BlackBerry World could soon be inundated with Android apps
BlackBerry has reportedly begun approaching Android app and game developers about getting their native Android apps directly into the BlackBerry World app marketplace.
Apparently the next BlackBerry firmware update will support native Android apk files directly, and porting them over will require very little work from developers, according to Good e-Reader.
The digital publishing news site reports that it spoke with at least four Android app developers at CES 2014 who confirmed that BlackBerry had approached them about publishing their apps directly to BlackBerry 10.
According to the site, these developers need do nothing more than make BlackBerry World profiles and submit icons, screenshots and app descriptions for their existing Android apps to appear in the BlackBerry 10 app ecosystem.
A whole new world
BlackBerry 10 users will reportedly be able to download these apps directly to their devices, just as if they were normal BB10 apps. These devices are said to include the BlackBerry Q5, Q10, Z10 and Z30.
BlackBerry stands to benefit enormously from its app ecosystem being inundated with Android apps, and if it really is that easy for Android developers to expand to BlackBerry World then that could very well happen.
Good e-Reader claims this feature will become available in the BlackBerry 10.3 update, but users in a CrackBerry forum thread discussing the article claim that it will actually be in BlackBerry 10.2.1.
In either case, it seems the feature could arrive soon.
We've asked BlackBerry to provide a statement and clarify when BlackBerry devices will support native Android apps, and we'll update here when possible.
Like many of the devices already on the market, the attractive Sony SmartBand will track the wearers movement patterns throughout the day and report the findings back to a smartphone app.
However, thanks to the 'Core' chip that slips inside the SmartBand, it'll can also discern the length of the activity, meaning users can harness stats on how long they walked, ran, travelled or even slept.
Beyond that, the Core technology is also somewhat of a lifestyle assistant. It tracks when you take photos, what music you listened to and when you consumed other forms of entertainment.
The idea is to provide users with a means of "watching their lifestyle back on screen," according to Sony
The data harnessed by the Core will also inform recommendations for inspirational workout playlists, while Sony also plans to open up the technology to developers, allowing for endless possibilities.
Sony has promised more detailed information regarding the SmartBand and the Core chip, but in the meantime you can read our hands on review from CES.
After months on sale, the HTC One is still our top pick of the smartphones available at the moment - and with all new software, it's now even better.
While it may not have been borne out in sales, the One is definitely the phone that the likes of Samsung and Apple have been aspiring to.
It's got a full HD screen crammed into 4.7-inches, which brings a 468ppi – well above what's needed for the eye to discern, and it does definitely bring sumptuous sharpness throughout the use of the phone.
On top of that there's a good CPU and RAM combo, a more-than-enough 32GB of storage and top-end Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and 3G / 4G connections, all topped off by a completely re-imagined version of HTC Sense. What's not to like?
It's at the sharp end of the smartphone price scale, although can be had for around £34 per month on a two year deal in the UK, which isn't too bad at all compared to the competition. On a SIM free deal, it's still not too bad: £480 for the phone without having to monkey about with a network.
Given the One is now nearly a year on sale, the price is a little high for our tastes - there are better specified, if not designed, phones on the market, and be warned that its successor is likely to drop in the next few months.
The design of the HTC One is something that you simply have to experience in the hand though. Where those that pick up the Samsung Galaxy S4 will go ' Oh, it's a bit plastic, isn't it? But ooh, it's quite light' and those who encounter the iPhone 5S will, to a person, say 'Ooh, it's very light isn't it? You don't expect it to be that light!' those that try the HTC One will simply intone: 'Oh, that's really nice. Really, really nice.'
And do you know why? Simple: the HTC One is one of the best-designed phones on the planet. Not content with inventing a new machining process to allow the body to be all aluminium, the Taiwanese firm has extended the screen to the edges of the chassis further than ever before, meaning you're getting a 4.7-inch Full HD display without the additional heft you'd probably expect.
It's even thinner than its predecessor, the HTC One X (we know, that naming strategy leaves a lot to be desired) and as such slides nicely in the pocket.
It's not light either, weighing more than most of the competition, but rather than feeling overweight, combined with the metallic chassis is oozes a premium build. Samsung is probably hoping not a lot of people hold this phone side-by-side with the Galaxy S4 as otherwise the buying choice is going to be a lot more of a worry for the Koreans.
On top of that, there's a whole host of little design wins that delight when you first try the HTC One. For instance, the machined holes that allow sound toe emanate from the dual front-facing speakers (can you say BOOMSOUND?) looks amazing, and the lines on the back of the phone give a nice textured movement to things, helping to break up the constant greyness of the aluminium.
