Galaxy Note 4, iPhone 6 Among 6 Best Smartphones Of 2015

Sony Xperia Z3

It hasn’t been a glorious year for Sony Corporation (NYSE:SNE)(TYO:6758) in financial terms, with the corporation announcing massive losses and blaming it on the mobile phone division. Which is a shame, as the Sony Xperia Z3 may not be a vast step forward over the previous iteration in the series, but it is still a pretty decent smartphone.

The slimmed down design was particularly popular, and the brightness of the screen certainly resonated as you viewed content. The display is actually a big plus point of this device, as Sony installs its Bravia Technology in the Xperia series.

An obvious weakness of the smartphone is the relatively poor camera, and if you are a consumer looking to take a lot of photographs with your smartphone then it is difficult to recommend the Xperia Z3 too strongly.

But if you’re looking for a relatively affordable smartphone with an excellent screen and good remote play functionality then this the Z3 certainly a good option.

Google Nexus 6

2014 was the year where Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) began to take the smartphone market particularly seriously, and the Nexus 6 is its best effort at a smartphone thus far.

The Nexus series had previously been criticized for poor camera functionality, but this was fixed to a certain extent with the snapper in the Nexus 6. This upgrade comes at the premium though; no longer can the Nexus 6 be considered a cheap smartphone option.

The powerful Snapdragon 805 chipset included in the device ensures that this is a very powerful handset, and given that this is a flagship Google device, it will continually benefit from receiving the latest Android updates.

The 5.96-inch screen included in this smartphone wasn certainly divisive, but the large-handed among us, and those predisposed to detailed mobile displays, will find much to admire in this premium phablet-sized smartphone.

LG G3

LG Electronics Inc. (KRX:066570)(OTCMKTS:LGEAF) is yet to become a household name in the West, but with devices such as the G3 under its belt, this could change in the near future.

This is an extremely solidly built and supremely well manufactured smartphone that is among the most affordable on the market. This would be impressive enough in itself, but it also arguably includes the best display in any smartphone on the planet. Perhaps it has been superseded by Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (LON:BC94)(KRX:005930) devices in this regard, but its QHD screen still impresses.

The LG G3 also has a raft of impressive upgrades from previous devices in the series, which include an overhauled and simplified user interface and laser-based auto-focus in its camera, and couples this with improved physical design parameters.

This is a sleek and stylish smartphone which is brilliant for viewing content such as videos and photographs. It belongs in the same bracket as the very best smartphones on the planet.

HTC One M8

HTC Corp (TPE:2498) continues to struggle to achieve the commercial success that its outstanding mobile devices deserve, but that doesn’t prevent the HTC One M8 from being a simply exceptional smartphone.

The HTC One was a hard act to follow, but the HTC One M8 builds on the quality of that device and delivers improved functionality that warrants any owner of the earlier device upgrading to its successor.

Design parameters in HTC devices remain impressive, and cradling this smartphone in one’s hand instantly reveals it to be a supremely well designed device.

Camera functionality is also particularly impressive in this smartphone, with the HTC One M8 featuring one of the speediest snappers on the market.

The Snapdragon 801 processor included in this mobile provides a huge amount of power, yet the battery life of this device must also be commended.

The HTC One M8 is extremely flexible, and gaming, movies, photography and web browsing are processed with supreme ease. This is an absolutely world-class smartphone that also offers incredible value for money. It can definitely be considered the ultimate smartphone outside of the Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) / Samsung duopoly.

Samsung Galaxy Note 4

Samsung has a raft of different mobile devices available, but this phablet-sized smartphone is surely the best of them. While the Galaxy S series is possibly the flagship mobile for Samsung, the Galaxy Note 4 surpasses it in capabilities.

Above all else, the Galaxy Note 4 blows you away with its Super AMOLED technology combined with QHD resolution. It has probably exceeded the LG G3 as the smartphone with the best display on the market.

The Galaxy Note 4 is also notable for its S-Pen, and the functionality related to this has really been stepped up with this release. Many consumers love this aspect of the Galaxy Note series, and it has really reached its apex with the Galaxy Note 4.

