Motorola Moto G Review

Introduction

Having spent the best part of two years cleaning the Motorola pipeline of products conceived before the takeover, Google finally has a shop with its name on it. And it's not afraid to use it to challenge some of the old habits and experienced players in the smartphone game.

  
Motorola Moto G official photos

The Moto X was the first to set on a crusade to prove that high-end smartphones go beyond the number of cores and pixels. Now we have the Moto G on a mission to let everyone know that affordability doesn't necessarily imply crippled functionality. The Moto X was unusual enough to be reasonably successful despite its hefty price tag. The Moto G, on the other hand, is priced to move quickly and will be keeping the competition on their toes.

Not that it will get complacent because of it, like most of the smartphones priced at around the same level do. The Motorola Moto G will bend over backwards to serve you properly and its list of features stretches far longer than most in this price range.

Key features

• Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE; quad-band UMTS/HSPA support
• 4.5" 16M-color 720p IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen with 326ppi pixel density; Gorilla Glass 3
• Android OS v4.3 Jelly Bean with Android 4.4 update reportedly coming as soon as January 2014
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 chipset with quad-core 1.2GHz Cortex-A7 CPU; Adreno 305 GPU
• 5 MP autofocus camera with LED flash
• 720p video recording @ 30fps with HDR, continuous autofocus and stereo sound
• 1.3 MP front-facing camera
• Wi-Fi b/g/n; Wi-Fi Hotspot
• GPS with A-GPS; GLONASS
• 8/16GB of built-in storage; 1GB of RAM
• microUSB port with USB host
• Bluetooth v4.0 LE
• Standard 3.5 mm audio jack
• Ambient light; accelerometer; proximity sensors
• Active noise cancellation with dedicated mic
• 50GB of free Google Drive storage
• 2,070 mAh battery
• Excellent speaker loudness

Main disadvantages

• Limited non-expandable storage
• Non user-removable battery
• Questionable camera image quality, limited camera settings

It's abundantly clear that the Motorola Moto G ticks way more boxes than a smartphone of its standing is expected to. Some might argue that it's a luxurious strategy that can only be employed because Google will make profit off software services and not the actual hardware. Well, from a user's perspective (and that's the only one we care about) this point is irrelevant as all that matters is what you are getting for your money. At least on paper, the Moto G is plenty of smartphone for the price.

Some corners needed to be cut of course, but since Motorola could afford to give up immediate profits, the hardware didn't take as bad of a hit as it normally would have. We get a base-level chipset of course, but it's of the latest Qualcomm lineup and it should do just fine paired with a 720p screen. And since it requires less power and there's a smaller screen here, Motorola might easily get away with the smaller battery. The unmatched body customization options of Moto X are gone too, but the (very cheaply) replaceable back covers still let you add your personal touch to the smartphone. A well rounded package indeed.

Jolla preview-Lolla(founded by former Nokia Employees)

Introduction

Jolla may be a completely new name in the smartphone game, but the people in charge are no rookies. Founded by former Nokia employees, the Finnish company is looking to give the MeeGo platform a new lease of life. Established in 2011, it took Jolla two years to unveil its first product.

Their first handset is called just like company itself - Jolla, but while the naming wasn't particularly innovative the Sailfish-based smartphone certainly is. It's pretty clear that plenty of fresh new ideas went into its development and the result is quite different from anything else you can get in the market.

   
Jolla official photos

The Jolla smartphone runs Sailfish OS - a successor of the MeeGo open platform, which Jolla took and developed further. In a way, it could be viewed as MeeGo 2.0 However, Jolla would like to start fresh and not carry the burden of its neighbor, who abandoned the project that many truly loved.

We are yet to see if the new Finnish kid on the block will feature the same sort of magic as the Nokia N9, which made so many mourn the end of MeeGo. For starters here are the key Jolla specs.

