The 2014 HTC One in the fuzzy flesh (credit: HardForum via BGR)
The All New HTC One is a foregone conclusion at this point, but that's not stopping leaks from spilling in the days leading up to its March 25 launch.
A user over at HardForum spent some one-on-one time and got a little handsy with a test version of the HTC One 2. The person's post seems to have been pulled, though not before a few sites got a hold of the info.
Despite a number of to-be-expected bugs - this was an early model - the leaker described the new HTC One as "faster than my Google Edition S4."
The front, 4MP camera is "incredible" and "really crisp. The phone sported a dual-rear camera, and the HardForum user described it as "amazing" even though they were unable to try it out.
The handset it also taller and thinner than the 2013 HTC One, too.
Blurry but believable backside of the HTC One 2 (credit: HardForum via BGR) Source : techradar[dot]com
In the quest for searching for a new handset there are only a few handsets that actually stand out, but with their bright colours the chances are you've seen the Sony Xperia Z1 Compact and Apple's iPhone 5C.
If after reading our full in depth reviews of both you're still struggling to work out which one of these 'cut down' handsets is right for you then you've come to the right place.
Here we give each of these handsets another run through and pit them against each other in order to answer that all important question: which handset it right for you?
Design
Both handsets follow a similar design DNA as their larger siblings, although that is slightly less pronounced on the iPhone 5C.
Its plastic chassis doesn't come with the same premium feel that is found on the iPhone 5S where the Xperia Z1 Compact still comes with the metallic and glass exterior that made the Xperia Z1 so stylish.
But it's not metal
In terms of sheer size the iPhone 5C comes out smaller all round, the curved plastic back wrapping around makes it smooth and really comfortable. Measurements of 124.4 x 59.2 x 9mm and 132g means it sits very easily in one hand.
That's not to say that the Xperia Z1 Compact is uncomfortable, measuring a mere 127 x 64.9 x 9.5mm, so still very similar in size. The extra 5g in weight is also barely noticeable; it would take a lot to call the Z1 Compact heavy.
The biggest difference is the whole feel that you get when holding the handsets, something that is particularly noticeable when holding an Xperia Z1 Compact, where the iPhone 5C takes an "unapologetically plastic" approach that many have equated with cheap.
A glass and metal frame alludes to a high end device even when holding the lime green or pink options, although we'd struggle to say the effect isn't slightly muted .
A slightly more muted colour palette
This means that it fits into an office environment much better and will suit those that don't wish to look so conspicuous when out and about.
The colours of the iPhone 5C (white, pink, green, yellow and blue) help the Apple handset stand out a lot more, something that is vital in the evil world of playground politics or for those that really want to express themselves through their phone.
Elsewhere though the Xperia Z1 Compact trumps the iPhone 5C thanks to its IP58 certification. This means that it comes with enough waterproofing to survive being dropped in a puddle, a bath or even the kitchen sink (although we're never going to advise making calls whilst in the shower).
The camera button
Covering of all the vital ports with the genius idea of leaving the headphone port exposed really gives the Xperia Z1 Compact something extra to shout about, as well as coming with the ability to take photos underwater with thanks to a dedicated camera button.
Camera
A dedicated camera button certainly hints that the camera isn't something that can be ignored on the Xperia Z1 Compact. Other clues might also have given it away; Sony crowing about the massive size (a whopping 20.7MP), the G Lens and Exmor sensor.
On top of that it should be clear that the Sony Xperia Z1 Compact is gunning for the compact camera market, something that is abundantly clear within the naming strategy.
The camera on Sony's phone
Apple hasn't left the iPhone 5C to suffer though, even if the 8MP sensor brought over from the iPhone 5 seems more than a little diminutive when stood in direct competition against the monstrous 20.7MP of the Sony.
Even the front sensor of the compact Xperia is much larger than that of the iPhone 5C, coming with a 2MP offering rather than the 1.2MP that comes with the Apple.
Sony has kept the same camera that graced the Xperia Z1 on the Compact and with it has also brought over the same revamped camera app.
This means that the AR Mode, varying filters, superior auto and Timeshift modes all make an appearance as well as Social Live which allows for live broadcasting over social media.
These modes will prove very handy when it comes to showing off your latest snaps to the likes of Flickr or Instagram.
Budding photographers won't be left disappointed with the iPhone 5C though; its stripped back camera app provides little in the way of customisation but there are still a few filters that can be applied.
Where the Sony provides oodles of camera gizmos, Apple has taken it the other way.