Samsung always crams its mobiles full of incredible spec, and this release is no exception to this rule. Perhaps there are still improvements to be made in terms of the Galaxy range’s physical appearance, but no-one can fault the power and functionality of the Galaxy Note 4.

Apple iPhone 6

Apple still carries a cachet with consumers that no other smartphone manufacturer can come close to matching. And the iPhone 6 built on this fashionable image, while delivering a smartphone package that was critically acclaimed andmassively popular with consumers.

The iPhone 6 remains the niftiest, slickest smartphone available, with Apple’s proprietary and impressive iOS 8 software ensuring that it runs like a dream. Camera functionality has been hugely improved in the iPhone 6, particularly with regard to optical image stabilization, and the screen is the best ever display in an iPhone.

Ultimately, the iPhone 6 is an outstanding all-rounder, which perhaps doesn’t excel in any area, but simply works extremely well, while delivering a beautiful and desirable design that has yet to be matched in the smartphone niche.

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Samsung Galaxy S6 Features And Specs [REPORT]

With 2015 on the horizon, rumors related to the next flagship smartphone from Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (LON:BC94)(KRX:005930) are proliferating. The Galaxy S6 will be a critical device for the Korean manufacturer as it attempts to get its financial affairs back on a firm footing.

Samsung’s testing year

2014 was a difficult year for Samsung in many ways, as the consumer electronics giant failed to keep up with the mammoth success of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL), and was forced to concede recently that its profits had plummeted from 2013 levels. Samsung still remains a hugely significant manufacturer of mobile devices, and it share price has recovered to some degree from the earlier lows of the year.

But with some analysts suggesting that the corporation is beginning to flounder somewhat in the face of serious challenges in East Asia from other affordable manufacturers, the next 12 months will be critical in the future of the company.

In this context, the Galaxy S6 will be a vital release for Samsung, given that it will be its first major piece of kit in 2015. When new mobile releases are contemplated the essential issue considered is usually whether they will represent a reboot of the entire concept, or whether the manufacturer will be more inclined towards a gradual upgrade of existing technology.

Samsung Galaxy S6: Aluminum design

Well, the latest information relating to the Galaxy S6 suggest that the former is more accurate than the latter. Reports issued in recent days suggest that the Galaxy S6 will be constructed entirely from aluminum, and that the display included in the device will curve at both edges.

Both of these murmurings seem to be based in Logic. Samsung has been attempting to move away from the plastic-dominated design of its previous devices. The last range of Galaxy handsets had a much more metallic feel to them, and it would seen to be common sense for Samsung to advance this design principle further. Certainly Apple has had massive critical and commercial success with producing metallic devices in the smartphone niche.

Samsung has not always been praised for the physical design of its mobile devices, even if they are generally considered to be excellent in terms of functionality and specifications, and a significantly redesigned Galaxy S model would seem to make commercial sense.

Curved screen common sense

Additionally, the notion of a curved screen is hardly a new one for Samsung. Indeed, the corporation is already to some degree associated with this technology owing to its range of curved television sets which was unveiled relatively recently. Samsung has also put this technology to good use in the release of the Galaxy Note Edge phablet, which featured one curved edge of the type proposed for the forthcoming Galaxy S6.

With Samsung attempting to make its devices really stand out from the crowd and embody a significantly different approach to the Apple iPhone series, a fully curved screen would seem to be a natural physical characteristic to distinguish the Galaxy S series.

Previous reports have differed on whether there will be a so-called ‘Galaxy S Edge’ device. But the suggestion that such a handset would not be produced could hinge on the fact that the curve element is to be a central aspect of the standard Galaxy S6, and therefore there is no need for any Edge composite device.

Other recent reports have suggested that Samsung may put back the announcement of the Galaxy S6, and that we shouldn’t necessarily expect to hear about it at the CES show in January 2015. Past speculation had indicated that this would be the setting for the first official announcement of the Galaxy S6, but it is now suggested that the handset may become official at the beginning of the second quarter of next year.

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iPhone 7 Improvements Over iPhone 6

Although we have yet to see the dawn of 2015, there is no doubt what the big smartphone release of the year will be. Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) greatly strengthened its predominant position in the marketplace in 2014, and a new iPhone is certain during the next calendar year. Although some publications have suggested that it could be named the iPhone 6s, the branding of an entirely new iPhone generation seems more likely, and therefore the branding of iPhone 7 would seem more natural.