Jolla at a glance

• Dimensions: 131 x 68.0 x 9.9mm, 143g
• Display: 4.5" IPS LCD display of 960 x 540 pixels resolution, Gorilla Glass 2, 245ppi pixel density
• Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 400; dual-core Krait 200 at 1.4GHz, Adreno 305 GPU, 1GB RAM
• OS: Sailfish OS
• Camera: 8MP, 3264 x 2448 pixels, autofocus, LED flash
• Video camera: 1080p @ 30fps video capture with main camera
• Storage: 16GB built-in, microSD card slot with support of up to 64GB
• Connectivity: NFC, A-GPS+GLONASS, WLAN (2.4) a/b/g/n, microUSB 2.0, Bluetooth 4.0 LE
• Battery: 2,100mAh Li-Ion
• Misc: Android app compatibility via the Yandex.Store and Amazon Appstore

Given the price tag, the mid-range specifications came as somewhat of a nasty surprise when Jolla unveiled its smartphone. However history has shown that a smartphone can be much more than a sum of its parts and we shouldn't write off any device before giving it a proper test.

And while the screen resolution could have certainly been higher, you can't blame this one for skimping on innovation. The Jolla phone is made out of a unique combination of aluminum and premium plastic and sports a replaceable back panel dubbed "the Other Half", which allows you to automatically change profiles with covers. The smartphone is meant to

 
Jolla live photos

Given the unique situation that the newly born company faces, that seems to be the only logical step to take - building a very close relationship with its first customers. These are the people who are ready to invest their hard-earned cash into the unknown and they should be treated deserve something beyond mere specifications.

Follow us after the break as we take a look at the hardware of the first Jolla smartphone.

Microsoft Surface 2 review

There is a tall task ahead of the Microsoft Surface 2. The first generation of the Microsoft tablet arrived with much fanfare but had little success, and the newcomer has to entice new customers, proving along the way that Redmond can be a factor in the consumer tablet marketplace and, more importantly, that Windows RT has a future as a platform.

  
Microsoft Surface 2 official photos

To make a case for itself, the Microsoft Surface 2 comes with an OS update. Windows RT 8.1 is a notable improvement over its predecessor, which includes welcome UI tweaks, better integration of Microsoft services, as well as a broader choice of third-party apps compared to a year ago.

In addition to the updated OS, the Surface 2 comes packed with some seriously capable hardware, including an NVIDIA Tegra 4 SoC, a 10.6" FullHD display, a 5MP camera, and a long list of connectivity and storage expansion options. Here goes its full list of talents.

Key features

• 10.6" FullHD LCD touchscreen, 1,920 x 1,080 pixels
• NVIDIA Tegra 4 T40 SoC with Quad-core 1.7GHz Cortex-A15 CPU, 2 GB of RAM, ULP GeForce 72-core GPU
• Windows 8.1 RT with deep Microsoft service integration
• 32/64GB of in-built storage; 200GB of free SkyDrive for 2 years
• Micro SD card slot, up to 64GB supported
• Dual-band Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n connectivity with Wi-Fi Direct
• Standard USB port, USB 3.0 host functionality
• Bluetooth 4.0
• HD video out
• Accelerometer, compass and three-axis gyro-sensor
• 5MP main camera capable of recording 1080p@30fps video
• 3.5MP front-facing camera capable of recording 1080p@30fps videoSuperb build quality and finish
• Built-in two-stage kickstand
• Built-in stereo speakers
• Full version of Microsoft Office available out of the box
• A year's worth of free Skype Out calls to sixty destinations worldwide
• Duo of available keyboard covers (sold additionally)
• Impressive battery life

Main disadvantages

• Windows RT app availability is still confined to the Windows Store
• Limited amount of good-quality apps available
• Heavy compared to most other 10" tablets
• Awkward to use in portrait mode
• Display resolution falls below the competition in the same price range
• There're options with the full-blown Windows 8.1, some at a lower price

At a quick glance, the Microsoft Surface 2 is a worthy successor of the original. It boasts beefed up specs and slightly improved ergonomics, while retaining the same signature design and dimensions, which have become a family staple. The same goes for its additional Touch and Type covers - they offer better experience and ergonomics than their respective predecessors.

Grand Theft Auto San Andreas enters the Android’s Play Store

Just a week after we saw Grand Theft Auto San Andreas hitting the Apple’s App Store, the game is now available on Android’s Play Store as well.

