Galaxy S4 Black: Perfect for emo folk and those who like the colour black
Update: You can now buy the Samsung Galaxy S4 and Galaxy S4 Mini in black over at Phones 4 U. It's not Midnight Black or Vortex Noir, just plain old Black. That is some sensible colour-naming which we applaud.
Original story continues...
The Samsung Galaxy S5 is likely to be unsheathed in less than three weeks, but that hasn't deterred the Korean company's efforts to squeeze a little more life out of its popular Galaxy S4 range.
With the S4's inevitable passing as Samsung's flagship handset nigh, it's perhaps apt that the firm has outed a new version of the device (and it's Galaxy S4 Mini counterpart) in a fetching black tone.
Available in the US, UK and other markets this month, the Black Edition devices feature the "leather-like" (meaning faux leather) rear casing, black bezel and exclusive themed wallpapers and ringtones.
For those whose inner darkness cannot be expressed simply through handset colour tones alone, the power adaptor, microUSB, cables and headphones also adopt the same gloomy shade.
Abyss of blackness, but no KitKat
Beyond that abyss of blackness there are no other differences to report. The specs all remain the same, while both devices will ship with Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean rather than the newer KitKat OS.
Official pricing and availability has yet to be confirmed, but it seems like it surely will be before Samsung reveals the long-awaited Galaxy S5, almost certainly at the Unpacked event at MWC 2014 on February 24.
However, the prospect has regained the spotlight, at least temporarily, with reports on Thursday claiming the company will launch a 5-inch, Full HD phone this year at a "fraction of the cost" of the Apple iPhone.
The Information website claims to have obtained documents referring to the device by the codename "Project Aria," revealing discussions with potential manufacturing partners in EU and China last spring
The documents speak of strategies for distributing the device across the United States, Europe, China this year.
Hardware form
The report's hint of an affordable price point is little surprise, given Amazon's previous hardware form with Kindle Fire tablets and ereaders, as well as the current direction of the smartphone industry.
We've been hearing a few whispers about iOS 8 recently, but now we've got something to actually feast our eyes on.
The screenshot above was posted on a Weibo account, claiming to be of iOS 8, and 9to5Mac says it has confirmed its legitimacy "with several sources".
As you can see, the rumoured Healthbook app is sitting on the top right, while Preview and TextEdit are also present.
iSpy
According to "sources in the know" Apple is optimising versions of Preview and TextEdit for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch, which would explain their appearance here.
These versions will reportedly be made for the purpose of viewing files that are synced to iCloud by OS X, but not editing.
If this picture is real, Apple clearly still has work to do on the icons, as Preview and TextEdit are just copies of their Mac counterparts right now.
The same Weibo user also posted a picture allegedly of the settings screen, which shows the version of iOS to be 8.0.
As convinced as 9to5Mac is that these pictures are the real deal, it would be very easy for someone to knock out a photoshop job like this in no time at all, so we'll remain a tad cautious.
Last year Motorola released the excellent Motorola Moto G and, in doing so, set a new benchmark for affordable smartphones.
For all the excitement surrounding yearly flagship releases, the middle and lower tier markets are boasting the likes of the Moto G, Sony Xperia M and Nokia Lumia 520. Gone are the days when you had to spend over £200 for a quality smartphone.
Enter ZTE, the fourth largest smartphone manufacturer in the world with the ZTE Blade Q Mini: a £60 Android handset that punches well above its weight both in terms of design and features.
That low price does come with a couple of caveats. For starters, it's only available as a PAYG handset and secondly, the Blade Q Mini is exclusive to the Virgin Media network.
It's unlikely the Blade Q Mini will sway serious shoppers from the Motorola Moto G but if you're looking for a temporary replacement, secondary handset or a child's first-time smartphone, then it's very difficult to argue with this offering from the Chinese company.
Looks-wise, it's standard smartphone fare with a lack of physical buttons - thanks to Android's soft-key configuration - and smart rounded corners with a minimal bezel.
The 126 x 64 x 9mm dimensions and 120g weight mean it sits comfortably in the hand with just the right amount of heft to it.
Perhaps in response to the "phablet" movement, we're seeing something of a comeback for the smaller screen thanks to the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S4 mini and the HTC One mini.
The ZTE Blade Q mini fits into this bracket with a 4-inch WVGA display that means you can easily use it with a single hand.
The 800x480 resolution isn't enough to impress these days, but remember I'm talking about a £60 phone here.
The back of the device is covered with a soft, rubberised plastic similar to that found on the back of the Google Nexus 5. It means it's easy to grip the Blade Q mini and I also found it gave it a slightly more premium appearance than if ZTE had just gone with basic plastic.
On the right and left hand side you'll find volume rocker and microUSB charging slot respectively. The top of the phone is reserved for the power switch and the 3.5mm headphone jack. There's nothing but the microphone on the bottom of the chassis.
By having the power switch on the top of the device, you have to shift your grip to switch the phone on and off again. I think ZTE missed a trick by not putting the power button where the microUSB port is.
Had this been the case, you would be able to switch both the power switch and the volume rocker without having to move your fingers or thumb from the traditional position.
