The Lumia 822 has a grogeous screen and now a nice camera app to back it up
Nokia has been slowly building up its reputation as a photography focused smartphone maker and now it's extending those perks to everyone using its handsets.
The Nokia Camera app thus far has only been available to high-end, pro-shooter models such as the Lumia 920 and Lumia 925 and Lumia 928 and Lumia 1020. Now the Finnish phone maker is opening up the application to all Windows Phone 8 Lumia handsets with its latest beta release.
Announced at Nokia World 2013, the application update is available in the Windows Phone Store Pureview Lumia devices with the Lumia Amber or Black software release. After a quick download, Lumia users can turn on full manual mode for precise shutter speed control.
Nokia's Smart camera mode also allows smartphone shooters to take a sequence of photos they can alter afterwards to emphasize things like movement, to remove objects from an image, or select the best snap.
In the same statement the Finnish phone maker says DNG support will be added to more phones as Lumia Black update becomes available. The software update will also allow the camera app to run underneath the lock screen, allowing Nokia snappers to capture an image without pounding in a keylock code first.
Notification Center needed as much as Windows needs a start button
The forthcoming Windows Phone 8.1 update may prove that 8.1 is Microsoft's lucky number, as it's reportedly adding a notification center and Siri personal assistant to its mobile devices.
The Windows Phone 8.1 notification center is to revealed through a swipe-from-the-top gesture, according to unnamed Microsoft sources cited by The Verge.
Quick settings can be accessed with a short swipe down, while the most recent notifications are listed with a longer swipe in the same direction.
This matches how which matches how the Android notification center works and it's a combination of Apple's iOS notification center and command center.
'Contra' to band together a Siri clone
Even faster than changing setting through the new notification center may be asking the Windows 8.1 personal assistant to do it for you.
Microsoft has been testing out its "Contra" for a number of months, according to the same report, with the intention of launching a rival to Google Now and Apple's Siri technology.
It's said to be able to anticipate appointments and map out the time it'll take you to get there, according to data that it reads in a non-Scroogled way.
Word has begun circling that LG has plans to hook up with Huawei in order to boost its smartphone business, but LG says that's nonsense.
One analyst told the Korea Times that the partnership is being considered, with LG keen to parley in order to "revive its smartphone business."
But LG has denied the claims, saying it is not pursuing a deal with the Chinese firm.
Hell no
The company says it has had "no discussion now or in the past with Huawei on any aspects of LG Electronics' business."
It's unusual for a company to come out and deny a rumour so forcefully - we're more used to hearing the go-to PR line that they do not comment on speculation.
That's not to say that LG doesn't think it's got a bit of a smartphone problem. A spokesperson told the Korea Times, "Gaps in our smartphone portfolios used to be one of the biggest problems that prevented us from succeeding in the market for the past few years.
"But this problem has been fixed. Attention is being shifted to how we see an external growth in handsets."
That "problem" was fixed by a number of launches over the past year, with the LG G2 flagship handset grabbing plenty of critical acclaim - but whether those good reviews will translate into good sales is another matter.
IS the LG G2 the start of LG's comeback? Read our full review to find out
The Samsung Galaxy Core Advance has been officially announced, bringing a big screen to the budget end of the mobile market.
While the "Advance" extension to the handset's name may intrigue you, there's been little added to the original Galaxy Core which arrived in May 2013.
The main difference is the screen size, up from 4.3-inches to 4.7-inches on the Core Advance, although it still slums it with the same 480 x 800 resolution, which we can only assume will deliver an incredibly pixelated experience.
This puts the Galaxy Core Advance up against the Nokia Lumia 625, which has the same screen size and resolution as well as a low price tag.
More of the same
Inside the Galaxy Core Advance you'll find a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, 8GB of internal storage and a microSD slot - exactly the same set up as the original.
Round the back the same 5MP camera resides and you do get a single LED flash, which is new.
The handset runs Android 4.2 Jelly Bean but don't hold out too much hope of an Android 4.4 KitKat update - Samsung has often overlooked its budget handsets in this respect in the past.
The Galaxy Core Advance does appear to be well connected however, with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0 Low Engery, GPS and NFC all onboard - there's no 4G though.
Samsung has confirmed that the Galaxy Core Advance will be making it to the UK, although "availability (and price) will be announced in due course."
Once upon a time there was only one firm on the lips of any business' IT team when it came to company phones – BlackBerry (formerly known as Research In Motion or RIM).
BlackBerry is still a big player in the enterprise market but the rest of the pack is hot on its heels, with the likes of Apple, Samsung, Nokia and HTC all eager to get a piece of the business pie.
In no particular order, here are the top 10 smartphones for business use and business users:
BlackBerry Z30
We're kicking off our top 10 with the latest handset from the firm once synonymous with business handsets – the BlackBerry Z30.