The Android version of the game costs $6.99, weighs about 2.4GB, and requires Android 3.0 or later.

Just like the iOS edition, the Android one comes with high-resolution graphics that has been designed exclusively for mobile platforms, as well as optimized lightning, color palette and characters. Appropriate touch optimizations have been applied, too.

In other GTA SA news, the Windows Phone 8 version is expected to launch later today.

Apple iPhone 5c review: The color of magic-saving the best for the late

Introduction

The Apple iPhone 5 is gone for good, abandoned and replaced by the fresh iPhone 5c. Initial rumors erroneously suggested that the lowercase letter stands for cheap, but it turned out that the Cupertino-based giant had color on its mind instead.

For the first time ever Apple broke pattern and released not one, but two new iPhones this year. The successor we all knew was coming - the iPhone 5s - is joined by the "unapologetically plastic" iPhone 5c, meaning that we no longer get last year's flagship as the second best iPhone on tap.

 
The Apple iPhone 5c

On paper, the Apple iPhone 5c stands as basically an iPhone 5 in a shiny new outfit that comes in a number of bright colors. And, if you think about it, that's the most logical thing to do - the colorful iPod lineup has been getting lots of praise on account of looks so it was about time Apple's smartphones got the same treatment. The iPhone 5c is so keen on showing how young and fresh it is, that the traditional black is not among its five paint jobs (white, blue, yellow, green and pink).

There's a catch though. The Apple 5c comes with a glossy plastic body instead of the sleek-looking aluminum chassis of the iPhone 5. The reasons for the switch will probably never be officially revealed, but it could be anything from supply issues to budget, to simply aiming to deliver a fresh new look to match the redesigned iOS 7.

Finding the truth is hardly the point here, though. What we are more interested in is whether the company that repeatedly bashed competitors about cheap plastic phones over the past few years has created a plastic phone that you can be proud to be seen in public with.

Before we continue, here's the Apple iPhone 5c review cheat sheet.

Key features

• Quad-band GSM and 3G support with 21 Mbps HSDPA and 5.76 Mbps HSUPA
• LTE support where carriers support it and CDMA support when sold by CDMA carriers
• 4" 16M-color LED-backlit IPS TFT capacitive touchscreen of 640 x 1136px resolution
• 1.3 GHz dual-core Apple Swift CPU, PowerVR SGX543MP3 GPU, 1GB of LPDDR2 RAM, Apple A6 SoC
• iOS 7 with iCloud integration
• 8 MP autofocus camera with LED flash and touch focus
• 1080p video recording at 30fps
• 1.2MP secondary front-facing camera
• Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Wi-Fi hotspot
• Bluetooth 4.0 LE, AirDrop file transfer and sharing between iOS 7-running devices
• GPS with A-GPS connectivity; digital compass
• 16/32 GB storage options
• Accelerometer, proximity sensor and a three-axis gyro sensor
• Active noise cancellation with a dedicated secondary microphone
• Standard 3.5 mm audio jack
• Excellent audio output quality
• Apple Maps with free voice-guided navigation in 56 countries
• Voice recognition, Siri virtual assistant
• Supports HD Voice (with carrier support)
• FaceTime video calls over Wi-Fi and cellular
• Free iWorks office suite
• Free iMovie and iPhoto apps

Main disadvantages

• Slippery glossy plastics prone to scratches and fingerprints
• Thicker and heavier than the iPhone 5
• Proprietary connector
• No FM radio
• No stereo speakers, feeble loudspeaker
• No expandable storage
• Stuck with iTunes for loading content
• Mono audio recording in videos
• Non user-replaceable battery

The 7th iOS iteration brought a long overdue UI overhaul to the iPhone lineup, with Apple keen to demonstrate that the innovation well hasn't dried up. Flat, colorful and with a ton of new features, iOS 7 certainly puts the iPhone 5c in a better position in the smartphone race. Apple is also sweetening the pot even further by giving you the complete iWorks office package, the iMovie video editor and the powerful iPhoto app for free - content that otherwise costs more than $40.

