This is the first Firefox OS tablet we've seen (credit: Engadget)
Mozilla continued to hype its Firefox OS plans at Computex in Taiwan this week, revealing a deal with manufacturer Foxconn as well as the first Firefox OS tablet.
Foxconn and Mozilla will collaborate on numerous devices using the HTML5-based Firefox OS, said a press release sent out today.
Foxconn's involvement won't be limited to hardware production, either.
The announcement said that "Foxconn is extending past its origins…to a combination of integrated software and hardware offerings, which extends its domain to the open operating platform and positively carries out its integration plan of hardware, software, content, and services."
Firefox OS getting off the ground
Firefox OS is launching this month in emerging markets, and Mozilla is no doubt eager to see how its baby will be received.
"Because of our shared vision, we are excited to work with Mozilla," said Foxconn innovation Digital System Business Group general manager Young Liu.
"Firefox OS from Mozilla is based on HTML5 and open web technologies. The whole idea perfectly matches to the strategies promoted by Foxconn. We believe that the integration of software and hardware development will offer greater benefits to our customers and consumers," Liu continued.
What's that tablet?
Mozilla also showed off its first Firefox OS tablet at Computex, according to Engadget.
Despite the tablet's appearance, though, few details were provided.
It's unclear if the tablet is part of the Foxconn partnership or something else entirely, but hopefully more will be revealed soon.
We've asked Mozilla to provide more information about the mysterious Firefox OS tablet, and we'll update this story if and when we receive any.
Waiting for your opportunity to switch to Firefox OS? Here's why TechRadar thinks it might be the next Android.
Let’s not fool ourselves. When it comes to the smartphone market in the United States and around the world, there are effectively two major players: we have Apple’s iOS and we have Google’s Android. That being said, third place isn’t being much of a contest either as Microsoft’s Windows Phone platform actually continues to grow.
In fact, when you compare the three month period ending in April 2013 to the three month period ending in February 2013, Windows Phone actually grew over 36% in terms of market share in the United States. To be fair, even with that growth, Windows Phone still only occupies a mere 5.6% share in the American smartphone market, but that’s a pretty sizable improvement over the 4.1% it had previously. To put that in perspective, RIM stayed steady at 0.7% and Symbian, oddly enough, increased from 0.1% to 0.3%. The growth of Windows Phone can largely be attributed to Nokia and its launch of the Nokia Lumia 620, as well as its wider availability of the Lumia 820 and Lumia 920. And then there is low-cost Lumia 520/521.
As far as Android and iOS are concerned, Apple fell from 43.5% to 41.4% and that’s probably because we’re still waiting on a new iPhone refresh later this year. By contrast, Android grew slightly from 51.2% to 51.7% and this trend may continue when the numbers for the HTC One and Samsung Galaxy S 4 come through. In any case, even though Windows Phone is a distant third, it has clearly established itself as the obvious third.
Acer's annual Computex event has only just kicked off, but already the Taiwanese manufacturer is making some bold statements and claims with its newly announced products.
After announcing a new phablet, the Liquid S1, and a new, minute Windows tablet in the Iconia W3, the range of touch screen devices manufactured by Acer is visibly on the rise.
It shouldn't come as a surprise then to learn Acer Chairman J.T. Wang believes touch screen devices will dominate the landscape at Acer in just a few years.
According to Wang, up to 80 percent of Acer's products will feature touch screens by the year 2015, with that steady growth already present by the end of 2013.
Touch too much
Speaking with Reuters at Computex 2013, Wang revealed sales of notebook computers with touch screens would rise from 25 percent this quarter to 30-35 percent by the end of this year.
That 10 percent leap is only the beginning of the rapid growth Wang and Acer expect to occur over the course of the next two years.
"Price and supply for touch panels provide some constraints now but that will ease and boost the penetration of touch devices," Wang said.
Even with PC sales struggling mightily in 2013, Acer believes the growing touch screen market will help revive the declining PC consumer base.
Acer has a variety of touch screen notebooks on the horizon, including the just-announced Aspire S7 Haswell revamp and the Zenbook Infinity, which could help it step out of fourth-place and into third.
