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5 upcoming Android phones that are worth waiting for

pring is all about renewal, and there are certainly some excellent new Android phones on the market this season. But maybe you aren’t smitten with the newest crop of super-phones, or you have a nagging suspicion that the perfect phone is just around the corner. There are some very interesting upcomingAndroid smartphone, so maybe you want to resist the urge to buy one of those shiny new handsets and tough it out for a few more months.

Let’s see what upcoming Android phones are going to be worth your upgrade…

Samsung Galaxy Note 3

The new Samsung Galaxy S4 might be the most popular Android device this year, but there is very vocal contingent of Android faithful that love the Galaxy Note series of devices. The Note 2 is looking a little tired next to the GS4, but a refresh is expected later this year. It’s probably going to be one of the top Android devices of 2013.

Recent reports indicate the Note 3 could be powered by the much-anticipated Qualcomm Snapdragon 800, a more powerful version of the 600 at the heart of the HTC One and Galaxy S4 (in the US). It’s likely that, if accurate, this will only hold true for the US-based Note 3. The international device will probably run on Samsung’s Exynos octa-core chip.

The Galaxy S4 is now rocking a 1080p screen, so I would be surprised to see the Note 3 ship with anything less. A 1080p Super AMOLED panel in the neighborhood of 5.5-6-inches is being rumored. That should still be plenty crisp despite the larger size. The new Samsung Mega phone-tablets (phablets, if you will) fill the “big and cheap” market segment, so the GN3 will be very high-end.

Another interesting possibility for the Galaxy Note 3 is a completely new type of camera on a smartphone. A report from the Korean language ETNews claims the third Note will have a 13MP sensor with active image stabilization and a 3x optical zoom. That would require movable lens elements and a larger camera module, but you could zoom on images without sacrificing resolution.

Of course the next Galaxy Note is sure to ship with the S Pen stylus and all the cool features that come with it. Some new “Smart” features from the GS4 are also likely to be along for the ride.

The Note 3 doesn’t have a release date yet, but it will likely be announced at the IFA trade show in September.

Moto X

When Google’s Motorola acquisition was done, there were still pre-Google devices in the Motorola pipeline. We were warned at the time that the true Google collaboration did not include the new RAZRphones, but big things were coming. Rumors of a Motorola X phone started bubbling up late in 2012, but at the recent D11 conference we got the first official word the Moto X is real. Motorola Mobility CEO Dennis Woodside let slip a few details about the device.

This is basically a nerd-lust phone. Motorola has always built nice hardware with excellent radio performance, but the software has been holding it back. Getting closer to a stock Android experience with Google’s guidance could be great for users, and Motorola has the relationships to actually get the device on more carriers. Motorola is expected to run a mostly stock version of Android on the Moto X, but it probably won’t be a pure Nexus build.

Specs are still very much up in the air, but Woodside mentioned that Google and Motorola are interested in solving the problems of durability and battery life. The Moto X, apparently, might be the first step on the way to a solution. There have been rumors of a new type of ceramic or carbon fiber casing for the Moto X — perhaps that particular rumor was correct.

The Moto X will be built in America — Texas to be specific. That might make you wary of the potential price tag, but Woodside claimed at D11 the company’s underdog status (and Google backing, I’m sure) lets it take a different approach to price. The Moto X might not be a $650 full-price phone, but there’s no telling if it will see Nexus-like pricing either.

The Moto X is also expected to do some interesting things with sensors. Using the accelerometer, light, proximity, and gyroscope, the phone will be “contextually aware,” according to Woodside. That might mean things like knowing when you take it out of your pocket, or detecting when you want to take a picture and opening the camera app.

Earlier rumors about hardware customization are not looking terribly good right now. Although, some sources still claim the Moto X will come in a variety of colors. Woodside said the phone would be out by the fall, but a Motorola press release said late summer. Either way, you’ve got a few months to save your pennies.