 
Apple iPhone 5c live pictures

Pricing remains the elephant in the room regarding the iPhone 5c, as it slides in just $100/€100 below the iPhone 5s. That's as much as the iPhone 5 would've cost had it not been discontinued and we have yet to see if this is a change for the better or worse. On one hand you are getting a fresh new design instead of one that's been around for almost a year, but on the other, you are losing the premium metal body while still paying the same price.

The high asking price also sends the iPhone 5c right in the way of the current Android and Windows Phone top-dogs, pushing its (now one-year-old) internals to the limit to keep up. It's certainly a curious starting point and we are excited to see how the iPhone 5c race develops. The unboxing and hardware tour is right after the break.

Nokia Lumia 1520 hands-on: First look

Introduction

The Nokia Lumia 1520 brings several firsts for the company. This is the Finns' debut in phablets, the first WP quad-core device and the first one to rock a FullHD screen.

    
The Nokia Lumia 1520 in white, red and yellow

The Nokia Lumia 1520 builds upon the design philosophy of all previous Lumia flagships. It features a solid unibody construction with a colorful polycarbonate casing. The PureView camera on board, complete with optical image stabilization, promises great low-light experience, while the top-notch display should help the 1520 deliver the best Windows Phone experience around. Services and apps like Nokia Camera, Storyteller and Cinemagraph add even more value to the package.

But first let's get the technicalities out of the way.

Nokia Lumia 1520 at a glance

• Dimensions: 162.8 x 85.4 x 8.7 mm, 209g
• Display: 6" ClearBlack IPS display with 1080p resolution, Gorilla Glass 2 protection, 367ppi
• Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 800; quad-core Krait 400 at 2.2GHz, Adreno 330 GPU, 2GB RAM
• OS: Windows Phone 8 GDR3 with Nokia Black
• Camera: 20 MP, Carl Zeiss optics, optical image stabilization, autofocus, LED flash, PureView technology
• Video camera: 1080p @ 30fps video capture with main camera
• Storage: 32GB built-in, microSD card slot with support of up to 64GB, 7GB SkyDrive cloud storage
• Connectivity: NFC, A-GPS+GLONASS, WLAN (2.4/5Ghz) a/b/g/n/ac, microUSB 2.0, BT 4.0 LE
• Battery: 3,400 mAh with built-in wireless charging (Qi compatible)
• Misc: Nokia Camera app, FM Radio, built-in accelerometer, multi-touch input, proximity sensor

The 6-inch diagonal and has FullHD (1920 x 1080 pixel) resolution, which allows for a ppi of around 368 ppi, meaning no pixels will be visible. The bigger screen estate and higher resolution result in a third column of Live Tiles being present on the Lumia 1520 start screen.

The 6" ClearBlack IPS display offers low reflectivity and very wide viewing angles. It's covered with Gorilla Glass 2 for scratch resistance and can be used not only with bare fingers but also with gloves, thanks to the Super sensitive touch.

Moving onto the back where one of the most interesting assets of the device lies. The 20 MP camera with OS makes great use of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 chipset and provides shot to shot times far shorter than those of the Lumia 1020.

Stay tuned - more live photos and hands-on videos of the Nokia Lumia 1520 will be coming to the following pages very shortly.

Apple iPad Air review: Sun and heir

Introduction

It's been tempting lately to conclude that Apple doesn't have it anymore, and tablets in particular is where Cupertino does need to silence the prophets of doom and gloom after an iPad 4 that was more like a 3.1 and a mini that should've had a retina display.

To begin with, they could've done a lot worse than borrow a line from macbooks but the Air signature isn't just a PR stunt. It would be hard to believe it's the first time an iPad Air crossed anyone's mind as a cool name for a tablet but, by the looks of it, the iPad Air is very well the first that actually warrants it.

Just sounds right, doesn't it? And the iPad Air will definitely need all that crowd-pleaser ring when the fresh iPad mini with Retina display finally starts hitting the shelves. With Nexus tablets around, usual suspects Samsung, the new Surface, and now even Nokia on the list, an iPad has never arrived to such an unfriendly welcome. Yet, if Apple has done its job right, the Retina-flaunting mini will likely be the biggest threat.