Intel is helping make a major push for the mobile PC market with the Haswell chips, which could help Acer reach its estimates, but both companies had better hope PC sales are revitalized soon, otherwise it won't matter how many touch screen computers Acer has in its line-up.
Want to learn more about the best Windows 8 laptops? Check out handy guide for more information.
While we see a cheaper iPhone arrive this year? (credit: iPhoneclub.nl)
The iPhone. For many it's the hottest bit of tech you can own, a fashion statement and powerful travel companion all in one - but for others it's an overly expensive solution to a problem which is solved equally well by cheaper Android and Windows Phone devices.
But perhaps not for much longer. Alongside the talk of an inevitable iPhone 5S and iPhone 6, we've noticed a rash of slightly more eyebrow-raising news suggesting a cheap iPhone could be on the way.
Word of a budget iPhone has been doing the rounds for the past few years, but the reports have intensified post-iPhone 5.
Apple itself has been hit-and-miss when it comes to talking about a cheaper iPhone, with Senior Vice President of Worldwide Marketing Phil Schiller saying in January that the firm's focus will never be on low cost handsets, while CEO Tim Cook said "we are making moves to make things more affordable" in February - so make of that what you will.
We've perused all the leaks, claims, suggestions and "upstream supply chain" comments to bring you the latest vibe on the cheap iPhone and whether we will see one or not.
It's a (release) date!
Apple has stayed true to form and hasn't given any details away regarding its next smartphone(s), but we're expecting the next iPhone instalment to arrive in September, and thus this seems the mostly likely time for the budget iPhone to stride onto the scene.
Some sources have suggested the next fleet of iPhones could be with us sooner - around July/August time, which could mean we're in for a treat when WWDC (Apple's annual conference) rolls around in June.
Update: Case manufacturer Tactus claims the cheaper iPhone will arrive in October - which would fit in with the September/October launch event Apple is thought to have planned.
If the idea of a low-cost iPhone has taken your fancy then you may find it difficult to get hold of one when it initially goes on sale. According to a DigiTimes source the budget iPhone will have a limited release at first, with the focus being put on emerging markets.
Talk of an earlier release still hasn't gone away, with another source eyeing up the possibility of a WWDC arrival of the cheaper iPhone at the end of June.
How low can you go?
Price is the single biggest factor when it comes to a budget iPhone, but it's one part of the puzzle which has not seen much in the way of leaks.
A cheap iPhone needs to be able to challenge the cost effective Android and Windows Phone handsets which are currently populating the bottom end of the market, so really we'd like to see it rock up somewhere in the region of £200/$310/AU$300).
The only thing we've seen regarding the price of a cheaper iPhone is a rumour suggesting Apple is targeting the $330 (around £210/AU$310) price point - which would be nice.
There is some confusion over the screen size of the cheaper iPhone, with some reports suggesting it will pack a 4.5-inch display, while others point towards a smaller 4-inch offering - similar to the one found on the fifth generation iPods and iPhone 5.
If Apple are really looking at a more affordable iPhone we'd be surprised if it turns up sporting a screen which is bigger than the iPhone 5, and we reckon 4 inches or below is far more likely.
Don't go expecting the budget iPhone to pack the beautiful retina display of its brothers though, with the low-cost handset far more likely to land a lower resolution - possibly 1,136 x 640.
Update: Other reports suggest Apple may return to its origins and supply the cheaper iPhone with a 3.5-inch display.
Plastic fantastic
We've become accustomed to the iPhone's premium design, with high quality materials oozing style and class, but things could well get a lot more plastic with a cheaper iPhone.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Apple is looking to clad the budget iPhone in polycarbonate, instead of aluminium and toughened glass, in an attempt to keep the cost down.
Update: Our first proper glimpse of the cheap iPhone might be the offering below, which shows a while handset with a lovely plastic finish and a design which is reminiscent of the iPhone 3GS. According to this report you can expect to see the budget iPhone rock up in black, white, blue, red or yellow variants.
Credit: Tactus
Stop, colour time
What's this, an iPhone which doesn't just come in black and white? Well yes, that may become reality with a cheaper iPhone on the cards.
Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo (who actually has a decent track record) reckons the budget iPhone will be available in a range of colours, with apparently between four and six choices.