Both just about border on providing too much or too little but it is to both of their credit as they both provide a unique experience with the Xperia Z1 Compact allowing you to explore to your heart's content and the iPhone 5C providing you with a really simple easy to use app.
In terms of performance there was always going to be a difference even if you don't subscribe to the 'more megapixels means better imagery' scenario.
In short, while the iPhone 5C provides a more-than-adequate mobile camera experience the Xperia Z1 Compact comes as one of the best handsets on the market for taking photos.
Screen
There are a few things that mark both the iPhone 5C and the Xperia Z1 Compact as smaller handsets.
For the Apple it is as simple as being an iPhone; (in)famous for smaller screens when the likes of the 5.2-inch LG G2 and 5.7-inch Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Android handsets have really pushed the boundaries of what people expect on a mobile flagship.
The 4-inch screen of the iPhone 5C
On the Sony the smaller nature is highlighted with the name, you don't call something "Compact" and expect it to be huge.
Size-wise there is little to choose between the two. The Xperia Z1 Compact comes with a 4.3-inch screen making it marginally larger than the 4-inch iPhone 5C, as well as packing in a larger resolution.
While not full HD (that would have been wishful thinking) we're treated to a HD 720 x 1280 screen that gives a really respectable 342ppi.
On the Apple is a smaller 640 x 1136 resolution which gives the 5C a smaller 326ppi, although there is still a lot to be said about the iPhone's screen.
It comes 'Retina' branded meaning that Apple feel that any higher ppi is indistinguishable by the human eye at the intended use distance, and it is still razor sharp.
Neither screen lend themselves heavily to intense movie watching sessions whilst out and about, those are and will always be the preserve of the larger 'phablets' or even tablets.
The Sony features a slightly larger screen than the 5C
Instead these screens are far more suited to light web browsing whilst on the train or for playing casual games such as Angry Birds or any of the Flappy Bird clones.
Again the Sony has a small trick up its sleeve in its ability to use the Xperia Z1 Compact with a pair of gloves on. Thanks to nifty screen technology the Z1 Compact recognises touches with a (rather annoying) circle on screen when the sensitivity is enhanced. It's only a small feature but it's one we can see being rather important when out in the cold.
Modular phones focused on being great, not profitable
Going modular may be even cheaper and more accessible than some imagined.
According to Google's Advanced Technology and Projects team, the folks behind Project Ara, speaking with Time, Google wants to get the first barebone version on its modular phone on the market for as little as $50 (about £29/AU$55).
This "grayphone" will consist of little more than a frame, screen and Wi-Fi radio, and it will be "designed to be sold at convenience stores." Users could then swap out and plug in parts as they like, which will presumably cost a price per piece.
Google hopes to put a consumer-ready version of Ara on sale in the first part of 2015.
More Ara
The Time report also revealed that Google plans to have some level of control over Ara hardware.
The platform supports three sizes of phone - mini, medium and jumbo (think phablet) - which will be determined by an aluminum endoskeleton. This component will be Google-branded.
The ambition is to do for hardware what Android and other platforms have done for software, Project Ara lead Paul Eremenko told Time. In other words, open manufacturing to innumerable developers as opposed to a handful of major names.
There's still a ways to go before a $50 phone hits the market, including getting down to that price point to begin with and convincing communications regulators in places like the US.
Still, Eremenko said he wants Project Ara to be "great, not profitable," so consumers may hold out hope that customizable phones are not far off on the horizon.
Here's the hands on you've been waiting for - read our Galaxy S5 review!
Near Field Communication technology (NFC) has spread its way across the mobile landscape like a forest wildfire, yet how many of us actually use it, let alone use it to its full potential?
We all know how NFC works (if not, then here's all you need to know about NFC) although one of its greatest applications is still being hidden away and unused; Google's Android Beam.
In order to help you make the most out of your hardware here's our guide to what Android Beam is and, more importantly, how it works.
What is Android Beam?
Having been baked into every iteration of Google's mobile OS since Android 4.0 Ice Cream, Android Beam is an app designed to make the most of NFC and enables the sharing of just about anything whether it's a contact card, picture, web page or YouTube link.
How do I use it?
The first thing to check before we go any further is whether your handset supports NFC. This can be found within connectivity settings alongside Wi-Fi and mobile data.
Once this has been confirmed for both handsets it's as simple as touching the two devices together, bringing the NFC chips in close contact. Unfortunately, this isn't always as easy as it sounds when it comes to working out where the chip actually is, although we'd suggest that the chip is generally in the centre near the top.