The only other buttons are the soft-touch Android keys at the base of the screen. Back, Home and Settings respectively, these keys light up when the phone is activated and are pleasingly responsive.
Sometimes lower-tier smartphones require hard jabs at the navigation keys to register any effect, but that isn't the case here. Haptic feedback is also present, but this can be disabled when the ZTE Blade Q Mini is put on silent mode.
This entire rear panel is removable via a tricky slot on the bottom right, which lets you get to the interior of the Blade Q Mini. Inside you'll find the 1,500 mAh battery as well as the SIM and microSD slots.
One nice feature is a notification light in the top left-hand corner. It will blink at you when you have an incoming email or text, and also acts as a gauge when charging the battery; switching from red to green when you're charged.
While the Blade Q Mini does boast a rear-facing 5MP camera, there's no forward-facing equivalent for taking selfies or using video-chat apps. This isn't a huge omission and isn't surprising given the budget nature of the phone.
As you'd expect on a handset with this price point, you're going to want to be reaching for a microSD card pretty quickly. The Blade Q mini is equipped with a piffling 4GB of internal storage space. Throw in pre-installed apps and the operating system itself and you've only got about 1.5GB to actually work with.
I would recommend equipping the Blade Q Mini with at least a 16GB microSD card if you plan on using it to listen to music, download apps or take a lot of pictures.
As it is, the ZTE Blade Q Mini runs nicely and, given the asking price, is comparable to rival Android phones like the Acer Liquid Z2 or Huawei Ascend Y300.
Apps are the cornerstone of iOS. The ecosystem is what sets Apple's mobile platform apart from its rivals, and the highest-quality iPhone apps are typically best in class.
This round-up compiles our favourites, from top-quality creative tools and video editors to the finest productivity kit and social networking clients.
1Password, Photoshop and Air Video HD
1. 1Password ($17.99/£12.99)
With iOS 7, Apple introduced iCloud Keychain, for entering and securely storing passwords and payment data. But 1Password is still worth investing in, for its wider support (platforms; browsers; websites) and the means to store multiple identities and secure notes. On iOS, it has its own built-in browser; alternatively, you can copy passwords to then paste into Safari.
2. Adobe Photoshop Touch ($4.99/£2.99)
This ambitious app aims to bring some of the power of Photoshop to your iPhone. Naturally, Adobe Photoshop Touch can't match the hugely expensive desktop app, but it nonetheless has a very good go for its tiny price tag, enabling you to work with layers, blend modes and a range of versatile tools.
3. Air Video HD ($2.99/£1.99)
Even the most expensive iPhone has a fairly limited amount of on-board storage, and this is a problem if you have a large video collection you'd like to access. Air Video HD server streams (and if necessary, re-encodes) files from a PC or Mac that can then be played on your iPhone; there's AirPlay support, and also the means to access your Air Video server over the web.
Blur, Byword and Capture
4. Blur ($0.99/69p)
Sometimes the best apps are the ones that offer a seemingly effortless level of elegance. Blur merely takes one of your photos and enables you to blur and save it. The result: some of the most beautiful background wallpapers you're ever likely to see, made from your own images.
5. Byword ($4.99/£2.99)
Byword is a text editor that hits the sweet spot of being both usable and simple. Its font is clear, and a toolbar adds live word count or Markdown buttons. Your documents can be saved locally, to iCloud, or to a linked Dropbox account. Output can also be exported to various formats (PDF; HTML; email) or to a blog if you buy the $4.99/£2.99 'Publishing' IAP.
6. Capture ($1.99/£1.49)
It's frustrating to miss a moment you'd like to savour forever, despite being armed with an iPhone that boasts perfectly good video recording capabilities. But getting to the relevant settings in Camera can be fiddly. Capture does away with such messing around — launch the app and it immediately starts recording; quit and the app saves the video it's shot to your Camera Roll. It might not seem much but those seconds saved can make a big difference.
Clear, Day One and DM1
7. Clear ($4.99/£2.99)
While Apple's own Reminders app is mired in interface hell, Clear shows how it should be done. Lists are managed through gestural input, and urgent items at the top use a deeper red hue. iCloud sync enables your list to be up to date across all devices.
8. Day One ($4.99/£2.99)
Traditional journals are all very well, but there's something wonderful about an app that you always have with you, into which you can save messages, images, locations and more, and then later retrieve everything via a search. Day One is beautifully designed and easy to use - best-in-class on the iPhone.
9. DM1 ($1.99/£1.49)
There are plenty of drum machines for iOS, but DM1 is easily our favourite. For beginners, there are pads you can tap and 86(!) kits to mess about with. Beyond that, there's a step sequencer and song composer, WIST, MIDI and Audiobus support, and export to iTunes, email and Dropbox.
Fantastical 2, Figure and GoodReader
10. Fantastical 2 ($3.99/£2.49)
Fantastical 2 betters iOS 7's iffy Calendar app by way of a superior interface, a non-hateful method of dealing with reminders, and truly exceptional event input. The app has a powerful parser, and so while adding an event, you can enter the likes of "TechRadar lunch at 3pm on Friday", watching a live preview build as you type.