This was followed by sources who spoke to Macotakara, claiming the cheap iPhone will be available in five colours - which could see it sport the same blue, red and yellow which accompany the black and white on the current range of iPods.
More, more, more
In terms of other specs details have been hard to come by for the budget iPhone, although we've now seen a report which suggests the handset will sport an A5 processor and 5MP rear camera.
The Samsung Galaxy S4 has finally landed - and we loved it, as you'll see through our in-depth review. It's light, slim and powerful, and has the best screen we've seen on a smartphone.
But we know what you're like. You're already thinking about the Galaxy S5. You're looking at the S4 and wondering: "You know what, could Samsung have done better in some areas? Like make it FLY?"
Well, clearly you're insane if you're asking for that, but your point is valid: there's always more than can be done to make the ultimate smartphone.
Word is that Samsung is already hard at work on the design of the new range of devices: simply codenamed 'Design 3.0' top level meetings have already begun in Seoul to make sure the new Galaxy range is more revolutionary.
To that end, we've put our thinking caps on and done the work for the South Korean firm - here are the things that we simply must have on the Galaxy S5 to make it a success and beat the new HTC One:
A flexible design
Anyone using an HTC One will know that the reaction it inspires really is immense.
It's no exaggeration to say that more often than not, people will say: 'Wow, what's that?'. The sad fact is that we just don't get the same reaction from the S4, with most people just actually thinking it's the Galaxy S3.
One of its predecessor's main criticisms was that the use of plastic made it look and feel cheap (that even applies to the Galaxy S2 from a few years back – though not the Galaxy S, since few people took any real notice of the first iteration.)
When the S4 was announced, it didn't even need to be felt – people instantly criticised how cheap that all-plastic façade is going to feel.
Sure, it keeps the phone light (in fairness, the HTC One weighs a fair bit in the hand, by comparison) but Apple's managed to pull off glass and metal and lightness with the iPhone 5 so surely Samsung can manage the same. If only to annoy Apple even more.
The other ideal would be to utilise its flexible display technology - Youm - to bring some new techology to the new design. We're not talking a completely bendy phone (that would actually be rubbish right now) but how about the designs shown off at trade shows recently? That would be amazing.
A sleeker system
One of the things we've always liked about Samsung is that it pushed the envelope in terms of what its phones could do. It added innovation, it did things nobody else did, and then it worked out how to package it in a way that made things simple and looked half decent.
In this respect, its nadir was the Samsung Galaxy S3. Yes, it felt too cheap, but it had tonnes of innovation under the hood (Smart Stay, for instance, wasn't a total waste of time).
The problem was it went overboard with the Galaxy S4. Smart Scroll, Smart Pause and more all added complexity to a system that was already close to the limit, so all those selling points became annoyances and were quickly turned off.
Samsung, you're great at one thing: making innovation usable. With the Samsung Galaxy S5 think about that and make sure that if you add in flexible screens or eye tracking technology to create auto-3D images, you do it in a way that genuinely adds something to our lives, not just innovation for the sake of it.
If you need to make some space, get rid of that front and back cameras dual-recording feature. Nobody is ever going to use that.
Bigger battery
We always ask for these and the S4 has graced us with a larger power pack than the S3 – it's up from 2,100 to 2,600mAh. It's a fairly decent jump – but still likely to just give a day of moderate use thanks to that huge, sharp screen.
Just look at the HTC One – that has a 2,300mAh power pack yet struggles to exceed the 1,440mAh battery of the iPhone 5 in daily usage. The fact of the matter is that the OS has a huge part to play – so upping the mAh count doesn't necessarily mean a revolution in terms of endurance.
The Motorola RAZR Maxx has been out since last summer and manages to pack in a 3,300mAh battery, which genuinely puts the hours in.
Since Samsung is such a technologically advanced company, if it were to come up with something huge like a 4,000mAh pack that's slim to boot, it would nail the Android market (even more.) Come on boys – you have a year to do this.
Stereo speakers
Again we're drawing a comparison with the HTC One here but that's to be expected; especially since said device will be its main Android competitor (along with the Sony Xperia Z, of course, which we mustn't forget.) But there is something unique here.