The handset that you're hoping to send information from should pull the screen in slightly displaying the message "Touch to Beam".
Just tap the screen and you'll find the information popping up on the second handset, or a link to the Google Play store to find the relevant app.
What if my handset doesn't show Android Beam?
As Android Beam comes built into the Android OS there is no specific app for you to boot up. Instead just enable NFC on both handsets and press them together. Often handset manufacturers will allow you to turn NFC and Android Beam on and off individually.
If you find that Android Beam doesn't appear within the Android NFC settings you shouldn't fret. The HTC One is a prime example as there is no mention of Android Beam anywhere; however following the above steps will still bring up the "Tap to Beam" page that we mentioned earlier.
Owners of Samsung branded devices will also find sat alongside NFC the S-Beam app, which is largely the same thing, as you'll find out if you read on.
S-Beam is a Samsung specific app that builds onto features that are already included in Android Beam. It still connects via NFC although all data is sent via Wi-Fi Direct. This makes transfer speeds faster when sending files such as your latest holiday snap or video.
Working through S-Beam is done in the exact same way as Android Beam, pressing the NFC chips in each device together, but it initiates a faster and stronger connection than Bluetooth.
Are there any downsides?
One of the biggest problems with Android Beam is NFC and the location of the chips. Availability of NFC is no longer an issue given that it now comes on many of even the cheapest handsets but locating the chip in the first place can be a pain in the posterior.
In mobile phones the problem isn't so bad given there's limited space to choose from, but trying to locate the chip on a tablet can be more than a little tricky.
This can often be found with a quick search online, although you then have to find a way of putting the two chips together. In tests we found that while the NFC chips recognised each other's presence (with a small vibration) the sending handset occasionally didn't want to register Beam.
It is also probably worth pointing out, if not immediately obvious, that Android Beam does only work with Android phones. iPhone's don't even come with NFC on board, at least not yet., and Windows Phones don't want to know.
What does the future hold?
Since its inception Android Beam has grown to encompass sending files via Bluetooth. This works by instantly pairing devices and turning on Bluetooth, sending the file then disabling Bluetooth. You can then move the phones apart as they no longer rely upon NFC.
Just as S-Beam incorporates Wi-Fi Direct so could Android Beam, something that may find favour from the recent Google-Samsung patent licensing deal. This would enable even faster file transfer than Bluetooth.
At a stretch it's not too difficult to imagine Android Beam becoming part of the Internet of Things either, allowing you to tap your phone against an Android enabled refrigerator to share a shopping list or to a potential updated Chromecast dongle to enable Wi-Fi Direct streaming of content to a larger screen nearby.
While NFC hasn't quite caught on as a payment method, there's still a real desire to find cool ways to connect - here's hoping Android Beam keeps getting the development it deserves.
We haven't forgotten BlackBerry's brief and ill-fated foray into the tablet market, and apparently neither has the smartphone maker - but they won't launch a second attempt until they're damn good and ready.
Pocket-lint reported that BlackBerry appears to be in no particular rush to unleash another tablet device on unsuspecting consumers, with one executive claiming the company simply isn't ready yet.
BlackBerry's Vice-President of Global Product Management Francois Mahieu was in Barcelona this week for Mobile World Congress 2014, where he threw cold water on the idea of another PlayBook tablet right away.
"Would BlackBerry consider one day re-entering the tablet market? Yes. Will BlackBerry do it in the coming months? No," the executive told Pocket-lint.
'We're not ready'
The BlackBerry PlayBook launched nearly three years ago to mixed reviews and ultimately contributed to dragging down the company's fortunes as the unwanted tablets wound up being continually marked down to fire sale pricing.
Recovering from that folly is one of many challenges facing new BlackBerry Chief Executive Officer John Chen, but the onetime smartphone giant isn't completely closing the door on a potential sequel to its unloved tablet.
"I wouldn't be surprised if we have a meeting one day and I show you a tablet. We have equity in that space, but we're not ready. We need more time," Mahieu elaborated.
Judging from the way consumers largely turned their backs on the first PlayBook, BlackBerry's lackadaisical attitude toward the tablet market is probably a smart move, especially considering how many heavyweight names have already thrown their hats into that ring.
There's revolution in the air. People and companies are tired of essentially being limited to a choice of just three smartphone operating systems. They're tired of the walled gardens of iOS and Windows Phone and they're wondering about the open-source-but-secretive development of Android.
