GSM Review

More pictures of the Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom have appeared online, confirming the handset’s chunky form factor.


The chubby camera-centric smartphone has appeared online again, confirming that yesterday’s leaked Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom photos are in fact legitimate. They further showcase the rather large 16-megapixel camera wielding edition of the slim Samsung Galaxy S4.

Looking somewhat like a Samsung Galaxy Camera and Samsung Galaxy S4 hybrid, the S4 Zoom is a sizeable smartphone that has yet to be confirmed by the South Korean electronics manufacturer, but could potentially be another edition of the Samsung Galaxy S4.

Samsung’s flagship smartphone already features a 13-megpizel auto focus camera with flash and zero-shutter flash, but the Galaxy S4 Zoom would boost that to a 16-megapixel snapper with optical zoom.

The Zoom will be one of a number of Samsung Galaxy S4 variants on offer, complementing the waterproof Samsung Galaxy S4 Active and reduced spec Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini.

Due to launch at Samsung’s London-based press event on June 20, the Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom is rumoured to be “Samsung’s last product of the Galaxy S4 range”.

The Galaxy S4 Zoom should pack a 4.3-inch qHD display, which is quite a downgrade from the Samsung Galaxy S4’s 5-inch Super AMOLED display with 1920 x 1080p Full HD resolutions.

Rumoured to play host to a 1.6GHz processor, it won’t be as powerful as the 1.9Ghz quad-core SoC inside the Samsung Galaxy S4.

As with the other Samsung Galaxy S4 editions, the camera-centric option will run on Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean with Samsung’s TouchWiz UI.

It will be interesting to see how many millimetres the Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom will add to the 7.9mm thickness of the Samsung Galaxy S4, and how much additional weight that optical zoom camera will carry. If it becomes too cumbersome, we can’t see it being an attractive alternative to the flagship Samsung Galaxy S4 come launch.

A ‘Glamour Red’ HTC One has gone on sale in the UK, with retailer Phones 4u exclusively offering the brightly hued handset.


Formally unveiled last month, the red HTC One joins the original black and silver toned renditions of the Samsung Galaxy S4 rival and features the same high-end array of specs just in a new, more vibrant brushed aluminium shell.

“Phones 4u has a proven track record of securing colour handsets exclusives for our customers and we’re extremely excited to be working with HTC to offer them this exclusive opportunity to own the HTC One in Red,” Scott Hooton, CCO at Phones 4u said in announcing the UK exclusive last month.

Philip Blair, President of EMEA at HTC added: “The new HTC One in Glamour Red showcases the power of our flagship model in a colour that demands attention, whilst maintaining the high standard set for sophisticated design and build quality.”

Offering the eye-catching phone on a variety of networks and tariffs, Phones 4u has confirmed that the red HTC One will be available on EE, Vodafone, T-Mobile, and Orange.

Available for free on a £38 per month, two year contract, the red HTC One will come paired with 2GB of monthly data, unlimited calls and unlimited texts.

A true powerhouse of the smartphone scene, the HTC One runs a 4.7-inch, 1080p Full HD display alongside a speedy 1.7GHz quad-core CPU and Google’s Android Jelly Bean OS. With a 4-UltraPixel rear-mounted camera, the HTC One specs sheet is rounded off by the HTC Sense 5.0 UI and a second, 2-megapixel snapper up front.

Huawei Ascend P6

 

What is the Huawei Ascend P6?

 

The Huawei Ascend P6 is the world’s slimmest smartphone at just 6.18mm thick. It is the latest flagship phone from the Chinese manufacturer and is looking to challenge the Google Nexus 4 for the mantle of the best smartphone on the market at a wallet-friendly price point.

The P6 is a handset that treads the line between and mid-market and high-end handset, with a 1.5GHz quad-core processor lining up alongside a 4.7-inch 720p display and an 8-megapixel rear-mounted camera.

Set to hit retailers in August around the £300 marker, can the Huawei Ascend P6 really rival the Nexus 4? We’ve gone hands-on to find out.

Huawei Ascend P6 - Design

 

The Huawei Ascend P6 design is about more than just the svelte 6.18mm thickness - its a notable improvement over the manufacturer’s past offerings. The P6 feels great in the hand, with the brushed metal body yielding no unwanted bend or flex. It weighs just 120g and feels nicely balanced, too.

Strangely, despite being just 6.18mm thick, the Ascend P6 does not feel unnervingly slight. In fact it feels like a solid, well-constructed phone that could stand up to the rigours of daily usage with little sign of wear or tear.

There is a nagging familiarity about the phone that is impossible to escape, however. The Huawei Ascend P6s design has more than an air of the iPhone 5 about it. Although considerably larger than its Apple-branded rival, its metal edging and brushed aluminium rear are more than a little familiar.