See, HTC has raised the bar here – the sound bar, that is. Some assumed it would be a gimmick, putting two speakers on the front of the phone and calling it BoomSound. But here's the thing: it does sound amazing. To the extent that we often leave calls ringing longer than we need to so that we can enjoy the ringtone.
The Galaxy S4 doesn't go for anything so lavish – offering a mere grill on the back with a small speaker we fully expect to be loud, yet tinny. Sure, there may be limited call for deep surround sound or anything as elaborate, but why scrimp on features when including so much in other areas?
We imagine Group Play will be Samsung's answer – but considering that requires other Galaxy owners, it's a bit of a faff.
Samsung could really pull something unique out the bag here – especially considering it's got a proven relationship with audio extradordinaires Bang and Olufsen. Even the iPhone 5 speaker is fairly decent – so come on Sammy.. finger out, please.
FM Radio
Odd one this, but the S4 is the first Galaxy device to not ship with an FM radio. It's a bit of an add-on that many don't use, but others (especially commuters) are very attached to their FM radio feature on their phones.
Samsung's already stated that it left the S4 FM radio out not through any technical issue, but because more people are now streaming their music through YouTube and online services. Which is true. Apps like TuneIn Radio do offer a great service.
The problem is that you're reliant on a good web connection for this – at the very least, 3G, and even then, there can be problems with buffering. The majority of journeys will pass through different signal strengths and types and this just means that you'll have to stop listening to the radio whether you want to or not.
Sure, we know that firm decisions lead to progress (look at Steve Jobs refusing to fit a floppy drive on the original iMac) but this just smacks of silliness since it would have made absolutely no difference to Samsung. We're even thinking of writing to our local MP about it.
Beam it up, Sammy
We'll lay this on the line before we start: this is one of our more fanciful wishes, given the technology (and desire from many consumers) is a long way away. But we'd love to see a projector built into the S5. Samsung managed it already with the Galaxy Beam last year, even though that was a bit of a niche device. But it makes perfect sense.
Forget AllShare (or maybe not 'forget' but at least run it alongside) and turn the S5 into something that everybody can enjoy. The problem is now that if you want to share your photos/videos etc, you either have to buy a dongle or have a Smart TV. It's very niche.
Apple has managed to do well with marketing its AirPlay so you can stream YouTube etc to Apple TV but again, you have to fork out for an Apple TV to do it, then turn the thing on, change your TV input source and so forth.
Wouldn't it be great if you could just stream everything using a projector to a wall? Obviously, there are issues with light interference, but we're sure Samsung could invent something that overcomes that problem.
And with those amazing stereo speakers we're lobbying for, it would also sort out the audio problem. Hey, it could even lead to more uptake of things like WatchON, with people buying movies and then streaming them straight to the wall when friends are round. There's an incentive for you there, Samsung.
Streamlined stores
Speaking of WatchON, this would be something we'd like to see sorted: a true partnership with Google. Sure, we realise that hell is more likely to see temperatures drop below freezing before then, but the issue is that there is just too much choice.
We're all for freedom – but when you have both Google and Samsung trying to sell you songs, movies, books, apps and magazines at the same time, through competing apps, it gets a little tiring.
The app drawer is littered with more options than you can shake a stick at and for those who aren't completely au-fait with smartphone tech, it's a little confusing and intimidating.
Apple makes so much of the whole fact that it is just one company providing everything – the next best thing would be for Samsung to work out with Google a common strategy for sharing revenue here and at least streamlining it for the consumer.
We know it's not going to happen because Google won't want to favour Samsung – and also there is the matter of Samsung wanting to end its dependence on Google (hence the Tizen revolution we're not really expecting), but it's nice to dream of one, unified store.
3D screen
We've left this one to last as this probably sounds the most ridiculous – but it's worth giving it a moment's thought. See, screen resolutions have hit the ceiling now. Back when Nokia invented the 7650 with its tiny colour palette, we cooed.
When the 7210 came along with a square screen rocking 4096 hues, we gasped. And when the iPhone 4 launched with the famous Retina branding, it really was revolutionary.