You could argue that straight on it looks far too much like either an iPhone 5, with its chamfered edges, or a BlackBerry Z10 front on, and you'd have a good point as this phone doesn't reinvent the rectangle-with-rounded-edges formula that we're so used to, but in the hand the curved back brings a whole new dimension to things.
There's a zero-gap construction at work here as well, which means that you won't find any gaping distance, holes or light leakages to make you feel like you've not spent your hard-earned cash on something wonderful.
The volume control on the right-hand side of the phone is in the same dazzling metal, and contrasts nicely with the rubber/plastic that makes up the sides. Our sample actually showed a fair amount of wiggle in this area, and slightly detracted from the overall premium feel. However, later models have deleted this problem, so chances are you won't notice it either.
The power button resides on the top, and doubles as the infra-red blaster - however, this is one of the poorer points as it doesn't have a whole lot of travel.
Similarly, the placement of this button, even on a phone that's been shrunk down while accommodating a larger screen, is still a bit inconvenient. We had to shuffle the phone around in the palm to turn it on and off on many occasions, and a lot of the time we couldn't use our thumb to hit the whole of the screen without jiggling the phone up and down.
That's another problem with the design: it's pretty slippery thanks to the metallic chassis. We thankfully only ever suffered two serious drops when we were about a foot off the carpet (basically scrabbling for it to turn off the alarm in the morning) and a more alarming one stepping out of a cab, but there have been a few near misses when trying to manoeuvre around the screen.
If only that power button was on the side (as it is on the HTC One Max), or a physical home button unlocked the phone, this whole issue would be negated for a large part.
But as we mentioned, HTC has wandered away from the physical buttons - where once it put a trackpad in the Nexus One, now it's stripped the capacitive buttons down from three to two, with the multi-tasking option going the way of the dodo. You can still get the same functionality by double tapping the home button, but it's not the same.
Overall though, you can guess we're impressed with the construction and design of the HTC One. We're not even looking at final hardware here - although we appear to have got lucky with our sample, as there are few design flaws in sight - so the chances of metallic chipping ('because that's just what it does....' OK, Apple) are slight to say the least - providing you don't fling it on tarmac. Seriously, we tried that... don't do it.
We thought we'd scuffed it so many times during our test, but each time it was simply a slight amount of dirt or dust that wiped right off. Tick from TechRadar on the design front, HTC.
Motorola's back, and it's kicking off its global smartphone revival with the keenly priced Moto G handset. A mid-range handset with a low-end price tag and Android KitKat - okay Moto, I'm listening.
First things first then, the Motorola Moto G price. You can pick the handset up in two storage sizes - 8GB and 16GB. The former will set you back just £135/$175 (around AU$190), while the larger size is still a very palatable £159/$199 (around AU$215).
So where does this place the Moto G in the market? Well at that price it has the likes of the Samsung Galaxy Fame, Nokia Lumia 520 and LG Optimus L3 2 for company, but dive into the spec list and you'll note the Moto G wipes the floor with them.
Ratings in depth
In terms of design the Moto G takes most of its cues from the firm's first, post-Google takeover handset, the Moto X.
It's hardly groundbreaking in terms of looks, but the soft, curved edges of the Moto G make it relatively attractive and the swath of plastic feels solid and well built.
Weighing in at 143g the Moto G has a pleasing, well balanced presence in the hand without being overbearing, and while it may measure 11.6mm thick in the middle the tapered edges make it feel thinner than it is.
Couple that with a rubberized rear plate which slightly hugs the side of the handset too, and the Moto G fits comfortably in the palm, providing a decent level of grip.
The Moto G features a water repellent coating which means you'll be able to whip it out in the rain without fear of a short circuit, but it is not waterproof - so no jumping in the pool with it.
You can even take the rear cover off and swap it for a different color, which Motorola is pushing as a big customizable feature of the phone. In reality however it just reminds me of my Nokia 3310.
Sure, changing covers is fun for all of five minutes, but the novelty soon wears off. Not to mention the back cover is also pretty tricky to remove - you need to really dig your nails in at the base of the handset to get it free.
In fact, so much strength needs to be employed to free the cover from the Moto G I feared on more than one occasion that the thin plastic would snap - thankfully it never did.