This atmosphere has led to four new operating systems being built to challenge the status quo. There's Firefox OS, Ubuntu, Tizen and then now Sailfish OS, an operating system developed by a small team with big ambitions.
Sailfish OS might be reasonably new, but many of the ideas driving it aren't. It's an open source Linux based operating system but more specifically it was born from the ashes of Nokia's failed MeeGo OS, which was used on precisely one phone: the Nokia N9, before the Finnish phone-smiths pulled the plug.
Some of the people behind MeeGo weren't ready to abandon it though, so they jumped ship, formed a new company called Jolla, raised an impressive £160 million and got to work on Sailfish OS, taking many of the ideas from MeeGo with them.
Not a button in sight
So why should you care about Sailfish OS? Well, it's largely open source for one thing, and not open source in the way Android is where most of the development is done behind closed doors, but truly open, allowing the public to see much of what Jolla is doing and use the code for their own purposes.
It also has a user interface that's quite different from any of the competition. It starts with the homescreen, which rather than showing static app icons instead gives you a window to all your open apps, and lets you switch between them or interact with them with a swipe, taking multitasking to a level not really seen on other phone OS's.
The Jolla. From Jolla.
For example, if you have the phone app open on the homescreen a swipe one way will reveal the dialer and the opposite way will show you your contacts.
But each app icon also shows live information, so for example the music player might show what track is playing. In many ways it's a mix of BlackBerry 10's homescreen layout, Windows Phone 8's live tiles and Android's widgets all in one.
As you might have guessed from all that, it's also a very gesture based OS. You can access the app drawer with a swipe up from the homescreen, get back by swiping from one side to the other when in an app or close it down by sliding your digit from top to bottom.
You can also check your social network updates and other notifications without interrupting what you're doing by swiping up from the bottom of the screen, quickly access options that are relevant to the screen you're on by accessing the 'Pulley Menu' with a downwards swipe from the centre of the screen and wake the phone up from sleep by double tapping anywhere on the screen.
It's a system which cuts down on buttons and menus and gives you access to just about everything from any app or screen.
In fact there are no physical or virtual home, back, menu or search buttons. Being able to carry out different actions with just a swipe also makes it much easier to use one-handed than other mobile operating systems and could potentially help it stand out on larger handsets and tablets where two-handed use has been all but essential up to now.
Custom colours
Sailfish OS also puts a lot of focus on visual customisation, allowing you to change the colour of the interface to match the colours of whatever background image you're using and the colour change is applied not just to the home screen but also to the apps themselves.
Super AMOLED and Super LCD are two of the best and most popular screen technologies currently in use on phones, and are the display tech of choice for two of the most popular Android phones around.
HTC for example, packed its One flagship with a Super LCD screen (in fact, it's one of the biggest customers of the tech by some way) while Samsung not only uses Super AMOLED, the company actually created it. But what's the difference between them? And which is better?
Super AMOLED
To understand Super AMOLED you first need to understand its origins. It started with OLED, which stands for 'organic light-emitting diode' and consists of a thin organic film with electrodes at either side. As soon as an electric current is applied to the film it emits light.
AMOLED is an 'active-matrix organic light-emitting diode'. It adds a layer of semiconducting film behind the OLED panel which allows it to more quickly activate each pixel. That increased speed makes it ideal for larger, higher definition displays with a lot of pixels. In fact it's as much as 1000 times faster than LCD.
AMOLED screens also tend to have great contrast, as the light on the screen comes from each individual pixel rather than a backlight; when it needs to create a black colour it simply dims or turns off the relevant pixels, for a true, deep black.
AMOLED screens also use a large colour gamut, so they can display a wide range of colours, but that can also cause images to look very vibrant or over-saturated.
Other advantages of AMOLED screens are that they have wide viewing angles and can even be made transparent or flexible, which makes them ideal for the curved handsets which are starting to hit the market, such as the Samsung Galaxy Round.
An AMOLED touchscreen usually has an extra, touch sensitive layer on top of the screen, but with Super AMOLED Samsung has been able to integrate touch sensitivity into the screen itself.
The result of this is that not only is the screen thinner, lighter, more touch sensitive and less power-hungry, but without that extra layer it's also far less reflective than a typical AMOLED screen, making it easier to view in bright sunlight.
