Sony Xperia Z2 tablet released in the UK 23rd Mar 2014 | 17:03
�The Sony Xperia Z2 tablet will set you back �399 for the base model in the UK.�
The Xperia Z2 tablet is powered by a quad-core Snapdragon 801 processor backed up by 3GB of RAM, and comes with a full HD display on board.
It runs Android 4.4.2 KitKat and is coated entirely in aluminium, making it resistant to both dust and water.
The �399 model comes with 16GB of storage and is WiFi only, with the option to add 4G LTE for an additional �100 or another 16GB of storage for �50.
Sony first unveiled the Xperia Z2 Tablet at Mobile World Congress
At just 6.4mm thin Sony claims it is the thinnest and lightest waterproof tablet in the world.
The Xperia Z2 tablet is more than just a simple upgrade to the Xperia Z1 Tablet with refreshed internal specs packed in a much thinner and lighter device.�
Tablet rivals include the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 and Apple's iPad Air.
KitKat and SD cards - what's fixed, what's broken and what's misunderstood
Why your SD card doesn't work the same in Android 4.4 KitKat, and the reasons for the change
"Curse you, Google! Your KitKat update broke my SD card!"
Poke around the Android section of the Internet and you'll hear something similar. Users like you and me are in an uproar because they updated their phone to Android 4.4 KitKat, and now the SD card support has changed. Apps no longer work, folks have problems with cameras and music players, and while everyone else is saying "Oh, yeah. That's how it works now," nobody warned them in advance before they grabbed that update.
There is a lot of push against these changes, with petitions and threats of grassroots movements that threaten to show Google the error of its ways - even a very popular developer that I won't name has their PR people sending out requests for blogs to write about evil Google.
But, as always, there's a method to Google's madness. Let's discuss.
What changed in Android 4.4 KitKat with SD cards??
It's simple, really. Prior to Android 4.4 KitKat, applications - provided they had permission to access the SD card - could read and write to any area on removable storage, including the system folders like DCIM, Alarms, etc. That has all changed, and now third-party applications - as in ones you download from Google Play or elsewhere - can only write to files and folders that they have created or have taken ownership of.
This keeps things "tidy." Apps aren't dumping files everywhere on the card - something we've all encountered - and instead have one central location to put all their files. There also are some serious security concerns that were addressed by not letting an app write files just anywhere.
This means that Jerry's Awesome Photo Viewer app can still scan your entire system for images, build a thumbnail database of them all and save it to a folder on the SD card. But it can't move or save the pictures themselves to folders - including the Pictures folder - on the SD card because it does not "own" those folders. If programmed right, it could save copies of the pictures to Jerry's Awesome Photo Viewer's own folders on the SD card. The folder is part of the app, and if you uninstall it, the folder goes, too. The old method of putting anything anywhere you want is gone, forever.
The other side of the coin is that Jerry's Not Awesome App that steals your data no longer has write access to every file and folder on the SD card. Yes, previously any application that declared permission to read and write to the SD card was allowed to write files to any folder - including your system folders, and any folder something like a banking app might have made. Any type of file, too. That includes files that could be read when another app starts up and affect the settings or way that app works. It was a complete and total security nightmare, and why a lot of people - including yours truly - did not want phones with SD cards.
Do you want it easy? Or do you want it secure?
Android file permissions
One of the reasons things have to change so drastically on the security-front is because of Unix-style user and group permissions, and the file system of your SD card. You expect an SD card to just work when you plug it into a computer. Any computer. Because something like 96 percent of all the computers out there that aren't some sort of server run Microsoft Windows, you need to make sure your SD card will work with them.
FAT-based file systems - that's what your SD card is formatted to - are universal on Windows, Apple OSX and (most) Linux machines. Makes sense. What good is a portable drive that can't be read, right? But there's a catch. FAT-based systems don't support file and folder permissions. If I'm an app, I can't say "This is my folder. I will allow you to look inside, but you are not to put anything new in there or change any of my stuff!" on this sort of file system. It's an all-or-nothing mess, and one that even Microsoft has moved away from in its newer versions of Windows. But FAT still needs to be used, because anything else will require a lot of finagling for people using legacy versions of Windows, and that is a large number of people.
Note that this has nothing to do with accessing your phone storage - internal or external - via a cable attached to your computer. That uses a completely different protocol and method, that has nothing to do with the actual file system of a removable piece of media.
If SD cards were set up with the same file system as the rest of the partitions inside your Android (EXT, for those of you keeping track at home), none of this would matter. Third-party apps could be given permission to individual folders, other folders could be marked "hands-off," and everyone would be happy. But they are not, and can not be without modification of a lot of computers, or a stand-alone program you run on your computer just to access the SD card you pull out of your Android.