The question of how Apple will make the iPhone 7 stand apart from the previous generation of phones is an intriguing one, but here are ten things that we could see in the next generation iPhone.

iPhone 7 Plus

The first question Apple will have to deal with is whether or not it continues with the phablet-sized iPhone Plus variant. This does seem unlikely given the fact that it was pretty well received critically and has been more than acceptably commercially. Phablets are not particularly in vogue at the moment, and the standard iPhone 6 sold better, but given that the iPhone 6 Plus had a powerful portfolio of features, it seems likely that this product line will be continued with the iPhone 7 Plus.

Battery life

The number one feature that Apple should be looking to improve is the battery life of its device. This can be achieved through fitting a larger battery, or through software improvements, but at this point in time the iPhone series still suffers from pretty weak battery life.

Bezels and design

Rumours are already abound that Apple will pretty much eliminate bezels for the iPhone 7, in order to accommodate a larger screen. Aside from this, with Apple having significantly changed the design of the iPhone with the current generation of the handset it seems unlikely that massive changes to the design will be made with the iPhone 7.

Full HD display

Apple will very much be responding to the Galaxy S6 from Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (LON:BC94)(KRX:005930) in this department, given that it will hit the market roughly six months before the iPhone 7, and could feature a QHD display. There will therefore be pressure on Apple to produce a smart phone with a full HD display at least, and this is an anticipated feature of the iPhone 7.

Quad HD display

Conversely, the iPhone 7 Plus could be the first iPhone device to feature a QHD display. This would help Apple keep up with its rivals in the marketplace, and would also seem to be a necessity to mark the device out as different from the smaller smartphone, and also to retain an acceptable pixel density in this phablet.

3D display

At this point in time, surprising people with mobile devices is pretty difficult; we have all become accustomed to certain features, and the next piece of technology which blows consumers away hasn’t come to the fore as of yet.

But one possible innovation that Apple could consider for the iPhone 7 is including 3-D capabilities in the device’s display. To what extent this is feasible and cost-effective is debatable, but the near future will surely see 3-D become more prominent as technology develops. The cinema industry has been hoping for glasses-free 3-D for some time, and to see this technology included in a major mobile device would be a boon for those involved in cinema that wish for this technology to become cemented as an essential part of the technology culture.

Front and rear camera improvements

There have already been reports that Apple will significantly improve both the front and rear-facing cameras in the iPhone 7. To deal with the main rear camera firstly, some analysts have suggested that Apple will pull out all of the stops with the iPhone 7 and release a handset with a 21-megapixel rating. That seems a little high given that the iPhone 6 only had an 8-megapixel lens, but we should see camera improvements at least.

Additionally, reports have surfaced over the last couple of days which suggest that Apple will also greatly upgrade the front-facing camera in the iPhone 7. Apparently the corporation is keen on ensuring that the iPhone 7 has the camera of choice for those wanting to capture ‘selfies’.

Sapphire Glass

One minor quibble with the iPhone at 6 is that it is prone to damage and scratching in particular. It was rumored for some time that more durable Sapphire Glass would replace Gorilla Glass in the iPhone 6, but this particular murmuring never came to fruition. We already know that Apple has made an industrial-sized order of Sapphire Glass, and it is possible that the iPhone 7 will be the first device to benefit from this policy.

Wireless charging

Another new innovation which Apple could consider for the iPhone 7 is wireless charging. Many fans of the iPhone series are craving this at the moment, particularly given the rather poor battery life which has been discussed previously.

The technology is now available on the marketplace for Apple to achieve this, and the main question will be whether it is feasible from a manufacturing and logistical point-of-view, and also whether or not the feature could be implemented in time for it to go into production.

4-inch model

The final issue related to the iPhone 7 is a particularly intriguing one. Will Apple consider releasing a third version of the iPhone 7 to stand alongside the standard smartphone and phablet versions? As discussed in a previous article, there is a precedent for such a decision, as the former founder and CEO of Apple, Steve Jobs, suggested at one time that the ideal screen size for a smartphone should be 3.5-inches.