On the other hand Super AMOLED screens are quite susceptible to image burn in and sometimes use a PenTile matrix with fewer subpixels than their LCD companions, which can potentially lead to less sharp images or give the screen an unnatural colour tint.
Samsung obviously has a lot of faith in Super AMOLED, as the company uses it in its latest flagship (the Samsung Galaxy S5) as well as most other phones in the Galaxy S range, but it's also developed variations on the technology.
For example there's Super AMOLED Plus, which was used in the Samsung Galaxy S2 and has a standard RGB matrix rather than a PenTile matrix, meaning it has 50% more subpixels and therefore delivers clearer images, but it also degrades faster than a Super AMOLED display, which is why Samsung stopped using it in its flagships.
Then there's HD Super AMOLED, which is just a 720 x 1280 Super AMOLED display and Full HD Super AMOLED, which, you guessed it, is Full HD 1080 x 1920.
Super LCD
Just as AMOLED was the predecessor to Super AMOLED, LCD was the predecessor to Super LCD. Unlike an AMOLED display which lights each pixel individually, an LCD (or liquid crystal display) has a backlight, so the whole screen is lit to some extent, even supposedly black areas.
It uses liquid crystals which are manipulated via electrical charges to cover or not cover pixels as needed, thereby letting more or less light through, but it can never deliver true blacks as the backlight is always on.
In standard LCD displays there's an air gap between the outer glass and the display element, but with Super LCD that gap is removed, which has similar benefits to Super AMOLED.
Glare is reduced, making it more easily viewable when outside and in bright sunlight, plus the screen is also thinner and uses less power than standard LCD.
The power consumption of a Super LCD screen is particularly low when displaying lighter colours, which makes it ideal for web browsing for example as websites tend to have white backgrounds. The opposite is true with Super AMOLED, where blacks consume less power as the pixels don't have to be lit.
Things get a bit more complicated when you consider that there's also such a thing as Super LCD2 and Super LCD3, but really each numbered version is just an improvement on the last while working in much the same way.
Super LCD3 for example is brighter than Super LCD2, as well as having better viewing angles and a faster refresh rate to avoid blurring when watching videos.
Samsung's going to let developers use the Galaxy S5's fingerprint scanner in their own apps, which means you could be waving goodbye to your passwords for good.
The fingerprint-friendly Pass API was released as part of the S5's development kit, which also includes all the information devs need to create apps for the Gear 2 and Gear Fit.
The fingerprint scanner was already more useful than most, allowing you to control certain parts of the phone with your biometric data, and more apps being able to access the info will certainly attract consumers.
Pass out
"With Pass, you can provide reinforced security, since you can identify whether the current user actually is the authentic owner of the device," the document explains.
PayPal is the first to make use of the open API; its app lets you use your phone and fingerprint scanner combo to pay for things in participating stores.
Unlike Samsung, Apple's TouchID has stayed tightly guarded so you can only use it to unlock your iPhone 5S and authorise payments in Apple's own products like iBooks, iTunes and the App Store.
What did we make of the new Samsung flagship? Read our hands on Samsung Galaxy S5 review to find out
Once in a while, a product pops up that reminds you just how remarkable digital technology can be. The Jabra Motion Bluetooth headset does just that.
It integrates such an impressive array of functionality into such a tiny device, you simply have to marvel at what's possible.
Put another way, it's that Star Trek thing - the Jabra Motion is Lieutenant Uhura's ear-dangling comms device productionised and available to buy.
That's not to say it's unique or even necessarily does its intended job well. Several outfits will do you a full-function Bluetooth headset.
Indeed, the critical point is that you can have a Bluetooth headset for as little as £10 – Amazon.co.uk will do you a Plantronics ML18 for just that. The most basic version of the Jabra Motion typically costs in excess of £60.
On paper, both that device and the Jabra Motion do the same basic job – allow you to connect to your mobile phone via Bluetooth for hands-free calls.
Question is, then, does the Jabra Motion's particular feature set and execution – its controls, its battery life, the quality of its noise cancellation – make it worth the price premium.
The Jabra Motion comes with a complete charging kit
Features
Our review sample is the basic Jabra Motion. That means its a Bluetooth hands-free headset that will connect to any Bluetooth-enabled phone for voice calls.
It has physical controls for receiving and ending calls, audio volume and mute. The micrphone itseld is on a flip-boom which doubles as a power switch for the whole device.
Thanks to an extendable, swiveling ear piece, it's also adjustable for size and can be worn on both left and right ears.