But phones like the S4 and HTC One now have PPIs that destroy home flatscreen TVs. There isn't any point in making them sharper, because the eye can't discern any difference. We have, pretty much, reached a plateau.
3D's not taken off as well as it could have with TV's. Yeah, it's great to play with, but it's hardly making the waves that the HD revolution did. And it has been tried before with LG. Remember the Optimus 3D?
We only gave it 3.5 stars when it came out the best part of two years ago and there was a reason: glasses-free 3D just wasn't there. As we'd seen with the Nintendo 3DS, it tired the eyes very quickly, it had to be viewed at exactly the right angle and was pretty much just a fad.
Bearing in mind how much Samsung really wants to get one over on LG here (only recently, we looked at the intense competition between the two firms in Seoul), just think how much this could motivate Samsung to pull out a really decent solution.
There's a glimmer of hope here: Samsung has already patented the idea to use dual camera to track your eye direction, which would mean the 3D image would follow your eyes and would completely negate the need to keep your head in the 'sweet spot'.
App makers are more likely to make 3D apps for the Galaxy range because it is not an also-ran Android line but (at least some would say) the Android iteration to go for. And Samsung could sponsor these apps to get them in the Google Play store (or Samsung's own). Movies, the camera, games, even the OS, could be transformed with the right technique.
And there concludes our wish list. Sure, it's elaborate. And we'll be surprised if the less obvious points above make the final build of the S5. But there is no doubt that Samsung will already be hard at work on planning the S4's successor – and we'd love to see some really unique features introduced.
A year's a long time in mobile life. And we've seen just how much a company can go from HTC Hero to zero (OK, HTC wasn't quite at the lowest level – but don't ruin our analogy). HTC was the Android maker for a time and has been usurped by Samsung.
It may be on the up with the HTC One again – it certainly stands a chance – but the competition is fiercer than it's ever been. And it'll get uglier before it gets better. Samsung will need to work hard to keep its Android crown.
The arrival of the much rumoured Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom is becoming more and more likely as details on the handset begin to leak around the world.
Earlier today we saw Samsung Kazakhstan apparently reveal details of the S4 Zoom alongside the Galaxy Note 3 and Galaxy Tab 3 10.1 on its site - and this has now be followed by information obtained from the FCC in America.
Although the leak doesn't give away a great deal, it looks like the Galaxy S4 Zoom is set to sport a 125.3 x 63.3mm frame with NFC, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0 all inside - although 4G compatibility remains a mystery.
More blips!
Ahead of Samsung's June 20 event in London, why not focus your attention of some more blips.
When the Samsung Galaxy Note first arrived “on scene”, there were many folks that felt it was way too damn big. Fast-forwarding a bit, and 5-inch+ handsets are very common. There are also quite a few devices that exist in the 5.5-inch + categories, calling themselves Note competitors.
What many of these handsets are missing is what sets the Galaxy Note apart from other “big phones” or phablets – a stylus. Asus is changing this, introducing its Asus FonePad Note, a 6-inch Full HD Android handset that comes with a digital stylus and a powerful 1.6GHz dual-core Atom Z2560 processor.
Outside of the 1080p display, Intel processor and stylus, we also get 2GB RAM, a DC-HSPA+ modem, 8MP back cam, 1.2MP front-cam, and front stereo speakers. Unfortunately, the phone doesn’t feature LTE, which may or may not be a deal breaker for some.
This certainly looks like an interesting device, though we currently have no clue how much it will cost, when it will arrive, or to what markets. What do you think, if priced aggressively, would you consider the Asus FonePad Note over the Galaxy Note series?
We're pretty certain to be seeing the Samsung Galaxy S4 Active at the pseudo-mysterious 'Galaxy and Ativ' event in London later this month, and more colours are now emerging.
It's obviously super-easy to change the hue of a device with any version of Photoshop, but we'd expect to see the black version of the device – and that teal colouring looks pretty neat too.
The black version has been pegged as only coming to AT&T in the US, but that seems really unlikely seeing as it's the colour that should be launched as the worldwide flagship.
Show off
Good ol' tipster @evleaks is responsible for the unveiling of the two pictures of the forthcoming handsets, which corroborates the fact it will share many similarities with the original Galaxy S4.