Apple reveals iOS 7 design revamp and iTunes Radio

Apple has unveiled a flatter look for the user interface of its smart device iOS operating system - the first to be overseen by its design chief Jony Ive.

He said the aim was to make the system look "cleaner" to help "elevate" users' content.

It involves a shift away from skeuomorphism - the use of leather, wood and other real-world inspired textures and artifacts in apps.

A similar change has also been made to the OS X system for Mac computers.

Highlighting the new look of the firm's Game Center app, Apple's senior vice president of Software Engineering Craig Federighi joked: "We just completely ran out of green felt and wood - this has got to be good for the environment."

He also showed off a parallax effect which means icons shift against the background image as an iPhone-user tilts their handset one way and another, based on feedback from the device's accelerometer sensor.

"The new version is almost unrecognizable, which will make it polarising," said Jan Dawson, chief telecoms analyst at the consultancy Ovum.

"Some people will love that their phone feels new and different, while others will be disoriented by the newness.

"Finding your Settings app is hard when the icon has totally changed, and the many people who easily get disoriented by their gadgets may well have a negative experience.

"On the other hand, this is a clear statement from Apple that it acknowledges the need to refresh the user interface and is willing to do something pretty dramatic."

Music streaming

The firm also announced iTunes Radio - a streaming music service offering access to themed stations which can be tailored according to a person's listening history on iTunes, as well as tracks from specific bands - including unreleased exclusives - which they do not own.

iTunes Radio offers access to personalised music streams

Apple suggested it was a way for users to "discover new music", and the firm will promote the ability to buy songs that a user likes via its store.

The feature is accessible through iOS 7's music app as well as iTunes software for Macs, PCs and Apple TVs. It poses a challenge to Last.fm, Pandora, Spotify and other similar products.

The launch comes a month after Google unveiled Play Music All Access, a similar facility for Android devices. But unlike the search firm's pay-to-use model, Apple is making iTunes Radio accessible without charge if users are willing to listen to adverts, as well as an ad-free option to users buying an iTunes Match subscription.

One music industry watcher suggested Apple's move could prove disruptive in light of the fact the firm has 575 million iTunes accounts.

"A large portion of digital music consumers currently buy their music through Apple's store," said Chris Cooke, business editor at the music industry news site CMU.

"If we are seeing a shift - which many in the industry think we are - from a situation where downloads are the norm to one where streaming becomes more popular, then Apple has a large audience which it can persuade that its streaming service is the one to shift to."

However, Nokia suggested its rival was a relatively late entrant to the market.

"We launched our streaming radio service in 2011," it said in a statement. "It's interesting to see Apple react now and it seems they continue to play catch up."

Apple's senior vice president of Software Engineering Craig Federighi unveiled the new look

Other new features in iOS 7 include:

Automatic app updates
A swipe-up Control Center feature which brings together frequently used functions such as turning on wi-fi or bluetooth, adjusting the volume, and using a phone as a torch
The ability to carry out searches via Microsoft's Bing service within the voice-controlled Siri app, which also features new voices
An anti-theft measure which requires a user to enter an associated ID and password before being able to deactivate a device's Find My iPhone feature
Redesigned fonts to create the appearance of sharper text

About 37.4 million iPhones shipped worldwide in the January-to-March quarter according to market intelligence firm IDC, confirming its status as Apple's biggest source of revenue.

Control Center brings frequently used functions together in the same place

Although that was a rise on the same period in 2012, the study indicates the firm's smartphone market share slipped to 17.3% while Android's grew to 75%, thanks in large part to Samsung's success. It also indicated Apple is facing a similar trend in the tablet sector.

Apple's products might still be more profitable, but IDC suggested it needed the refresh.

"People were getting a bit bored with the old design so Apple needed to make significant changes," said IDC's mobile device research director Francisco Jeronimo.

Apple said iOS 7 would be released to the public in the autumn.