This is a mess that nobody can fix right now.
So what do we do?
First off, you stop and think before you take any update to KitKat. Any apps installed to the SD card will lose their data when you update and need re-installed, and some of the apps you use probably will stop working because they have not been updated. The good news is that other apps have been updated.
You could also never update to KitKat, which I see a lot of people claiming they have planned. I think that's a bit crazy, but it is an option and it will keep things working like they always have - both the good and the bad - in regards to your external storage.
Or you can install a custom ROM that "fixes" the issue. It's a fairly easy thing to change, but the folks who make your phone aren't allowed to "fix" it or they can't retain their Google certification for Google Play and the rest of Google's apps.
Or you can huff and puff, and start a petition.
Remember, Android - whether we like it or not - is a work in progress. Google could very well have some sort of magic fix for this whole problem planned, and we'll see it in a future version of Android. Or it could just not care and take the stance that SD cards should only be used to store media, and should be kept seperate from the operating system.
MicroSD cards are ridiculously cheap today on Amazon
If you're in the market for a new microSD card, they're on sale today as Amazon's Gold Box deal. The bottom line? a 64GB card for as low as $35. Head on over there now and check it out.
A reminder, though, that SD cards work a little differently in Android 4.4 KitKat. (See above post)
Samsung Galaxy S5 vs HTC One M8: Who Will Be King In 2014?
Samsung's Galaxy S5 has been announced - we compare it to current HTC One 2 rumours
Samsung's Galaxy S5 just got official, so we thought it'd be interesting to see how it compares to all the rumours surrounding the HTC One 2, aka the HTC M8, aka the HTC One+, aka The All New One.
As usual, we need to reiterate that the HTC One 2 side of this comparison is entirely based on rumours, internet gossip, trends and observed manufacturer habits - it is not gospel! Things may change before release or be inaccurate and we are doing this to get a working impression of how things could stack up. This is not intended to be conclusive. It's just a bit of speculative fun.
Design and build
According to leaks and rumours, the HTC One 2 isn't expected to be a huge departure on the outside from the current HTC One flagship. It's thought it will still have a stylish aluminium build with dual front-facing speakers. This isn't really a bad thing though, as the HTC One was widely praised for its striking aesthetic.
Leaked images suggest the phone has a dual-camera lens setup on the rear of the device - it appears to be thinner and a bit more rounded, while the bezel around the display also seems to have narrowed. The other major change is a lack of physical keys, with multiple sources pointing to the use of on-screen Android software controls. Reports and pictures indicate it may arrive in gold, silver and black options.
As predicted the M8 is a variation on the HTC One's aluminum-glad design. The corners are rounder and the overall handset is slightly bigger and slightly heavier. Still, the device is an absolute beauty, looking even more premium and stylish than its predecessor. HTC scores big again.�
its predecessor but the screen hasn't actually expanded at all (more on the display later).
It's a little squarer at the corners, while the back panel now has a matte finish and a dimpled texture for improved grip. The silver surround is not metal but remains plastic with a metallic finish and now features a ridged design to make things even grippier.
The Galaxy S5 now features IP67 water and dust resistance and the microUSB port at the base of the phone has a port cover as a result.
Display
The HTC One 2 is believed to be going from the HTC One's 4.7-inch screen to a full 5-inches. According to reports the HTC One 2 will retain a full HD 1080p resolution but it's not clear what type of display technology will be used. Historically, HTC has used Super LCD screens producing very high quality results.
Rather than rumoured LTPS LCDs Samsung has actually gone for the same Super AMOLED tech seen in its other devices. It's a 5.1-inch panel rather than the rumoured 5.25-inches, with a full HD 1080p resolution at 430 pixels-per-inch (ppi). Essentially, not much has changed, but this is also not necessarily a bad thing as the 5-inch size was nice and optimal, while picture quality is still sharp with great colour, contrast and brightness.
Processor
For the HTC One 2, several rumours have suggested it'll either have Qualcomm's Snapdragon 800 quad-core chip, possibly the supercharged Snapdragon MSM8974-AB model, or the forthcoming Snapdragon 805. Either way 2GB of RAM has been rumoured repeatedly.
While Samsung hasn't specified many processor details for the Galaxy S5, aside from the fact it's a quad-core chip at 2.5GHz with 2GB of RAM, a report from AnandTech seems to have unearthed a bit more.
It's allegedly a Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 chip which features an upgraded GPU, the same processor Sony has put in its Xperia Z2 flagship.
