnership with the Press Association.
It's a brand-new digital magazine only available on iPad, which has previews of all the weekend's Premiership matches, with in-depth features as live coverage of the action.
It has the quality of a magazine, the interactive features of an app and the immediacy of a website. What's more, you can get the first five issues free.
M7, like a G6, but also nothing like it. (credit: PocketNow)
What's that coming over the hill? Another monster smartphone, you say? Well, you may just be right as word continues to spread about the HTC M7 - although the volume of reports from various sources make it likely it will be called the HTC One.
The HTC One X and One X+ look to be on their way out at the top of the Taiwanese firm's tree, with the HTC One the hotly-tipped successor.
HTC is looking to break the dominance enjoyed by Samsung and Apple over the past year and recapture the success it had with the original Desire.
HTC M7 name
In case you're confused: the HTC M7 and the HTC are one and the same thing; at least, according to the rumour mill. Here's why:
Although not officially announced, HTC boss Peter Chou has already flashed us the M7 briefly during an appearance at the firm's end of year party in Taipei.
You can also hear Chou and co chanting "HTC One", which at first we thought was just overexcitement from the firm about its One range of handsets, however as mentioned new reports suggest this will be the name of the M7 when it is launched. Other sources online have since 'confirmed' the same thing, although we won't know the exact name of the phone until the
If the handset does turn out to be the HTC One then things may get a little confusing considering we already have the HTC One X, One X+, One S, One V and co.
HTC One release date
Originally the HTC One was rumoured to make an appearance at CES 2013 in Las Vegas, but alas those reports didn't come to fruition.
It now looks like the HTC One launch has been set in stone with the Taiwanese firm sending out invitations to events in both London and New York scheduled for February 19.
Although the invite itself gives nothing away, TechRadar sources have said that this is indeed the HTC One launch event and the handset will be the firm's next flagship smartphone.
It's interesting that HTC has decided to announce the M7 before MWC 2013 begins in Barcelona later in the month… clearly the Taiwanese firm is worried about being lost in the noise by revealing the handset amid the fervour in Spain.
As far as the HTC One release date is concerned it looks like we'll only have to wait a couple of weeks for the handset to land in stores, with the latest rumours suggesting it will touch down on March 8.
However, in the US the release date is expected to be something a little later, with March 22 the latest time being given to rush down to your local emporium to get your hands on something a little bit fancy.
HTC One design
We've seen a few images pop up online claiming to be the HTC M7 and while none of them can be taken as gospel, it looks like the new flagship will follow in the design footsteps of the HTC 8X.
Next up was a more official looking press shot claiming to be for the HTC M7, with the design of its Windows Phone 8 touting brother the 8X apparent.
The smooth curved back, less flamboyant camera and squarer finish is one we're fond of, and if this shot turns out to be legit the M7 could be one fine looking smartphone.
However, things have turned a little more interesting as a new design has emerged, with a sleeker metal body and dual front-facing speakers, compared to the 8X-alike square design we've seen previously.
The Twitter account which leaked the first image on display here has dropped the new design, but this time @evleaks uses the HTC One name instead of M7.
Design wise the handset looks very similar to the one displayed in the initial leak, but this time we see it with the screen turned on which potentially shows the new HTC Sense 5 homescreen, as well as just two navigation buttons below - a departure from the usual three.
A countdown has also appeared online, ending unsurprisingly on the date when the new phone will be announced. What is interesting is the HTC One / HTC M7 is shown off in a lens flare-heavy video too, showing a metallic body and concentrating quite strongly on the camera too.
This means the newer pics do seem the most likely, which is a shame given the above design did look pretty tasty; that said, metal always does feel more premium, so let's wait and take a look to see what HTC can bring to the table.
A new picture of the phone has emerged in black, and boy, does it look like the BlackBerry Z10 - again, this one comes from @evleaks:
A fan has even put together a video showing the hints dropped by HTC countdown; take a look and decide for yourself how the final phone will look:
HTC M7 price
The HTC M7 is going to be a flagship smartphone and therefore will carry a flagship (read: expensive) price tag.
According to French site FrAndroid, the HTC M7 will probably set you back around €649.99 (£560/$880/AU$855).
HTC One screen
Early rumours suggested that the HTC One would roll up with a 5-inch display, which would have put it firmly in competition with the Xperia Z, Huawei Ascend D2 and ZTE Grand S.
This no longer seems to be the case with a number of subsequent reports all pointing towards a 4.7-inch display - which is the same size as the screen on the One X and One X+.
The key difference is that the HTC M7 display will have a full HD 1080p resolution, which still makes as, if not more, attractive compared with the three 5-inch handsets mentioned above.
HTC M7 operating system
Leaked images of the HTC M7 along with various rumours all point towards the handset running Android Jelly Bean, which certainly is no great surprise - although we're not sure if it will be version 4.1 or 4.2.
More interestingly some reports suggest that the arrival of the HTC One will also see the launch of a new version of HTC's famed Android overlay - Sense 5.0.
The current iteration of Sense is version 4+ which arrived alongside One X+ (see what they did there), so we wouldn't be surprised if a more major overhaul was on the cards.
This thinking was then backed up a few days later when screenshots appeared online claiming to show off Sense 5.0, sporting a more streamlined homescreen and cleaner approach.
On top of that, more screenshots of HTC's Sense 5.0 have leaked on a different device: the HTC G2, so it seems very likely we'll get a new version of the brand's overlay at the forthcoming launch.