Motorola did make a point that the younger generation like the ability to "customize" their handsets and this particular feature, along with the rock bottom price, reinforces the Moto G's credentials as a handset which may land in the laps of many teenagers.
The left side of the Moto G is devoid of any features, while the top of the handset only sports a centralized headphone jack. Both the power/lock key and volume rocker switch are located on the right of the G and these are easy to reach and responsive to the press.
On the base is a microUSB port, while under the removable cover is a microSIM port - but no microSD slot. That means if you want to expand the onboard storage you'll have to take to the cloud.
The 2070mAh non-removable battery housed inside the Moto G is claimed to give you all day battery life, and I put that to the test - skip ahead to the battery life and connectivity section to see how it got on.
The Moto G comes with a 4.5-inch, 1280 x 720 display and boasts a 329ppi pixel density. To put that in some perspective that's a bigger, higher resolution and more defined display than the iPhone 5S - not bad for a handset which is a third of the price.
Of course a HD display isn't the only key factor in a smartphone, but Motorola has managed to equip the Moto G with a 1.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon 400 processor and 1GB of RAM.
In terms of specs then the Moto G is actually giving the HTC One Mini, Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini and Nokia Lumia 820 a run for their mid-range, dual-core money - and once again the screen is bigger than these rivals. The Motorola handset even beats the Samsung and Nokia when it comes to resolution.
The camera on the rear of the Moto G is only 5MP and this is trumped by the S4 Mini and Lumia 820 and their 8MP snappers.
All in all the Moto G finds itself in no-mans land, with a complete disconnect between its price and spec list. This, of course, isn't a bad thing and on paper it offers outstanding value for money.
The proof however, is in the pudding, let's see how the Moto G got on in real life.
Everyone was expecting Key Lime Pie to serve as the delicious moniker for the next version of Android. Google surprised us all by bucking tradition and releasing Android 4.4 under the name KitKat.
Version 4.0 started life as Ice Cream Sandwich, but the last three decimal additions came under the Jelly Bean banner. This new version was obviously deemed different enough to snag a new nickname, but not different enough to merit a jump to version 5.0.
That 0.1 bump hardly does it justice. Don't be fooled: this is an important step up for Android. KitKat is super-smooth, the UI is refined and elegant, there are improvements to the long-neglected calling and messaging side of the platform, a new focus on productivity, and your fortune-telling digital assistant is brought front and centre as Google Now reaches maturity.
General surprise in the tech world wasn't just based on the erroneous supposition that Key Lime Pie had to be next; there were also some raised eyebrows at the idea of Google entering into a tawdry cross-licensing deal with Nestle which would see a flood of Android-shaped KitKats hitting the shops offering buyers the chance to win Nexus 7 tablets or Google Play credit.
According to Google the promotion was its idea and no money changed hands. With Nestle producing 50 million Android KitKat bars it certainly looks like a sweet deal for them.
Naming conventions aside, the 4.4 update is about addressing some of the Android criticisms that simply won't go away and it does so with aplomb.
There's a real focus on the consumer here, with a smattering of useful new features, a noticeable bump in performance, and some optimization to ensure that budget hardware is not left behind.
Android 4.4 is easily the best version of the platform to date, and Google has left the ball firmly in the OEMs' court when it comes to rolling out the upgrades.
Leading the field by extending the update beyond its Nexus line to the Moto G also neatly illustrates the move to improve the Android experience on low-end, affordable hardware.
First impressions
KitKat really makes a mockery of the idea that iOS 7 is more refined than Android. This version of the platform is impressively fast, with stylish transitions, and an intuitive feel that masks the potential complexity.
There's a paring back of the notification bar, introducing translucency and context awareness, and enabling you to reclaim every pixel of your display for whatever you're doing.
There are a few new features here, and not all of them are perfect, but, for the most part Google has cherry-picked improvements and refined them.
The contrast between the bloated OEM launchers and stock Android could hardly be starker, but there are still a few things that manufacturers like Samsung and LG could teach Google (split-screen apps is an obvious one).
The familiar white Google logo, followed by four pulsing colourful circles, still greets you on booting up, but the process has sped up dramatically as the platform has matured. When I checked version 4.1 on a Galaxy Nexus it took 34 seconds. The Nexus 4 running Android 4.2 Jelly Bean clocked in at 19 seconds.
Android 4.4 took 21 seconds to boot up on the Nexus 5 we used for testing. Not quite as fast as the Nexus 4, but when you consider that my Galaxy S3 running version 4.3 of Android took just shy of 40 seconds to boot up, you get a feel for how speedy that is.