Cylindrical computer

In addition to the iOS revamp, Apple also showed off the next update to its operating system for Macintosh computers, which will be called Maverick - ending its tradition of naming its OS updates after types of big cat.

The software now includes the ability to access the firm's mapping software via a new app, read books bought from its iBooks store, and tag files - in a similar fashion to Evernote and OneNote - to make it easier to call up documents that share information in common.

A decision to revamp the look of its Calendar software, ditching the current version's use of a leather and torn paper design, also drew applause from the audience of software developers at the San Francisco announcement.

Apple boasted that its upcoming top-end desktop will be a fraction of the size of its predecessor

Apple also announced new laptops using Intel's Haswell processors, as well as a redesigned Mac Pro desktop which will use Intel's Xeon E5 CPU (central processing unit) and two FirePro GPUs (graphics processing units) made by AMD.

Apple noted that the cylindrical Mac Pro was "one-eighth the volume" of its previous model and could support up to three 4K resolution displays.

"Sales of high-end desktops are a niche market for Apple, but a high margin one," said Chris Green, principal technology analyst at Davies Murphy Group.

"The old Mac Pro has also been unavailable in Europe for about a year because of environmental regulations, so it does need to get out a new model."

Bend me, shape me: Flexible phones 'out by 2013'

Imagine treating your phone like a piece of paper.

Roll it up. Drop it. Squish it in your backpack. Step on it - without any damage.

Researchers are working on just such handsets - razor-thin, paper-like and bendable.

There have already been prototypes, attracting crowds at gadget shows.

But rumours abound that next year will see the launch of the first bendy phone. Numerous companies are working on the technology - LG, Philips, Sharp, Sony and Nokia among them - although reports suggest that South Korean phone manufacturer Samsung will be the first to deliver.

Morph is one of the bendable prototypes Nokia has been working on

Samsung favours smartphones with so-called flexible OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) technology, and is confident that they will be "very popular among consumers worldwide".

Their screens will be "foldable, rollable, wearable and more, [and] will allow for a high degree of durability through their use of a plastic substrate that is thinner, lighter and more flexible than… conventional LCD technology," says a Samsung spokesperson.

Paperless world

There are other technologies that could make your smartphone bendy. After all, the concept - creating flexible electronics and assembling them on equally flexible plastic - has been touted since the 1960s, when the first flexible solar cell arrays appeared.

In 2005, Philips demonstrated the first prototype of a rollable display.

And it may not have been obvious, but a couple of years later, flexible technology hit the mainstream.

Amazon's first Kindle e-reader used a plastic non-rigid screen - known as an optical frontplane - to display its images. The only problem was that the components beneath it required the device to be stiff.

Like many of the e-book readers that followed, it used e-ink - an innovation developed by a US company of the same name.

The screens are black and white, and work by reflecting natural light instead of glowing themselves, mimicking the way text looks in paper books.

"There are about 30 million flexible e-ink displays in the field today - the oldest working ones are from 2006," says Sri Peruvemba of E-Ink.

"They [are] well-suited for simple phones, memory and battery indicators, smart credit cards, wristwatches, and signs."

But why are most e-ink displays hidden behind a rigid glass screen and not made bendy?

One reason is cost, says Abhigyan Sengupta, an analyst with consultancy firm MarketsAndMarkets, which recently published a global study on flexible displays.

To have a fully flexible finished product, both parts of the display have to be flexible - the optical frontplane and the backplane, where transistors are - as well as the device's battery, the outer shell, the touchscreen and other components.

Plastic Logic designs displays using E-Ink's technology and its own

Although Mr Peruvemba says his firm has started manufacturing displays with flexible backplanes in-house, its many partners are also busy researching ways to make electronic paper as flexible as the real thing.

Among them is South Korean firm LG Displays, which has just begun mass-producing fully flexible e-ink screens.