Frankly, 2GB of RAM is a little surprising, we were expecting 3GB off the back of changes made to the Galaxy Note 3 and considering Sony's Xperia Z2 was just outed with 3GB.
While the new processor is almost certainly quicker than the original Galaxy S4's and HTC One's Snapdragon 600, with HTC waiting a little longer and potentially gunning with a Snapdragon 805 we could see Samsung lagging behind slightly.
Camera
Several reports have reiterated that the HTC One 2 will keep HTC's previously seen "Ultrapixel" camera sensor with either the same 4-megapixel rating or possibly an increase to 5-megapixels. In either case, the Ultrapixel tech has in the past failed to impress compared to more competent rival configurations. HTC has a lot to prove this time around.
It may have a few sneaky tricks up its sleeve, however, as leaks and rumours have indicated a dual-lens setup on the rear camera designed to be adaptive for various lighting conditions. It's said the handset can capture excellent shots in low-light and high-light conditions.
Samsung's camera updates are far more substantial, and this time round we're seeing a move away from the gimmickry towards more serious, thoughtful features. The handset packs a 16-megapixel sensor, an upgrade on the Galaxy S4's 13-megapixel arrangement, and features a 0.3 second shot speed. Another cool addition is "Selective Focus", which is somewhat similar to a Lytro camera in that it lets you snap a shot and then re-select a focal point later. An HDR Live mode has been included, which allows you to see how HDR could alter a shot before you take it, meanwhile the video capabilities have been improved to allow 4K quality.
Software
Both phones are Android models, Samsung's Galaxy S5 has been confirmed with Android 4.4 KitKat, while numerous leaks suggest the same software is coming to the HTC One 2. The HTC One 2 is pegged to use a new version of HTC Sense, version 6.0, while Samsung has updated its TouchWiz UI with a fresh look and a few interesting features.
With TouchWiz, Samsung has taken advantage of Android's new transparent menu features together with white notification icons and a new font. Other UI elements, including app shortcuts, now have a flatter and more simplified design.
Another key change is the use of Google's "OK Google" voice command for Google Now, previously seen on the Nexus 5 and some select Motorola models.
Leaked images of HTC Sense show a similar set of UI changes with regards to fonts, colours and the presence of transparent menu bars.
Other features
The Samsung Galaxy S5 has a couple of interesting features activated with the user's finger. As per earlier rumours, there's a fingerprint scanner and Samsung has taken a leaf out of Apple's book by embedding it in the Home key. After going through a fairly extensive process of verifying your print, you're able to unlock the phone by scanning your finger. You can also use it in conjunction with a PayPal account, although it's not yet clear the extent of payment services available.
Another scanner on the rear of the handset is used in conjunction with the S-Health 3.0 application to monitor your heart rate, with health features forming a prominent part of the new device.
Rumours about a fingerprint scanner on the HTC One 2 are largely thought to be untrue at this stage.
We've heard next to nothing about the HTC One 2's possible storage options, although 32GB on-board seems likely, microSD support could go either way - the HTC One Max had it, but the HTC One did not.
The Samsung Galaxy S5 has options for 16GB or 32GB onboard, though we don't yet know the availability for each version. Both types have microSD support for cards up to 128GB.�
But there might be a rather awkward reason for that boost in card capabilities. The Galaxy S4 came under fire for only offering about 9GB of user storage on the 16GB model. This was allegedly due to the large amount of space required by TouchWiz.
Things are apparently now worse on the Galaxy S5, with�AndroidCentral�unearthing a mere 7.86GB of available space on the 16GB variant. One report from GottaBeMobile is claiming that the S5 handsets which will be on sale will have more user-available space.
Apparently 2GB of the handset storage on the device available to journos at Mobile World Congress was taken up by "Unpacked" software. Essentially it was bloatware which won't actually make an appearance on the real device. This frees up an extra 2GB of space for you to use which means if you get a 16GB model you'll have 10.7GB of space to fill up - more than the Galaxy S4 gave access to.
It's still not great, TouchWiz and other parts of the software are taking up just over 5GB of the advertised storage room, it's a problem Samsung and a number of other phone manufacturers really need to look into.
I don't think new M8, launching tomorrow will do as good as the M7, just a hunch.
I think the colours they've used in UI and the weight itself will put many off. The added functions of the knock to unlock in the HTC and the heartbeat sensor on the S5 are not major selling points. Also, I think the S5 will be the winner on the battery side of it.
IPhone 6 looks like it will gain huge popularity when it's released with a bigger screen, that's where it lacked heavily, not to mention the rest of the things it lacks. 2014 will go to iPhone 6 in my opinion (if it's released early enough)
Well when that happens, we'll have to takeout all those reasons again on why iPhone is not nice, but just a cult phone!