Status lights help with simple syncing
Digital features start with motion and environment-sensitive noise canceling. It also sports voice control both natively and through certain handsets.
That means you have voice control of a number of the Jabra's own functions. But you can also use the full voice control of your handset through the headset. For example, you can access Apple's Siri voice control on iPhones with the headset.
The Jabra Motion also has a few other neat frills, such as using its motion sensor to automatically answer calls when you pick it up.
If this is the entry-level version, other variants add extras like a USB Bluetooth adapter to allow you to connect to PCs and support for Unified Communications (UC) which will be attractive to corporate users.
Performance
Call quality, that's surely one of the biggies for any Bluetooth headset and here the Jabra Motion scores pretty heavily.
Exactly what goes into the noise cancelling tech, we're not sure. But the end result is impressive suppression of car noise. If you didn't already know someone was calling you in-car and on the move with the Motion, you probably wouldn't guess.
And that was with our test car which is a relatively noise cabriolet with a fabric roof. That said, the audio quality for the receiver is a little thin. But if you don't want people to automatically know you're on the road, the Motion gets the job done.
As it happens, the sound quality for the Jabra Motion user is a little skinny, too. You don't notice this much in calls. But it is obvious if you try to listen to music through the ear piece.
Not that you'll likely want to use it as a single-ear wireless headphone. But it does reveal the fundamental quality of the audio of offer. And it's mediocre.
The other major element of the user experience is ease of use and that's a story of wins and losses for the Motion. The least satisfying aspect is physical fit.
The Jabra motion is adjustable and also configurable for both ears. But we found achieving a comfortable, stable fit tricky to achieve.
That's compounded if you wear glasses where the Motion and the arm of your glasses compete for space and stability atop your ear.
Folding mic boom doubles as a power switch
However, we're all different shapes and sizes so our advice here is clear. Try before you buy. The Motion isn't poorly designed, it's adjustable and it may fit you very nicely.
The rest of the usability package, however, is much more successful. Initial setup and syncing is a cinch, as is accepting and ending calls. Ditto volume adjustment and accessing additional features. It all works very smoothly indeed.
The voice control feature is an added boon and means you can have full access to your contacts on the move and hands-free. In our testing, there was no detectable loss of accuracy of Apple's Siri voice control when on the move and using the Motion as an interface.
Battery life is also good. Much will depend on usage. But Jabra claims seven hours talk time and that seems realistic.
The bottom line is that you want the device to last a day on a single charge and so long as you don't spend literally every moment on calls, we reckon you'll get just that.
The LG F70 is the Korean firm's first push into producing more affordable 4G handsets, something which many manufacturers are doing at MWC 2014.
LG hasn't announced the price of the F70, but the handset is confirmed to arrive in Europe in the coming months.
In terms of design the LG F70 takes cues from the flagship G2, although LG has decided against on screen navigation keys, instead choosing to stick a physical home button below the display, flanked by touch sensitive back and menu options.
The power/lock button is located on the right of the F70, while the volume switch is on the left and both are easy to hit.
The lightweight, plastic build of the F70 feels sturdy, although the rear cover offers little in the way of grip, so you'll need to make sure you've got a firm hold of the phone.
It is a little on the chunky side too, measuring in at 127.2 x 66.4 x 10mm, but the rounded edges means the F70 still sits nicely in the hand.
A 4.5-inch display dominates the front of the LG F70, although its 800 x 480 resolution is a little disappointing as I'm now starting to see 720p options arriving towards the bottom end of the market.
That said, text is still perfectly legible on the F70, but if you look closely you can see that it's a little on the grainy side.
The main selling point of the F70 however is it's 4G connectivity at a lower price point, although I was unable to test out just how quick it could access the web during my short time playing with the device.
I was pleased to find Android 4.4 KitKat installed on the F70, the latest flavour of Google's mobile platform, and LG has stuck its own interface over the top.
One of the features LG's overlay brings to the F70 is Knockcode, a security function which the Korean firm has put on its low-end L-series devices as well as top end products such as the G Pro 2 and G2 Mini.
Knockcode allows you to wake the screen and unlock the F70 by tapping out a pattern on the display of between two and eight knocks.
It 's a clever idea, but one which is a little hit and miss as the F70 didn't always register my taps, forcing me to repeat the pattern.
There's a 1.2GHz quad-core processor and 1GB of RAM inside the LG F70 and it keeps KitKat ticking over nicely with smooth performance and no lag experienced during my hands on.