"They could prove a terrific benefit for handsets, where damage from drops is common," says an LG spokeswoman. "Their light weight and thinness should provide huge potential to the future of handset design development."

Another company working with E-Ink is UK firm Plastic Logic.

It uses the US firm's optical frontplane but adds on its own backplane made out of non-rigid plastics, and then sells the part to device-makers.

Last May, Plastic Logic demonstrated a paper-like flexible screen capable of playing video in colour, which is achieved by placing a filter on top of the original black-and-white display.

This prototype was developed by Japanese company NEC

But the colours are not as bright as on other types of screens, and the company's research manager Michael Banach acknowledges the technology at the moment is most likely to be used as a back-up screen which kicks in when batteries run low, rather than the main display.

'Wonder material'

So other researchers are taking a different approach.

Clad in blue lab overalls, Prof Andrea Ferrari from Cambridge University works on future bendy displays using graphene.

South Korean firm LG Displays has recently started mass-producing e-ink flexible displays

The material was first produced in 2004 by Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov, two Russian-born scientists at the University of Manchester.

Graphene is a sheet of carbon just one atom thick - yet it is stronger than diamond, transparent, lightweight, has great conducting properties - and is flexible.

Researchers believe that graphene may in future replace silicon and revolutionise electronics as we know it.

"We are working on flexible, bendable and transparent displays and surfaces that could in future be part of flexible phones, tablets, TVs and solar cells," says Prof Ferrari, who is working with Finnish phonemaker Nokia.

"Samsung is really quite advanced in this field, but we here in Cambridge have done some great work on Nokia's prototypes as well."

He says that graphene will complement and highly enhance the performance of OLED-type flexible phones, because in theory, even a handset's flexible battery can be made out of this material.

Whatever the technology, it seems certain that very soon our phones will be not just smart, but bendy too.

Android security tips and tricks

The Android operating system is something of a security nightmare.

As we report regularly on V3 there are numerous attacks on the platform in various guises that you need to be aware of, particularly as devices on the platform continue to prove popular and are increasingly used within enterprises.

As such it’s important that basic security protocols are followed when using these devices to help protect you from basic threats.

So we at V3 have put together a quick, easy-to-follow guide on some of the simple but important ways you can protect yourself, and your staff, on the platform, in the video above.

While these tips are not going to prove adequate against all targeted attacks, they should at least get you off on the right foot and help raise awareness and instill a culture of security within your organisation.

Sony Vaio Duo 13 video demo

Sony unveiled the Duo 13 alongside its new Pro and Fit laptops on Wednesday, listing it as a key step in its 2013 business market push. The Duo aims to fix a number of the flaws seen on the Japanese giant's first Windows 8 convertible, the Duo 11. Chief among these were the device's poor battery life – it only lasted for five hours off one charge – a delicate-feeling hinge and the absence of a place to dock its stylus. The Duo 13 also features upgraded hardware specifications featuring an Intel Core i7 chip, 8GB RAM, up to 512GB solid-state storage and a reasonable HD 1920x1080 pixel resolution display. As an added boon to busiess users the Duo 13 will feature an 8MP rear camera and Sony's custom CamScanner app. The app will suit business users, letting them use the rear camera to scan written documents to turn into text files. The Duo is set for release later this year, although there is currently no word on its exact price. Check back with V3 later for a full review of the Sony Vaio Duo.

Toshiba Excite Write Android tablet video demo

Toshiba unveiled the Excite Write alongside its cheaper Pro and Pure siblings on Tuesday, claiming the series will cover all areas of the tablet market. However of the three the Write is the only one flatout designed for business buyers, with the cheaper Pure being marketed as a consumer device and the Pro, despite its title, a cross purpose tablet suitable for bring your own device (BYOD) purposes. A key business boon for the Write is the inclusion of a digitiser stylus and custom TruNote application. TurNote is designed for rapid notetaking and is similar to the S Note app seen on Samsung's Galaxy Note series of tablets. The Write boasts some pretty impressive technical specifications, being one of the first Android tablets to run using an Nvidia Tegra 4 processor. The processors were unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas in January. Nvidia claims they are the fastest mobile processors in the world and can easily outmatch all current competitors. The Write will also boast a 10.1in Pro Pixel Pure Display 2560x600 display, 8MP rear camera with HDR and run using Google's Android 4.2.1 operating system. The Excite Write tablet is confirmed for release later this year with prices starting at £499.