This would seem to be a little too small for the contemporary marketplace, but a smaller 4-inch model of the iPhone 7does seem possible, and some analysts are already suggesting that this will definitely occur. This would also satisfy city desires for another product line for the consumer electronics giant, so this is one rumor that could prove to have some legs.

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AppBox 8: a powerful Lock screen add-on for iOS 8

Developer Jacob Caraballo has released an updated version of AppBox specifically for iOS 8. Like its predecessor, AppBox 8 functions as a Lock screen launcher and overall Lock screen enhancer. AppBox 8 can launch apps directly from the Lock screen without entering a passcode. It also features plugins for certain apps to access shortcuts for composing new notes, accessing playlists, contacts, and more.

AppBox is a tweak that feels more like a grab bag or a potpourri of different tweaks more so than a focused standalone tweak. That’s because it contains so many different components. This ultimately means that you probably won’t take advantage of all that the tweak has to offer, but you’ll likely find something within it useful.

After installing AppBox 8, you’ll need to head over to the stock Settings app and locate its preference panel. AppBox’s preferences are made up of three sections: General, Lock Sleep Timer, and Options. The General section is where you’ll be spending the majority of your time. It allows you to choose what apps appear on the Lock screen, establish auto-unlock options to launch apps without needing a passcode, and customize the way that app icons are displayed.

Once you have everything set up as you desire, you can start using AppBox. To do so, go to the Lock screen, and swipe from right to left. This will reveal the AppBox launcher. The app icons are arranged according to the way that you modify the apps per row setting in the preferences. There’s also options to change app opacity, size, apps per row while in landscape, and more.

If you don’t have a passcode established on your device, tapping on an app will simply launch the app. Otherwise, you’ll need to insert your passcode, or preferably, set up Auto-Unlock in AppBox’s preferences. By entering your passcode to enable Auto-Unlock, apps can launch immediately without necessitating the need for the passcode entry and needlessly delaying the launch of an app. Only that single app will be launched, and once you press the Home button, you’ll be taken back to the Lock screen. Obviously, Auto-Unlock can make your device less secure, so proceed with caution with regard to the apps that you enable for quick launching via AppBox.

For those of you who wish to take it a step further, there are a few additional unlock options to be found in AppBox’s setup. First, you can choose to fully unlock your device when opening apps. This means that when you press the Home button to exit an app after launching it via AppBox, you’ll simply be taken back to the Home screen and can then fully access your iPhone. Obviously, this is the least secure option to be found, and I recommend against using it unless you truly have to.

There’s also an option to disable certain apps from using Auto-Unlock. This is good if you have an app with sensitive information that you don’t want to give AppBox free reign to. A good example of an app that you should enable here would be 1Password, any banking apps, or perhaps even your Photos app.

One last interesting feature that I’d like to briefly talk about is the plugin feature. Plugins are basically secondary app views that you can access by using a tap and hold gesture on an app icon found in your AppBox. For example, by tapping and holding on the Notes app, a quick note entry field is revealed for jotting down quick notes. Tapping and holding on the stock Music app will reveal a quick playlist picker, and the list goes on.

There’s so much to do and so much to configure within AppBox 8, that it can be a little overwhelming. For the price, I think you definitely get your money’s worth. In fact, I think if anything, AppBox would benefit from being a little more focused and streamlined. It’s good, but I just feel that it spins off in so many directions that it can feel a bit disconcerting at times.

AppBox 8 is available for $1.50 on Cydia’s BigBoss repo. Share your thoughts down below in the comment section.

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30 new and updated jailbreak tweaks to check out before the holidays

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Ho ho ho! We’re just days away from Christmas now, and it looks like Santa Claus already stopped by and dropped a bunch of gifts in the form of tweaks. Alright, I’ll admit this is a terrible intro but I needed to tie it in with Christmas somehow.

This past week was again quite a fruitful one in terms of jailbreak tweak releases as we count no less than 28 new tweaks. That’s at least what I have found out, but as I said before, this list is by no means a comprehensive one, as I’m sure a few tweaks here and there might have gone unnoticed. If that’s the case, make sure to share what tweak I forgot in the comment section.