HTC One processor
No surprise in the power department as we hear the HTC One processor will be a Qualcomm 1.7GHz quad-core offering, which will provide more than enough get up and go for Android Jelly Bean.
It looks set to be a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro offering with 2GB of RAM behind it to ensure everything keeps ticking over nicely.
Specifications
As well as the hotly tipped full HD display, quad-core processor and Jelly Bean platform the HTC M7 is also expected to pack some other treats.
UnwiredView goes on to claim the HTC M7 will feature 4G connectivity, next-gen Wi-Fi technology and Beats Audio from Dr. Dre.
In terms of storage the HTC One is looking set to pack 32GB and follow in the footsteps of the flagship One X, One X+ and 8X with no expandable storage option.
Battery life in HTC's flagship smartphones has come under scrutiny recently and we hope the rumoured 2,300mAh power pack, which would be the biggest battery the firm has put in a smartphone to date, will be able to cut the mustard.
The high resolution display and powerful processor of the HTC One does leave us a little worried, so fingers crossed the Taiwanese firm has done it power consumption sums if this is true.
HTC One camera
According to HTCSource and UnviewedView round the back you'll probably find a 13MP with modes such as HDR and slow-motion, while the front of the M7 will play home to a 2MP snapper.
And there's a strong rumour that HTC will be breaking new ground on the camera phone with the introduction of Ultrapixels bringing more colourful and sharper images than ever before, thanks to packing three sensors under the hood - possibly with a 4MP sensor only, but we've yet to see how HTC's going to explain THAT one to the masses.
The beefed up M7 camera with ultrapixel technology has been given more credibility after HTC produced an info graphic hinting at a 'new sound and camera experience' for this year.
And now we have word that a 'Zoe camera' will be making its debut - whether this will be the actual name for Ultrapixels or not isn't clear at the moment, but it is another confirmation that only a 4MP sensor will be used - we're excited to see how this plays out at the official launch event.
The Samsung Galaxy S4 could only be a month away and therefore leaks are happening on an almost daily basis, with the latest supposedly revealing the specs of the flagship device.
According to a PDF document 'leaked' by a Korean financial services firm the Galaxy S4 will sport a 5-inch, 1920x1080 display, quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM and run the latest version of Android Jelly Bean, 4.2.
In terms of a Samsung Galaxy S4 release date the document has March listed, although this is more likely to be the date of the launch event rather than the time the handset goes on sale.
Not so fast
The information has hardly come from a compelling source so we're not getting carried away with the features listed here, nor is there a strong case for the firm to even be in possession of said details (often, this is a researcher building a case from internet rumours) but it does seem to tally up pretty well with other rumours surrounding the handset.
In a separate report, a couple of images have popped up on Picasa claiming that they were taken on a Samsung GT-I9505, thought to be the international version of the Galaxy S4.
The blurry shots showing the rear of a computer tower are hardly awe-inspiring, plus the EXIF data attached to the snaps revealing the device they were taken on can be easily forged.
Both images sport a 2322 x 4128 resolution which would suggest the Samsung Galaxy S4 is packing a 13MP camera, although we're not pinning much hope on the authenticity of these pictures.
What we do know though is that the Galaxy S4 won't be making an appearance at MWC 2013 next week, with Samsung looking set to launch some new tablets such as the Galaxy Note 8.0 and Galaxy Tab 3 range at the Barcelona show instead.
You could be popping down to the Google Shop to pick up Christmas presents this year, as it looks like Google may open up some high street stores.
"An extremely reliable source" told 9 to 5 Google that stand-alone Google retail outlets would open in "major metropolitan areas" in the US in time for the festive shopping season.
It's a step on from the Google-branded zones in Best Buy in the US and PC World in the UK, where customers can already get some face time with Chromebooks and Nexus products before they invest.
Expertise
With more tablets and smartphones coming from Google itself and Google Glass on the horizon, it makes a certain amount of sense for there to be somewhere you can try the whole Google family out before buying.
Indeed, the source reckons that the imminent release of Google Glass prompted the decision to open stores because it's such a complex product - and the fact that Apple Stores do so wonderfully well won't have hurt the idea either.
As this speculation resides firmly in the realm of rumour at the moment, there's no word on whether the UK, Australia or any other areas of the world will see that familiar primary colour swirl pop up next to H&M and Gap - but, rest assured, we'll be keeping an eye out.
The HTC M7, or HTC One as it's becoming more commonly known, looks set to sport some fancy camera tech, with a 4MP "Zoe" camera leaked.
Hearts may sink a little when 4MP is read as the high-end smartphones of today are boasting 13MP snappers, but word is that ultrapixels could be at play in the HTC One to mitigate that.
Twitter user @flapic last week tweeted a picture claiming to show the HTC One in black along with the message: "New HTC One press shot leaks. Confirmed S4 Pro 1.7GHz, 2GB RAM, 32GB storage and 4Mpx ZOE room."
Focus on camera
We're not sure what the user means by "Zoe room", but HTC has also teased camera related tech for its February 19 event after it tweeted a photo (above) of camera lenses alongside the date: "19.2.13".
There's certainly a lot of hype around the Taiwanese firm's next flagship device, with some impressive specs being mooted including a full HD 4.7-inch display, quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage.
We'll be at both the London and New York launch events on February 19 to bring you all the latest on HTC's next handset and any new tech it may have packed inside.