Sony Vaio Pro 13 hands-on review

Sony boldly entered the ultrabook market last year, releasing its moderately priced Vaio T13. A solid entry into the ultrabook space, the T13 received generally positive reviews but failed to reignite corporate interest in Sony laptops, contributing to yet another lull in sales for the Japanese giant. Not willing to give up, Sony's retargeted the space, unveiling its top end Pro 13, claiming the device is the lightest touchscreen ultrabook ever made.

Design and build
Visually, as is the case with most Sony devices, the Pro is very slick. The model we had some time with featured a brushed black finish, that combined with its hardline, slim dimensions and design gave it a very swish, corporate feel similar to that seen on Lenovo's X1 Carbon ultrabook. The Pro 13 was also very light for its size, measuring in at 322x216x17.2mm and weighing just 1.06kg, similar to the 1.08kg MacBook Air. The low weight is seriously impressive considering some of the hardcore components and ports housed in the Pro's carbon fibre chassis, with it boasting USB 3.0, USB 3.0 with charge, SD memory card, HDMI out, Bluetooth, NFC and WiFi connectivity options. Opening impressions also suggest the Pro is fairly well built, with it having as solid feel that left us sure it could survive a few odd bumps and scrapes.

Screen
Display-wise the Pro 13 comes with a 13.3in Full HD 1920x1080 Triluminos touchscreen. As we found on the similarly specced Vaio Duo 13 Sony convertible, the display is pleasant to use when viewed directly, but suffered from glare issues, regularly catching any stray light and featured surprisingly poor viewing angles, quickly becoming illegible when viewed at even a slight angle. However, to be fair to the Pro 13, the lighting conditions on the press-expo floor were particularly punishing, being strewn with ridiculously bright lights that made every device we had at hand difficult to use. Sony Vaio Pro 13 press event

Operating system and software
The Pro 13 will be released with Windows 8 and Windows 8 Pro options. Windows 8 is yet to massively take off in the corporate space with many firms preferring to avoid the costly experience of a general upgrade and sticking to their older Windows 7, Vista or even XP systems. Our experience using Windows 8 on the Pro 13 was positive, with its nippy, responsive touchscreen making it a doddle to navigate, a fact aided by the fact Sony hasn't overloaded the device with too many custom applications.

Performance
In terms of power, the out of the box Pro 13 will feature an Intel Core i7-4500U with Turbo boost Technology, that will be backed up by 8GB of RAM and a hybrid solid state drive. While we didn't get a chance to properly put the Pro 13 though its paces or benchmark it, the on-paper specs mean it should be more than powerful enough for most business purposes and during our hands on we didn't notice any software bugs or glitches hampering its performance.

Chances
Our opening tests suggest the Pro 13 is a decent ultrabook, offering business users a solidly built, yet surprisingly light power-house Windows 8 experience. However, there's currently no word on how much the Pro 13 will cost when it's released later this month, meaning it's difficult to tell how much businesses will have to pay for the premium experience. Check back with V3 later for a full review of the Sony Vaio Pro 13.

Google Chromebook Pixel review

The Chromebook Pixel looks and feels like a high quality device, and it foreshadows a revolution in computing. But the price tag is very high for a laptop that is currently so restricted in terms of software.