BlackBerry has always been a firm favourite in the business arena, but recently people have begun switching en masse to Apple and Android offerings.
The Z30 builds on the BlackBerry Z10 which was used to launch the firm's BlackBerry 10 operating system, aimed at winning back the business market with an excellent messaging hub.
Offering up a larger, 5-inch fully touch display the Z30 is a more convenient size (compared to the Z10) for many, allowing you to get more information on screen at once. The big advantage with the BlackBerry Z30 is its excellent support for business users.
IT departments can take control of the handset using BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10 (BES 10), with security provided by BlackBerry itself ensuring all your emails and messages are fully encrypted.
The Z30 has a feature known as BlackBerry Balance which allows you to flip quickly between work and personal profiles on the handsets, allowing you to keep the two separate with work controlling the business side while you have full control over your own area.
More and more businesses are turning to Apple's smartphone offerings, and while it produces great looking, powerful devices, they certainly come at a price.
The iPhone 5S is the latest in Apple's line up, and while it only builds fractionally on the iPhone 5, it continues to turn heads in every circle.
Apple offers a wide range of enterprise resources on the iPhone 5S with support for SSL VPN and data protection APIs, enabling third party app makers to produce fully secure solutions.
There's even a fingerprint scanner hidden beneath the home key on the iPhone 5S, adding another layer of security to the handset.
On the topic of apps, the iPhone family is best placed when it comes to business focussed software, with thousands of applications available on the App Store aimed at making work easier - not to mention Apple's own suite of business software which is now available for free.
You also get Siri, your own personal digital assistant who listens to your voice and brings you whatever you need, from meeting reminders to the latest footy scores.
The iPhone 5S runs Apple's latest software, iOS 7, which features a fresh new look allowing it to keep pace with the rapidly evolving Android platform.
If your company has already upgraded to the iPhone 5, there really is now need to make the switch to the 5S, you're better off waiting for the iPhone 6 at least.
If you're looking for all round smartphone perfection look no further than the HTC One. It's only the third ever smartphone to pick up a coveted 5 star TechRadar rating, and it fuses superb design with excellent functionality.
It's not a business minded as the BlackBerry Z30, but the One's full metal body puts it up there with the iPhone 5S in terms of premium style and boardroom presence.
The full HD, 4.7-inch display is the most defined in this list and the punchy quad-core processor and 2GB of RAM ensures you'll never be short of power.
There are plentiful amounts of bells and whistles on the HTC One and the Android Jelly Bean operating system allows for a wealth of customisation - although HTC has heavily skinned it with its Sense overlay.
You may find that overlay gets in the way of core business functions, so it's worth checking out the HTC One before hand, but if the interface is manageable you'll be more than happy getting this out in meetings.
The Windows Phone 8 toting Nokia Lumia 925 turns up with Microsoft's backing, which will sound attractive to businesses that rely on the firm's Windows software for its computers.
Building on its predecessor, the Lumia 920, the Lumia 925 sports a premium metal chassis and slimmer design making it more manageable in hand and in your shirt pocket.
Unsurprisingly, Windows Phone 8 plays nicely with its computer-based brothers – although companies running Macs may want to opt for the iPhone instead.
The unfussy Live Tile display on the home screen keeps things simple, allowing you to access your emails, messages or call log quickly, and the intuitive interface makes it an easy system to learn.
The Lumia 925 has one of the largest screens in the current Windows Phone 8 line up at 4.5 inches, which comes in handy when viewing documents and long email chains.
Microsoft's fully functioning Office Suite for mobiles - something which is currently only available on Windows Phone – is installed on the handset, making last minute amendments on the way to a meeting easy.
It may not have the same wealth of apps as Android or iOS, but if you can cope with that you'll enjoy the Nokia Lumia 925's powerful offering.
Working on your smartphone can be problematic due to the restrictive screen size, but manufacturers are looking to ease the issues with supersized handsets.
The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 arrives with a huge 5.7-inch, full HD display and its very own S-Pen stylus, merging the line between smartphone and tablet.
If your business is creatively minded then you may find the accuracy of the S-Pen and the ability to draw a real advantage.
You can also annotate documents, emails and anything else on screen using the stylus, allowing you to provide instant feedback to colleagues.
Multitasking has always been tricky on smartphones, partly due to the screen size and the fact that it's not really possible to have two apps on screen at once.
Samsung has overcome this problem on the Galaxy Note 3 by allowing you to run two apps side by side on the screen, so you could be looking at the latest financials while tapping out a quick email to the shareholders.
Of course, the size of the handset may hamper some as it isn't the most pocket friendly of devices, nor is it the lightest.
Also, some of the applications, especially those designed for use with the S-Pen, are overly complicated in places so intensive training may be required for some staff.