One of the big questions is whether there will be a removable battery and microSD slot – and while it doesn't look obvious, we'd expect something like the screw that holds the cover on the Samsung Galaxy Xcover 2 to be concealing these goodies.
You won't have to wait too long to find out what's going to be announced at the Early's Court event – in the meantime, why not take a look at our Galaxy S4 review and work out what all the fuss is about – and whether that fragile little phone needs a bit of toughening up.
Acer is at the Computex event with their latest smartphone, the Liquid S1. The device features a massive 720p 5.7-inch display, the same as the one on the ZTE Grand Memo, and it is running Android 4.2.
The device is coming equipped with a Mediatek quad-core 1.5GHz processor and 1GB of RAM, along with 8GB of storage expandable up to 32GB through microSD. It has an 8MP back cam and a 2MP front one, and there’s also a replaceable 2,400mAh battery which, according to Acer, will allow the handset to last a day.
There are two SIM card slots, but no LTE folks. There are no hints regarding a US release (it probably is not coming), but they have said that the device is headed to Asia and Europe. It will be available in white and black in Q3 across France, Belgium, Netherlands, Ukraine, Russia, UK and Germany with a price tag of 329 euros (around $427).
That screen size means that it will be a bit difficult for single handed use, though it weighs 195g, just 15 grams heavier than the Galaxy Note II, and apparently feels light in the hands. And it has a matte finish black plastic on the back and the sides have contoured aluminum grips, so you will get a good grip.
As you will see in the video, which comes to us courtesy of Engadget, the UI is almost a stock one. There are some additions to the software, such as the pop-up window which will be revealed when you hold down on the multitask button.
They have also unveiled their Iconia W3 which is the first 8 inch Windows 8 tablet. It features Intel’s dual-core 1.8GHz Atom Z2760 processor, and 32GB or 64GB of internal storage. Check out the video below to take a peek at the slate.
Sky's popular Sky Go service is adding sports highlights to its sturdy offering, allowing you to catch up on things like British Lions tries, wickets from the forthcoming Ashes series and the Monaco Grand Prix.
As ever, Android owners cannot use the service yet and have to wait (im)patiently while iOS users soak up all the new stuff. But it's better than nobody getting it, we suppose.
The Sky Sports highlights are available in the On Demand section of Sky Go, and if you are a Sky Go Extra subscriber you can also download them to your Apple device.
More Blips!
We've got our own sporting* highlights - click here for more mega blip uploads!
Vodafone UK has announced that it will be making a massive new investment in its infrastructure ahead of the launch of its 4G network in the summer.
The British network will spend £900m to bring together its fixed and mobile infrastructure - hoping to provide its customers and businesses with a better service.
The stated goal is to create a seamless network that will allow users to switch between fixed and mobile, something that would be a real boon.
Cable & Wireless
As part of this plan Vodafone snapped up Cable & Wireless Worldwide for £1 billion in 2012, and is hoping that its improvements will allow more of us to work from any location.
Of course, the biggest factor is the arrival of 4G, the next generation mobile network which will bring much better data speeds and compete with an existing network from EE as well as the other major networks.
The investment is certainly significant, although Vodafone's competitors are of course also paying out to make their networks ready for the next generation.
Apple's answer to Spotify and Pandora looks to have taken a big step closer to reality, with growing rumours that a deal with Warner has been done ahead of a big reveal at WWDC.
Locally stored music is being squeezed by streaming services like Spotify, with subscriptions allowing access to huge music libraries and cool things like discovery based on your favourites and tracking what your friends are listening to.
Apple, whose iTunes software has been dominant because of the dominance of the iPod and the rise of the iPhone is aware of this evolution and has been planning its own streaming service often dubbed iRadio.
Wheeling and dealing
The negotiations with the music companies appears not to have been straighforward, but the sealing of a deal with Warner, following on from Universal Music Group gives it two of the biggest companies with music rights.
Check out all our news on Apple's rumoured iRadio service
There are major deals to be done - not least with Sony Music Entertainment, which obviously brings a new frisson of rivalry.
But Apple is expected to join the streaming music party soon, albeit late, with what is widely expected to be a free but ad-funded service.