New tweaks

Allarm: lets you toggle all your alarms at once (free)

AnyDrop 3:share any file with other devices using AirDrop ($2.49 – review)

AppBox 8: a powerful Lock screen add-on for iOS 8 ($1.50 – review)

Carpe Diem: bring Notification Center widgets to the Rachability background ($0.99 –review)

Change 4G to LTE: change the 4G signal icon in the Status Bar to an LTE icon (free)

Disable iOS Swipe Back: disables the swipe back and forward gestures (free)

DisturbMeLater: disable Do Not Disturb after a set period of time (free – review)

DockColor: change the color of your dock (free)

FolderIcons: set custom icons for iOS folders (free)

FullNC: increase the amount of information showed on Lock screen and Notification Center banners (free)

IAWeatheriPhone6: adds weather icon and forecast to the Lock screen ($3)

iBatteryInfoPro2: get access to tons of info about your battery ($0.99)

InstaHidder: disable or hide parts of the Instagram UI (free)

iOS Terminal: a Terminal emulator for iOS (free)

iRelease: quickly quit running apps with a simple gesture (free)

Lat n Long: lets you update your weather GPS coordinates on demand (free)

LockSmoother+: lets you customize the look of your Lock screen by hiding elements ($0.99 – review)

MGAnyFile: upload any file to MEGA ($1.49)

Notifications Tab Remover: removes the Notification tab from Notification Center (free)

OneTapClear: clear Notification Center notifications with one tap (free)

ReachTheNyanCat: puts a NyanCat in the reachability view (free)

ReachWeather: brings weather conditions to Reachability (free – review)

RoundDock: make your iOS 8 dock rounder (free – review)

Rubik: turns off 3G when your iPhone is locked or on Wi-Fi (free)

SSHLock: a command line tool to lock the device over SSH (free)

SystemWidePredictiveText: increases the availability of QuickType in iOS 8 (free –review)

Share Widget for iOS 8: adds social share icons to Notification Center (free – review)

UnlockCounter: records the amount of times you unlock your iOS device per day (free)

Updated tweaks

Cydget: a powerful and flexible replacement system for WinterBoard Lock Widgets (free)

Veency: remotely log into your iPhone via VNC (free)

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This app records FaceTime calls to your Mac

I use FaceTime on a daily basis and have always hated it wouldn’t let me save calls to my Mac in the form of a media file. Surely Apple could have implemented such a feature if they wanted, but they didn’t and I think privacy is a big part of that.

If for whatever reason you need to record FaceTime calls to a Mac, Call Recorder by Ken and Glen Aspeslagh, twin brothers from Massachusetts, has you covered.

The app creates a QuickTime movie file containing an audio track for audio-only calls and a video track for FaceTime video calls. QuickTime is an industry-standard multimedia container, meaning you can play your saved video and audio chats pretty much anywhere, convert the files to other formats in software like iMovie or Adobe After Effects, upload them to YouTube and more.

That’s just scratching the surface.

The handy FaceTime add-on records both sides of the call, side-by-side. And if you’re handing off a cellular call from an iPhone to your Mac, Call Recorder can handle that as well.

Call Recorder couldn’t be simpler: upon installing the app, a recording window gets automatically added to FaceTime on your Mac.

If a call comes in and you’d like to record it, first accept the call and then hit the Record button to start capturing a video or audio to a folder on your computer.

Clicking the gear icon in the Call Recorder window reveals a few handy options available in the settings interface. For starters, you can tell the app to record calls automatically or discard ones shorter than x seconds. Other options include choosing a format for video and setting your destination folder.

Video calls can be recorded in high-definition 720p or in a lower 640-by-360 pixel resolution. The choice between 720p and the lower-res format is dependent on a number of factors such as hardware capabilities of your Mac, network conditions, the speed of your and your contact’s Internet connection and what not.

Call Recorder requires a Mac running OS X 10.8 or newer and FaceTime for Mac. The app costs $29.95 and can be purchased through the Ecamm website. As you may have guessed already, Call Recorder is not available through the Mac App Store because it breaks Apple’s rules pertaining to sandboxed apps.

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