As the home screen comes into view, you can immediately detect the lighter feel that Google was shooting for. The status bar icons at the top are now white.
The custom Roboto font looks like it has been on a diet, which makes it feel that little bit more crisp and elegant. Looking at menu highlights and icons, what once was blue is now generally grey.
Google Experience Launcher
The changes go further on the Nexus 5 because it has the Google Experience Launcher. Those black bars top and bottom are gone. A subtle gradient is retained to ensure white icons are clear, even on light backgrounds.
Head into your app drawer and you'll find white dots at the bottom of the screen to illustrate which page you are on. The icons are now much bigger and clearer, at the cost of displaying just four across instead of five.
The widget tab has been dumped, and you won't miss it because a long press anywhere on the home screen gives you access to the widget menu, as well as wallpapers and relevant settings.
Swipe from right to left and you can access additional home screens. There doesn't seem to be any limit, you simply drag an icon to the right to create a new screen. Any home screen you empty will automatically disappear.
The only real surprise is that you have to scroll deliberately through each one; you can't take a shortcut by tapping on the page marker dots at the bottom.
Swiping from left to right on the home screen will bring Google Now into view, but I'll go into that in more detail later.
None of these changes made it beyond the Nexus 5 by default, but if you're willing to investigate it's quite easy to get the Google Experience Launcher on other Android devices. Unfortunately there's a risk that it won't work perfectly. I am disappointed and surprised that Google decided to keep this as a Nexus 5 exclusive.
The good news is that popular launchers, such as the free Nova Launcher, can be used, and the status bar transparency is supported along with a number of other customization options, to help you get the look you want.
Motorola. A brand I thought had started an amazing comeback. The Moto G? A piece of cut-price brilliance. But with the launch of the Moto X, it's undone all that good work.
Late to arrive? A price tag and spec sheet which makes it more expensive than the excellent Nexus 5, yet less powerful? I'm left scratching my head as to why Google has allowed this to happen.
Motorola says that UK-dwellers have been eagerly anticipating the potential arrival of the Moto X on our shores - and yes, back in August last year even I was excited about the possibility of it turning up here - but that was six months ago.
The fact of the matter is the Moto X's time in the sun has long since passed, and that initial excitement and hype has been lost - along with its biggest selling point: customisable handsets.
That's right, the Moto Maker service which lets Americans customise their Moto X any which way with various colours, finishes and engravings has not made the transition over the Atlantic.
So with that key USP unavailable, what's left to shout about on the UK variant of the Moto X? The answer is... not a lot.
During my briefing at the Moto X launch I was shown how I could quickly open the camera app by taking the phone out of my pocket and then twisting it twice in my hand.
The action did work every time, but it's nothing more than a novelty. Almost every smartphone these days has a shortcut to the camera app on the lockscreen, which takes perhaps an extra second or so to load versus the X. That's hardly a deal breaker.
If you want a quick launching camera, put a hardware button on the side. It's simple, recognisable and useful.
Touchless control meanwhile lets you say "OK Google Now" to wake up your phone, and then bark voice commands at it. Once again it works, but these aren't features worth inflating the price tag above the Nexus 5.
Active Display? A potentially handy notification shows a pulsating icon of the type of communication you've just received without waking the whole screen. But again, not going to blow you away, and not a good reason to part with that extra cash.
Motorola has a good thing with the Moto G and it now risks overshadowing what is the best budget smartphone on the market with the overpriced, averagely-featured and late-to-the-party Moto X.
Want my advice Motorola? Ditch the X, concentrate on the G and launch a high-end flagship later this year. You could even talk to Google about a certain Nexus device.
The first comes from Italian journalist Flavio, who tweeted that a 'reliable source' had confirmed to him that the Samsung Galaxy S5 would be launched at an event in London in mid March.
This would mirror the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S3 which also launched in the Capital, although the Galaxy S4's launch venue of New York could be on the cards instead.
London or New York?
ZDnet Korea cites a 'senior Samsung official' as saying that the main purpose of MWC is a business meeting and that the timing is wrong for the launch of the Galaxy S5, and rather than a London launch the Samsung Galaxy S5 will be unveiled in New York in March.
We were always sceptical that the Galaxy S5 would launch at MWC, so this news is somewhat unsurprising. A March launch does mean a slightly longer wait for the handset though, and kills rumours pointing towards an early Feb reveal.
As for whether it will be unveiled in New York or London (or both) we'll hopefully know soon.