Rather annoyingly though for a mid range handset it only comes with a tiny 4GB of internal storage. There is a microSD slot allowing you to build on this, but it's still a very low amount and I would have liked a minimum of 8GB.
The camera setup on the LG F70 isn't much to write home about either, with a pretty average 5MP lens on the rear and a VGA offering on the front.
That's fine for the occasional casual snap, but you won't be shooting beautiful vistas with the LG F70.
The rear cover of the F70 comes off, giving you access to the microSIM and microSD slots and also the removable 2440mAh battery.
That's a decent size and should keep the F70 going for a while, although you'll have to wait for our in-depth review to see just how well it performs.
Early verdict
The LG F70 has a mediocre range of specs, but its main focus is the 4G connectivity at a lower price.
If 4G isn't important to you then you may want to check out something like the Motorola Moto G, but for a hassle free handset with access to superfast data speeds the F70 isn't a bad shout.
The Top 40 will soon be going through the biggest change in its history when streaming is counted towards a song's chart position.
Every chart change before now has been predominantly about sales: from vinyl to tape to CD and then download, each of these constituted a purchase.
Streaming is, for obvious reasons, a whole different story. The purchase is the subscription and it is then up to the service to divvy those fees up among labels. This means that there will have to be some serious working out as to how many streams are the equivalent of a sale.
The mere fact that it is being considered, though, is a big step towards confirming what many music listeners already know: streaming is the future of music.
Or at least it will be if someone actually creates a model that works.
Cash rules everything around me
Spotify has shown that streaming can be embraced by the masses but there is a problem. If streaming is indeed the future of music, then more money needs to start flowing more freely. The current lack of cash – Spotify is yet to turn a profit – isn't yet stifling innovation but it has left many in the industry scratching their heads as to what to try next.
At the Music 4.5 Music In-App Economy conference in London, we tried to find out what was going to make the money needed to sustain streaming - but to understand what is happening at the moment, you have to go back a few years to see what went wrong.
Martin Kummer, head of digital channels and group marketing at Ministry of Sound is well versed in how the music landscape has changed, particularly when it comes to mobile as was once head of music at Vodafone.
Speaking at the event he noted that it was while in the mobile space that he found out first hand what could go wrong with streaming.
"Vodafone 360 and Nokia Comes With Music were streaming services that just didn't work," he said. "It was wrong decisions and arrogance that caused failure."
The reason he offered for the lack of success is an interesting one - both failed to balance the needs of the music listener with those of the big telecommunication companies.
"Nokia wanted people to pay for Comes With Music but as this was taking money away from the telcos and pushing it to the handset manufacturer it all ended in tears. Only Apple has managed to make this work so far."
Skip to today and streaming looks a lot healthier but Kummer believes that much more needs to be done.
"We only have three dominant music services but no viable business model. Spotify is six years in the game and there is still no profit yet," he warned.
The Ministry of Sound has been stung when it comes to streaming, so it is no wonder Kummer is not full of praise for the technology.
Spotify: the king of streaming but where's the profit?
Back in 2013, the dance label launched a lawsuit against Spotify because it felt that the service's playlist features harmed its brand because you could essentially create playlists of Ministry of Sound album tracklists.
At the time, Ministry of Sound chief executive Lohan Presencer said, "After 20 years and more than 50m album sales, the value and creativity in our compilations are self evident... Until now, we've watched Spotify's progress from a distance. But we can no longer remain silent."
And while there was no word of this changing at any point, Kummer did admit that the Ministry of Sound will have to do something with streaming services in general in the future.
"We have to work with the Spotifies," he said. "I can't go into more detail but this will happen. We all know that streaming is not going away, so it is coming."
Crosstown traffic
Music isn't just pushing towards streaming as the main way to listen, though, it's gearing more towards mobile devices too.
Marcus Taylor, CEO of Venture Harbour, a digital marketing agency for music and film, says that mobile is by far the fastest growing sector for streaming.
"Mobile adoption within the music industry is growing exponentially. Music news sites are seeing 50% of all traffic coming from mobile, with 25% to streaming clients and artist-own services getting around 22% of traffic," said Taylor.
"We are seeing mobile campaigns massively outperforming our desktop campaigns - people are happier buying things from mobile devices."
Much of the conference was taken up with talk of Spotify and while the streaming site looks like it will rule for some time to come, there are some services happy to chip away at niches and even use Spotify's API to enhance what they are offering.