Apple iPad Air

But let's not get ahead of ourselves and give the iPad Air a proper introduction. Easily one of the hottest pieces of hardware we've seen deserves it. Honestly, to say that a diet was all the iPad needed would be a massive understatement - after the iPad 4, which deservedly gets retired. But the way the iPad Air looks is a start made in heaven. The Air is almost 2mm thinner, and has unbelievably lost near a centimeter on each side - it's mostly screen bezel that's gone. The weight difference is the whopping 183 grams. The screen - the same gorgeous 9.7" canvas with 2048 x 1536px resolution.

Key features

• 9.7" LED-backlit IPS LCD touchscreen, pixels, ~ 264 ppi; scratch-resistant, oleophobic coating
• Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n connectivity with MIMO dual antennas
• LTE connectivity (data only)
• GPS with A-GPS and GLONASS support (for the Cellular model only)
• Dual-core A7 64-bit 1.3 GHz Cyclone (ARM v8-based) chip with M7 motion coprocessor
• PowerVR G6430 quad-core GPU
• 1GB of RAM
• iOS 7.0.3 with iCloud support and activation
• 16/32/64/128GB of inbuilt storage
• Lighter at 469 grams (478 grams for the Cellular version)
• Thinner than ever at 7.5 mm
• Bluetooth 4.0
• Lightning USB port
• Stereo speakers
• Accelerometer, compass and three-axis gyro-sensor
• 5MP auto-focus camera
• 1080p video recording at 30fps
• 1.2MP 720p secondary camera capable of FaceTime HVGA calls
• Four and five-finger gestures
• Comes with premium set of free Apple apps - Pages, Garage Band, etc.

Main disadvantages

• Non expandable memory
• Price of storage climbs steeply, and storage is largely overpriced
• Tied into iTunes for uploading most of the content
• iOS 7 could've made better use of the bigger screen
• No standard USB port
• No GPS receiver in the Wi-Fi-only version

Along with the impressive loss of weight, the iPad Air has really stepped on the optimizations. There is a smaller battery powering the tablet but Apple promises the same 10 hours of battery life as before. The brains behind the tablet are the same as on the iPhone 5s - a class-leading 64-bit dual-core A7 chip that should be twice as fast as the predecessor's. The GPU is even a little more capable than on the iPhone, in keeping with the bigger display and higher resolution.

Apple took a big step in the right direction with this year's iPad lineup by equaling the mini and the Air's specs, so the only thing you need to choose is the screen size that works best for you. This puts the iPad Air in a sticky position, as the mini's handling and portability could be the big decider. The iPad Air, by the way, is now much more comfortable to hold and the narrower casing does wonders for single-handed operation but there's no avoiding the fact that the iPad mini is the friendlier form factor.

Last season's bigger iPad at least had the luxury of being more powerful but those days are gone.

BB Sold Just for $4.7 Billion-CHEAP

It is being valued like a broken company

BlackBerry Ltd., once valued at US$83 billion, may be stuck with the cheapest valuation ever for a North American technology or telecommunications takeover.

While the company has six weeks to seek other bids, Pacific Crest Securities said investors should be happy to get the US$9 a share that Fairfax is offering. Chief Executive Officer Thorsten Heins, who took over in January 2012, didn’t publicly disclose the company was for sale until last month after almost a year of canvassing potential buyers. Now, BlackBerry has posted a string of quarterly sales declines and lost almost US$79 billion in market value as it fell behind Apple Inc. and Google Inc. Last week, BlackBerry said it will cut a third of its workforce and take a writedown of as much as US$960 million.The smartphone maker said Monday it reached a tentative agreement for a US$4.7 billion buyout by a group led by Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd., its biggest shareholder. Including net cash, the proposal values the Waterloo, Ontario-based company at an 80% discount to its book value and just 0.17 times its sales, the cheapest revenue multiple on record among similar-sized North American telecommunications or technology acquisitions, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

Iphone 5 with iOS 7-The More You Say It' Still less

Introduction

The last couple of iOS updates were hanging on the wrong side between too little and too late. The user interface is six years old now and while it has been repeatedly polished in every revision so far, it was decidedly starting to look stale. And it's not just a matter of visuals either. iOS 5 brought little to nothing in terms of new features and some would even argue that iOS 6 was actually a step back. It seems though that Apple has found inspiration again and is ready to take the game to the opposition.