With a new metal build, the S5 may look nothing like its predecessor.
An insider claims to have the inside knowledge on the Samsung Galaxy S5, outing a whole bunch of information about the upcoming flagship.
These details include the fact that the handset will come in two different flavours - the much-rumoured metal and conventional plastic.
The insider for SamMobile went on to say that the metal version will cost roughly 800 Euros (about £667, $1092, AU$1210) and the plastic version will cost 650 Euros (about £542, $888, AU$983).
So even the plastic version won't be cheap, however the same source claimed that the S5 will have a 2560 x 1440 AMOLED display, a 16 megapixel camera, Android 4.4 and either an Exynos 6 or Snapdragon 805 processor, so you're certainly getting a powerful phone for your money.
Power up
The same source also revealed that a Samsung Galaxy S5 Mini and Samsung Galaxy S5 Zoom are both in development too. Both handsets will apparently include Super AMOLED screens and Android 4.4, while the S5 Zoom will have a 4.8 inch qHD display, but that's all we know so far.
The source was unable to confirm anything else about the flagship S5, but SamMobile suggests that it will probably have a 5.25 inch screen and earlier rumours point to a 64-bit 2.5 GHz quad-core processor and either 3 or 4GB of RAM.
At the same time, a new rumour, this time from PhoneArena, suggests that the Galaxy S5 might have a new type of Li-ion battery which can store 20% more energy in the same space.
The battery is thought to be 2900 mAh (up from 2600 mAh in the Samsung Galaxy S4) and will apparently be fully chargeable in under two hours.
There are still things we don't know about the Galaxy S5, like whether it will have an eye scanner.
MWC 2014 may be just around the corner, but Sony is too eager to wait that long with the announcement of two new handsets – the Sony Xperia T2 Ultra the Xperia E1.
The T2 Ultra is aiming itself at emerging markets, with no confirmed UK, US or Australia release date just yet.
But that doesn't mean it's lacking in power, by any means. Arriving in an Xperia Z-like style, the T2 Ultra's 6-inch 720p display eats into the bezel, coming in within 2.5mm of the phone's edge.
Powering the phone is a 1.4GHz quad-core Snapdragon processor with 1GB of RAM, 8GB of storage, and you'll find a 13MP camera sat on the back and 1.1MP snapper stuck to the front.
Despite its Z-ish looks, the T2 Ultra doesn't share its water resistance. But as a phone for the emerging markets, it's not shoddy at all.
Speaking of which, the phone also comes in the T2 Ultra Dual form, which (as you might have guessed) adds the option of dual SIM.
One for the more musically inclined
Pump up the volume
Getting even more budget is the Xperia E1, which Sony is aiming at the music lovers with its 100db speaker.
Sony's also upped the Xperia E's 3.2-inch screen to 4 inches, with a 480 x 800 resolution. You'll also get a 1.2GHz dual-core processor with 512MB of RAM and 4GB of storage.
Again, this will be primarily aimed at emerging markets. Sony told us it had nothing to announce on release dates outside of those, but we expect we might hear more of the specfics at MWC.
Motorola has confirmed the Moto X handset will finally make its way across the pond, with an official UK release date set for February 1.
Ahead of Tuesday's media event, during which Motorola was widely expected to unveil the device for a UK audience, the Google-owned company said it will offer the device for £380 SIM free from multiple retailers.
The 4.7-inch 720p handset, which packs Motorola's own 'X8 Mobile Computing System' and the stock version of Android, will also be available on contract, starting at £25 on the O2 network, while Phones 4U has dibs on the white device.
Judging from Moto's media release it appears that the 'Moto Maker' customisation options which helped to make the handset an attractive proposition for stateside buyers won't be available in the UK.
What up, G?
The Moto X, which will join its highly-rated cheap-as-chips sibling the Moto G on the UK market, does arrive in the UK packing the voice activated Google Now software.
Motorola's camera software will also bring an innovative shooting mode which can be enabled simply by twisting the wrist twice and tapping anywhere on the screen and could also ensnare smartphone fans.
The camera, in case you're wondering, is equipped with a 10 megapixel sensor and Motorola's 'Clear Pixel' technology, but before you get too excited, it was described as "the most inconsistent snapper on a flagship phone," in a TechRadar review last summer.
All day battery life and a "water repellant" Gorilla Glass display are also some of the hefty promises made by Motorola, but at more than double the asking price is the Moto X really a better option than the Moto G? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