Huawei Ascend P6 - Screen

 

The Huawei Ascend P6s screen is a 4.7-inch 720p HD offering. As such it is a notable step back from the eye-popping 1080p Full HD likes found on the Samsung Galaxy S4 and HTC One. That doesn’t mean it isn’t impressive in its own right, however.

The P6 screen is sharp, vibrant and proved highly responsive during our hands-on. Photos and text looked detailed, and colours were rich and clear. Well need to get it side-by-side with similar phones to get a proper idea, but on first inspection it seems unlikely to disappoint.

Huawei Ascend P6 - Performance

 

From first impressions, the performance of the Huawei Ascend P6 is strong. Apps load and close promptly with little fuss or fanfare and menu transitions are fluid and elegant.

Behind this is the P6’s 1.5GHz quad-core processor and 2GB of RAM. Its a pairing that pushes the P6 to the upper end of the mid-range market, enough that it should hold its ground against the top phones. It is a step on from the Huawei Ascend P2 unveiled earlier this year.

Although it has just 8GB of internal storage, the P6 supports expandable memory via microSD. This option is hidden away neatly under a key accessed slot on the handset’s side.

Running Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean, the P6 overlays the familiar Android OS with the latest rendition of Huaweis Emotion UI. On the first impressions, the Emotion UI is easy to navigate and offers a visually appealing, natural and intuitive interface to the phone, though there quite a few features we didnt time to explore during our hands-on time.

Huawei Ascend P6 - Cameras

 

Huawei has built more than your average point-and-shoot snapper into the Ascend P6. It has added a number of elements more akin to a designated compact, including a 4cm macro focal length and an f/2.0 aperture. In testing the macro capabilities proved accurate and precise, although it was a little sluggish to focus.

Shutter speeds seem more than acceptable and the camera’s handling of challenging lighting conditions was impressive - something well test further in future.

The Huawei Ascend P6’s forward facing camera felt a little disappointing in first use given its impressive sounding 5-megapixel resolution. With less defined edges, images viewed back on the handset’s screen lacked the colour management of the rear-mounted offering.

Beauty Shot mode, a feature said to produce more flattering pictures of your face, requires further testing but on first use and theory comes across as little more than a gimmick in the realms of the Dual Shot mode found on the Samsung Galaxy S4.

Huawei Ascend P6 - First Impressions

 

The Huawei Ascend P6 is a strong handset from what remains one of the lesser known global manufacturers. The P6 is a sign that the brand is finally putting as much effort into its design as it is the spec and low price point. If marketed correctly, the Huawei Ascend P6 could be the device to send Huawei into the mainstream. It won’t be troubling the Samsung Galaxy S4 or HTC One just yet, though.

LG is working on a phone that runs the Windows Phone 8 operating system, with the handset currently at R&D phase.


According to Indian website Lightreading.in, LG is in the process of making its first Windows Phone 8 mobile.

LG India MD Soon H Kwon says that “we are actually working on our Windows Phone 8 OS powered smartphone,” although had no specific release plans to share about the device.

Although LG produced one of the first Windows Phone 7 mobiles, in the shape of the LG Optimus 7, this phone – if released – will be the first Windows Phone 8 handset to come from the company.

Kwon explained the company’s renewed interest in the Microsoft platform, saying “we believe that Windows will pick up going ahead, as Microsoft is pumping efforts into it.”

The future of Windows Phone 8

Reports on the future of Windows Phone vary wildly depending on where you look, though.

A Canalys report released in June 2013 suggests that Windows Phone will have a fairly healthy 12.7 per cent share of the mobile market by 2017. However, the latest figures show Windows Phone’s share shrinking.

Recent comScore stats analysing US mobile market share drop from 3.2 per cent to just 3 per cent between Q1 2013 and Q2 2013 – from bad to (slightly) worse.

To date, the highest-profile Windows Phone devices have come from Nokia. Its Lumia-series mobiles such as the Lumia 925 and Lumia 800 have been given far greater marketing support than any other Windows Phone handsets.

LG Phones

Although LG is considered a diminishing star in the mobile firmament by some, its production of the Google Nexus 4 has actually seen its market share rise in the last year.

It mobile market share in Q1 2013 was 4.9 per cent, up from 3.2 per cent in Q1 2012. However, Kantar Worldpanel ComTech says LG’s increase in share is “almost solely driven” by the Nexus 4.

The most obvious issue – the Google Nexus 4 is not universally recognised as an ‘LG’ phone.

Google’s next phone was initially expected to be made by Motorola, the mobile arm of which was bought by Google in 2012.

However, reports surfacing as recently as a month ago suggest LG will be behind the Google Nexus 5. Perhaps LG’s mobile fortunes are set to continue.

5VSSSXTVTHVR