I guess some just have a sixth sense and some also really do know what's good or better than the rest. :)
Saw the launch, WoW! Impressive, since we all (mostly all) wondered how the One can top the One. And they have some more new features, but for me, it's too big and heavy. Mind you, that's what I thought about my One!
Amazing stats: Last year
Samsung Galaxy S4 sold 43.3 million phones.
IPhone 5S sold 39.5 million phones.
HTC One sold ? million phones.
Results are that the best phone of 2013, the most awarded, the number 1 for 52 weeks in a row, the best handset ever built achieved its HIGH Status breaking all records, especially in comparison to the numbers, the percentage of handsets sold and the position it held speaks volumes.
Only sold 6.4 million handsets and achieved its rank, imagine what position it would've held if it sold even half of their competitors
EE Kestrel flies network's nest as budget 4G phone
EE has launched its first (in what will be a family) own-brand smartphone in the form of the EE Kestrel, as the network looks to attract more people to 4G.
The main selling point of the Kestrel - named after the British bird of prey - is its �99 PAYG price tag, making it the most affordable 4G smartphone on the market.
HTC One (M8) iFixit teardown shows the juicy insides
One of the most anticipated smartphone launches of the year has finally happened with the HTC One (M8) hitting stores yesterday. The smartphone landed in stores the same day it was announced and can be purchased right now. If you want to know more about the new One, check out our review of the M8.
One of the things that we like to see is what exactly the new smartphone look like under the pretty skin. iFixit has taken the new HTC One (M8) and ripped it apart in an effort to see how repairable the smartphone is if it gets damaged. The first step of the tear down was to open the case of the smartphone.
Removing the rear case was easy to do according to iFixit. The last version of the One that iFixit tore apart landed one of the worst scores they have ever given. The good news is that the M8 has a more repairable design with spring contacts between the sections of the case rather than cables.
Deeper into the teardown, the mainboard was found to use glue, which hurts the reparability of the smartphone. After getting the board out of the smartphone, you can see how all the chips and hardware are packaged on the mainboard. The mainboard has to come out to get to the battery and the battery is glued to the LCD shield. When all was done, the new HTC One (M8) didn't score that well. iFixit gave the smartphone a score of 2 out of 10 with 10 being the most repairable. That score was given in part because everything has to come out of the smartphone for the screen to be repaired.
The Sony Experia Boasts of being water proof (as long as the holes are covered up). The Galaxy S5 also boasts of being water proof. HTC haven't said anything about it though.
These people are crazy to do such tests.
This video is time lapsed, but will this guy walk away with a working phone after being placed in water?
I don't think so and I think he's crazy for checking it!
Youtube Video - Halalified (Video Only)
Muftisays Halalified YouTube Script
Play Video
Drop tests have also been done (crazy people) and its obvious the screen will break if it drops from a certain height onto concrete! Other than that, the phone looked pretty solid to me. Much improved compared to the older award wining HTC One. The older one had plastic moulded into the aluminium, but this newer One is metal all the way round, only a bit of plastic on the top.
Premium? Of course, even with the results after the water test. After all, if you drop your phone in water, you take it out immediately, and this test kept the phone in for ages!
HTC One M8 becomes second hardest phone to repair ever...after the HTC One
HTC's new One M8 smartphone is one of the hardest devices to repair on the market and second only to its predecessor when it comes to deconstruction.
A teardown report by the folks over at iFixit gave the new device a repairability score of two out of 10 due to the plethora of obstacles that HTC places in the way of users trying to explore its inner workings.
The site's team of technicians found that the One M8 was slightly easier to open than the One, though this gave way to amazement when the outer casing removal revealed just how much copper shielding tape the device was packing.
HTC's penchant for copper taping was to cover up to 10 cables that connected to motherboard to various parts of the device and each one had to be carefully disconnected before the motherboard could be removed.
One of the biggest gripes that iFixit bemoaned was the fact the 2,600mAh battery was below the motherboard and any replacement will be extremely difficult to carry out due to its placing.
Looking at the motherboard confirmed the existence of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 quad-core processor as well as various other internal components that are listed as part of the device specification.
The worst was saved for last when, after all the previous components had been removed, the team finally got to the display and this means that everything has to be carefully taken apart before a possibly damaged screen can be replaced.
In giving it two out of 10 on the iFixit repairability scale, the firm explained the main reasons for this were that it's very difficult to open, the battery is below the motherboard, the display can't be replaced unless the rear case is removed, and the copper shielding on much of the components is hard to remove and replace.
This cannot be undone and I am sure it will be greatly appreciated.
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