11. Figure ($0.99/69p)
Figure crams Reason's rich history of classic-era electronic music apps into a shoebox. Via a mixture of dials and pads, you can create all manner of banging choons, and then export them and assault your friends' eardrums. It's a fun toy for anyone, but also has the chops to be part of a pro-musician's mobile set-up.
12. GoodReader ($4.99/£2.99)
With iOS lacking a file system, surrogates are needed. Dropbox is great for general use, but GoodReader is an excellent solution for storing, viewing and searching all manner of documents, including PDFs, text files and images. It's packed with features and can connect to a huge range of online services.
iMovie - one of the best editing tools out there
13. iMovie (free with new devices or $4.99/£2.99)
Camera enables you to do the odd bit of cropping with video files, but iMovie is an audacious attempt to bring a full video editor to your iPhone, infused with the ease-of-use its desktop counterpart is renowned for. Amazingly, it succeeds. Effects, themes, credits and soundtrack creation then provide extra polish for your mobile filmmaking.
Launch Center Pro, Moves and Numbers
14. Launch Center Pro ($4.99/£2.99)
More or less a speed-dial for regularly performed tasks, Launch Center Pro can be a huge time-saver. You can create shortcuts for things like adding a new Tumblr post or sending your last photo to Twitter, and these shortcuts can be arranged in groups. An essential purchase if you heavily use even a handful of the [supported apps](http://actions.contrast.co).
15. Moves ($2.99/£1.99)
There are plenty of trackers available for iPhone, but Moves rises above its rivals through automatically recognising exercise types and providing you with a daily 'storyline' of your activity. And while the app itself isn't big on data sharing, it's easy enough to get your data out via Moves Export.
16. Numbers (free with new devices or $9.99/£6.99)
When Apple first brought its office-style apps to iPad, that was impressive, but squeezing them down to iPhone size seemed impossible. Yet Numbers in particular remains surprisingly usable, not least when you create forms to rapidly enter data while on the go. iCloud sync provides access from Macs and also PCs via Numbers for iCloud.
Pocket Casts, Pro Camera 7 andSoulver
17. Pocket Casts ($3.99/£2.49)
Apple's Podcasts app has improved since its initial launch, but still falls short of Pocket Casts. The third-party app cleverly mixes elegance and character, with a friendly, easily browsable interface. Subscriptions can be filtered, and you can stream episodes of shows you've not yet downloaded.
18. ProCamera 7 ($4.99/£2.99)
This app takes your iPhone's camera to the next level. ProCamera moves beyond Camera in offering more modes, including rapid-fire, anti-shake and night shooting; there's a dedicated lightbox for managing images; and dozens of filters are built-in, along with an impressive selection of editing tools.
19. Soulver ($1.99/£1.49)
Soulver eschews trying to recreate a traditional calculator on your iPhone. Instead, it's akin to jotting down calculations on the back of an envelope, but a magic envelope that pulls the numbers from your in-context sentences and gives you a total. Live currency conversion is built in, and you can save calculations and sync them via Dropbox or iCloud.
Star Walk - your guide to the heavens
20. Star Walk ($2.99/£1.99)
Augmented reality isn't terribly exciting when it's a game showing a tiny alien doddering about on your desk, but when it involves the stars, it's a totally different and utterly mesmerising story. Star Walk is a guide to the heavens, but it comes to life when you overlay your screen on the night sky, enabling you to pick out constellations, planets and satellites with ease.
The Elements - a fantastic digital book
21. The Elements ($13.99/£9.99)
Originally the darling of the iPad, The Elements in late 2013 became a universal app, so it could be enjoyed on iPhones too. A rich, engaging digital book, it tells the story of the periodic table. Each of life's building blocks can be manipulated on the screen, before you delve into related facts and figures.
Traktor DJ - the best DJ app for iPhone
22. Traktor DJ for iPhone ($0.99/69p)
Traktor DJ on iPad is a fantastic DJ app, enabling you to work with waveforms rather than just bunging two virtual spinning records on-screen. Cramming that into an iPhone seems like madness, but somehow it works. There's more zooming and swiping, but otherwise everything's here, from EQ to tempo controls.
Tweetbot, Vert 2 and VividHDR
23. Tweetbot ($4.99/£2.99)
The king of iOS Twitter clients remade for iOS 7 is a wonderful thing. Managing to combine Apple-style sleekness with developer Tapbot's playful nature, Tweetbot is a fun, feature-packed app. As a basic client, it works, but as an app for heavy Twitter users, it excels through its flexibility and wealth of settings.
24. Vert 2 ($1.99/£1.49)
There are a lot of conversion apps about, but Vert 2 caught our eye through an interface that prizes clarity above all else. Beyond that, a combination of smart filtering and customisation cements the app's place on your home screen. And if you don't like the theme, you can easily make your own.
25. vividHDR ($1.99/£1.49)
We've never been overly impressed with Apple's HDR, and it pales in comparison to vividHDR. The basic concept is the same: stunning, vibrant photos, capturing amazing details in both highlight and shadow. But vividHDR's combination of speed, presets and 'before and after' comparisons results in better photos - and that's what really matters.
d to iCloud by OS X, but not editing.