Pros:

Brilliant screen display, good touch response, great keyboard, excellent design and build quality

Cons:

Rather heavy, expensive, not everyone will like the 3:2 aspect ratio display, battery life could be better, lack of support for

Google unveiled its Chromebook Pixel laptop to compete with Apple MacBooks and Windows 8 ultrabooks.

Touting what the firm claims is the highest resolution screen ever seen in a laptop, the Pixel doesn't come cheap. Costing £1,049, the 13in-sized device is rather costly considering the limitations of its Chrome OS, which is bound to put some buyers off, especially considering that it won't support many popular applications and the latest games, for example.

However, with touch capabilities on a display that boasts a quality higher than that seen on Apple's Retina technology, and a striking aluminium finish, Google's Chromebook Pixel is bound to gain some well-deserved attention. Whether the firm can translate these features into sales remains to be seen. Nevertheless, we've put the Pixel through its paces to see if it has what it takes to compete with fellow industry giants Apple and Microsoft.

Design and build
What initially strikes you about the Chromebook Pixel is its anodised aluminium chassis, which not only gives it a sleek, stylish look, but creates an impression that it will be robust enough to withstand a good few knocks and drops.

We also like how the Pixel's brushed metal finish, which uses active cooling so has no visible vents - as well as screws or speakers - gives it a very minimalistic, high-end appearance. At £1,049, it is in harmony with its price tag in terms of looks. However, a downside to the Pixel's build is that it isn't the lightest we've tried and tested, feeling quite heavy at 1.52kg. Measuring 16.2mm thick, it's also not the slimmest laptop design we've had the pleasure of using.

Google Chromebook Pixel closed back thickness

Saying that, the Pixel does have some great features, such as its piano hinge, which Google says has been built in to help dissipate heat and augment the Wi-Fi antenna. Whether this is really the case, we're not too sure, but it does retain a very smooth motion, so opening and closing the lid is effortless.

Another charming, albeit rather pointless quirk featured on the Pixel is the LED bar light that sits on the lid just above the groove where you open it up. In true Google style, this emits an array of colours in the theme of the search engine's ubiquitous logo: a rather simple but fun way of adding brand association to the Pixel's minimal design.

Overall, the Pixel did impress us in terms of design and build. Although it might remind us of Apple's MacBook Pro series, it feels exceptionally well made, possessing a very high quality finish and as a result is an absolute pleasure to work on, or play on for that matter, and will undoubtedly impress anyone that uses it.

Samsung Galaxy S4 vs Apple iPhone 5 head-to-head review

Samsung and Apple have been wrestling for the top spot in the smartphone market for close to half a decade. It's traditionally been Apple that ultimately won the sales war, with every one of its iPhones being crowned the year's top handset.

However, with each clash Samsung has gained a little ground, with its previous Galaxy S3 handset getting close to matching sales of the iPhone 4S and iPhone 5. Because of this many analysts have speculated that the next battle between Samsung and Apple could decide each company's place and fortunes in the future smartphone arena. We take a look to see whether the Galaxy S4 can outdo the iPhone 5 in all the key areas.

Design and build
The most noticeable design difference between the two is that the Galaxy S4 is significantly bigger than the 124x59x7.6mm iPhone 5, measuring in at 137x70x7.9mm. The increased size means that the 130g Galaxy S4 is also significantly heavier than the 112g iPhone 5.

Interestingly, despite being bigger and heavier than the iPhone 5, we found the S4 slightly more comfortable to hold. Its ergonomic, curved, pebble-like design made it easier to get a grip on than the hard-lined and cornered iPhone. iPhone 5 Samsung Galaxy S4 design

In terms of build quality, though, the iPhone 5 is better than the Galaxy S4. This is largely down to Apple's decision to make the iPhone 5's chassis out of metal, not polycarbonate. For some time now the build quality of Samsung's plastic Galaxy handsets has been an issue, and their removable polycarbonate backplates are prone to chipping and picking up dents. The S4 has the same problems, and feels even flimsier than the company's previous S3 handset.