Spotify's API means brands can add apps to the service
Shuffler.fm, a music opinion aggregator, is one such service that has offered up an app on Spotify, as well as made its service available through Sonos.
Its chief marketing officer, Steve O'Reilly, was upbeat about the future of music, believing that as long as you have a sound product and bigger services are willing to share their APIs then artists and fans will more than benefit.
"There has to be an artist and app relationship," said O'Reilly. "Bands really want to be able to send fans content and that is what Shuffler.fm can offer.
"We didn't need to reinvent the wheel when it comes to apps, we just made sure we have integration with all the big companies and could make apps within minutes. Access to these APIs made it all possible for us."
The 4K revolution is about to get personal. Key phones announced at Mobile World Congress quietly list Ultra HD video recording as part of their ever expanding armoury of features.
This provision will not only change the way 4K can be viewed in the home (if users want to see just how sharp their footage is they'll need to run it into an external display), but reveal mobile devices to be a key piece in the 4K content puzzle.
The simple fact is that Samsung's Galaxy S5 is poised to become the most popular 4K acquisition device on the planet.
Smartphones hold the 4Key...
"The simple fact is that the Samsung Galaxy S5 is poised to become the most popular 4K capture device on Earth."
As an adjunct to its 16MP camera, the Galaxy S5 will shoot 3840 x 2160 video at 30fps, using h.265.
The incoming Sony Xperia Z2 also offers comparable 4K video shooting. During demonstrations in Barcelona, which saw a Z2 playing directly into a Sony 4K TV, the brand revealed TV engineers had contributed to the R&D when it came to enhancing the Xperia's 4K Triluminos colour fidelity.
Ahead of MWC, LG also got into the act with the G Pro 2, another smartphone to proffer 4K.
4K video rendering has been seen as imperative by processor maker Qualcomm for some time now, and looks set to become a standard feature on high-end phones – and I think this advance could be game-changing.
Typical usage will see home brewed 4K transmitted wirelessly to compatible displays using Miracast, or over wires using the newly announced MHL 3.0 standard.
The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 can already shoot in 3840x2160 Ultra HD
4Kompression
MHL Explainer What is MHL and why do you need it? With MHL you can easily throw videos, games and photos from your phone to a big screen 4K television
Although not immediately apparent, the arrival of MHL 3.0 is another vital evolution of the connected 4K eco-system. Until now, early 4K shooters like the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 were unable to display their UHD footage directly because limitations of MHL 2.0.
This latest iteration offers a simple direct TV connection fat enough for 2160p30.
Intriguingly, MHL 3.0 also supports HDCP 2.2 which could imply that a copyright secure 4K capable smartphone could also become a conduit for 4K streaming services, and not just 4K camcordering.
Is the mobile phone now on a trajectory that will make it a rival to the set top box of the future? Could the smartphone kill the Blu-ray player?
In a related development, ZTE also used MWC to show-off a pucker 4K capable TV box.
The ZXV10 B803 employs new Broadcom silicon able to decode 2160p60 content using HEVC h.265.
Indeed, something very similar was used by Netflix to demo its nascent 4K streaming service to me at CES 2014. Until now, STB decoding solutions have been locked at 2160p30.
This Spanish cameo signals more widespread set top box production is becoming a reality - which in turn will ultimately open the doors to a Sky 4K TV service, but I digress.
4K capture is becoming very common in the camera world
4Kameras
"Cinematographers can do things on a 4K shoot that simply are not be possible on other equipment"
Of course, the 4K recording boom isn't going to stop at mobile phones. The contagion will spread to cameras too. The new Panasonic GH4 can also shoot 4K at 2160p30.
Footage can be played back into any 4K display using the miniHDMI output or distributed on SD card.
Not that all 4K cameras will be created equal. There's far more to UHD than just pixel density, after all. One of the more extraordinary properties of the new wave of 4K cinema cameras is their astonishing sensitivity.
Cinematographers can do things on a 4K shoot that simply are not be possible with lesser equipment. One scene in the Tom Cruise sci-fi outing Oblivion, which was shot on a Sony F65, has our hero illuminated by a single candlelight; nothing was fudged for this, there really was only one candle on set. Yet shadow detail is blisteringly sharp.
Peter Suschitzky, who lensed M. Night Shyamalan's After Earth, was awestruck at just what could be achieved when shooting 4K in dense jungle.
"I was full of wonder at the way the camera captures the image," he enthused. "It's so detailed and beautiful." It's probably fair to say you won't get the same result with a Galaxy S5.