The UI that launched on the original iPhone way back in June 2007 has finally been put to rest. Android has stepped up in big strides since Gingerbread to dominate the smartphone game. Meanwhile, Windows Phone keeps bringing new features, and even the conservative BlackBerry broke with the old ways and completely redesigned its platform. It was about time Apple did something different with the iOS.

The iOS 7 is among the largest upgrades the OS has ever been given - not quite the game changer that the iPhone OS 2 and the App Store were, but it certainly took a lot of effort. It not only brings some key new features and a few cool system apps, but it also completely overhauls the user interface and tweaks the right things under the hood.

Key features

• Complete UI overhaul with adaptive colors and system-wide Back swipe gesture
• New system icons and folders, animated icons available
• System-wide parallax effect
• Dynamic wallpapers
• Control Center with toggles, multimedia controls and shortcuts
• Updated Notification Center with three tabs
• All apps multitasking with new card interface
• Updated Safari browser with unified search filed
• iTunes radio
• AirDrop file sharing
• Inclinometer within the Compass app
• Camera filters with live preview and new square mode
• New Photos app with better photo organization, picture editing
• Weather app with live weather animations
• Updated Maps with Night mode and Turn-by-Turn walking directions
• New Siri interface, new supported commands, new voices
• Contact Blacklist
• FaceTime audio
• Activation lock
• Automatic app update
• Cellular data usage breakdown
• Chinese-English, Italian, Korean and Dutch dictionaries
• iOS in the Car coming in 2014 in selected cars

Main disadvantages

• Very iTunes dependent for uploading files and multimedia
• No open file system means you often have to duplicate files
• Limited integration of 3rd party social networks and services
• No widgets
• Air Drop works only between selected iOS 7 or later running devices
• No lockscreen shortcuts (besides those in the Control Center)
• Very basic camera UI with limited features and settings
• Limited codecs support
• iTunes radio only works in the US

The iOS 7 indeed has gone flat, but brings dynamic wallpapers and parallax view to make those flat icons pop to life. Indeed, the parallax effect is one of the few among the newly introduced features that is truly unique to iOS (yes, it is available as an app for Android, but here it's baked right into the OS). There is lots of transparency throughout the iOS, brand-new flat theme, all-new system apps, live icons, and a lot more.

From a functionality perspective, Apple has finally decided to give us connectivity toggles organized within the new Control Center, iTunes radio streaming service, the notification center has been completely redesigned, there is AirDrop for easy sharing between different iOS devices, and even more capable Siri.

Of course, there are still missing features. And while our prayers of an open file system were always likely to remain unanswered, those for better utilization of the lockscreen (with widgets and shortcuts) had a chance. Well, you can't have it all, they say.

The iOS 7 update will be seeded to iPhone 5, 4S and 4; iPad 2, 3, 4 and mini; and iPod Touch 5 generation. But not all features will become available on all devices. We also believe the iOS will be the last upgrade for the iPhone 4 and iPad 2.

To help you quickly identify what you'll be getting on your iPhone, iPad or iPod, we've got a handy table that lets you see everything at a glance.

Blackberry Kopi-Leaked

Following the footsteps of the C-series  we saw a couple of days ago, another unannounced, low-cost BlackBerry 10 smartphone has made an unscheduled appearance. Codenamed Kopi, the upcoming smartphone offers a combination of a hardware QWERTY keyboard and a touchscreen.

   
The BlackBerry Kopi will reportedly sit below the already budget-friendly Q5 in the troubled manufacturer’s range. The handset is rumored to pack faster chipset than the BlackBerry Q5, as well as removable battery. The BlackBerry Kopi won’t support LTE networks, so we are likely to see it released only in emerging markets.