iPhone 5 to blast disappointing Samsung Galaxy S3

One of the most hotly talked about phones at the moment has to be Samsung’s Galaxy S3 (S III), which was finally officially announced in a blaze of publicity last week. Although initial impressions were promising it now seems that many potential customers feel a bit let down and this has made us question whether the iPhone 5 will blast the disappointing Galaxy S3?

When we first published details of the official specs of the Galaxy S3 we felt it could be real competition for Apple’s forthcoming iPhone 5. Many of the features and specs that had been widely rumored and leaked turned up on the finished article, such as a quad-core processor, larger display, NFC, S Voice (voice recognition) and LTE connectivity (for the US where it is likely to have a dual-core processor instead). However it seems that many of you had been expecting more and particularly felt disappointed with the design of the new Galaxy S handset.

We’ve been taking a look at the many comments to some of our recent Galaxy S3 posts and overwhelmingly there seems to be a feeling of disenchantment about the new smartphone and many seem to feel it is nothing more than an incremental upgrade. This prompted us to ask readers if they were happy or disappointed with the Galaxy S3 and again there were plenty of people who felt let down. Some of the sticking points regard the specs and features.

For example, there were concerns about the display quality as a Super AMOLED Plus HD display had been expected and it turned up as a 4.8-inch Super AMOLED HD sans Plus. Also 2GB of RAM had been anticipated (as in the upcoming LG Optimus LTE 2) but the Galaxy S3 has stuck with 1GB. The S Voice software feature seems to be felt by many to be a novelty factor to rival the iPhone’s SIRI and plenty of people were hoping for a step up to a 10 or 12-megapixel rear camera and the S3 appeared with an 8-megapixel camera.

Although the Exynos quad-core processor was popular with for those who will receive the international variants, there was also some disappointment in the US as those variants look likely to be dual-core to accommodate the provision of LTE. Exactly the same thing happened on the Samsung Galaxy Note where the US variant has a Snapdragon S4 dual-core processor instead of the NVIDIA Tegra 3 quad-core, although to be fair the S4 is nothing to sniff at.

As for the design this has come in for a lot of criticism with comments that there is no ‘wow’ factor and also to say that the plastic design looks cheap and is likely to feel cheap too. Although of course there were some positive comments about the new Galaxy S3 as well, we have to say that Samsung seems to have plenty to be concerned about as readers also commented that they don’t feel the upgrade is worth it. There has also been more reason for disappointment in the Galaxy S3, at least as far as consumers in the US are concerned.

Our article about how the US Galaxy S3 would be last to the party again really seemed to strike a chord with many of you. Although the S3 will be released in the UK and Europe at the end of May, Samsung was less definite about a release date for the US and instead said it was coming later in the summer. This seems to have sparked real outrage amongst many in the US, understandably of course as the same thing happened last year with the release of the Galaxy S2 when it didn’t arrive in the States until months later.

We received many comments from people who are so infuriated about this that they are turning their backs on the Galaxy S3 and say they will now purchase another current phone or wait until the iPhone 5. Many of the commenters seem to feel a real sense that Samsung is not bothered about customers in the US and that once again they have come second best. In fact we’d say that some people are downright angry about this move from Samsung, which surprised many as previously Samsung had seemed keen to avoid the same scenario as occurred with the S2.

Turning our attention to the iPhone 5 we feel that if Apple can come up with something really special it could blast the Samsung Galaxy S3 to smithereens. Although of course, nothing in the way of specs and features has yet been confirmed for the iPhone 5, some of the widely-reported inclusions are an improved A5X or A6 processor (possibly quad-core), a larger display with higher resolution than even the current Retina Display, improved camera, LTE connectivity and much more. If Apple could fulfill all of these on the iPhone 5 as well as give it a new really cutting-edge design it could succeed in making the Galaxy S3 seem like a toy.

Although some are hoping to see more on the iPhone 5 at Apple’s WWDC in June with a release soon afterwards, there are just as many industry insiders and tech experts who feel a fall release is more likely so it will be interesting to see just how many people that had planned to purchase the S3 before it was unveiled, hang on to see what the iPhone 5 has to offer.

This is a hugely interesting area of discussion and we’d like to hear all of your opinions about this. Do you feel the iPhone 5 will live up to its potential and smash the Galaxy S3? Were you disappointed, or not, in the Galaxy S3? This could well be the debate of the year so do let us have your comments so we can get a real idea of how readers feel.

Article source: http://www.phonesreview.co.uk/2012/05/07/iphone-5-to-blast-disappointing-samsung-galaxy-s3/

iPhone 5 Feature? Apple Patents Advanced Haptics For Flexible OLED Screen …

For its sixth-generation iPhone, presumably called “iPhone 5,” Apple is reportedly building a device with a thinner and lighter frame, but a bigger 4-inch screen, according to Korean-based ETNews. Yet with a slew of rumored features, from an NFC mobile payments system to 3D photography, a recently released patent for an incredibly intelligent multi-tiered haptics system could be the one feature to rule them all.

Imagine feeling the texture of a picture, or buttons and arrows that magically elevate from the rest of your screen. This is what Apple has in mind for the future of its iDevices, and the first version of this exciting technology could possibly be introduced alongside its flagship device, the iPhone.

Talk of advanced haptics has been circulating in the rumor mill since last year, when reports surfaced shortly before the release of the iPhone 4S that the next iPhone would feature a haptics system that gave users a new level of feedback for their touchscreens. More recently, before the new iPad was unveiled in March, there was talk of the same haptics system coming to the iPad. Now, it appears that system is becoming a reality.

“A control system of a tiered haptic system may determine the amount of pressure, force, displacement or other physical response associated with the user stimuli,” Apple said in its patent filing. “For example, a tiered haptic system may distinguish between relatively light contact and a relatively heavy contact on the screen surface. In some embodiments, a tiered haptic system may perform particular tasks depending on the physical response of the stimuli.” (This could certainly apply to painting or illustrating apps.)

In its patent filing, Apple describes how current haptic feedback systems allow a user to interact with a subsystem by touching it, which is accomplished with sensors, actuators or both. Most forms of haptic feedback are found in video games (e.g. controllers that “rumble”) and robotics, but Apple’s concept system would blow previous methods out of the water.

The new haptics system developed by Apple is all about flexibility. In addition to vibration, Apple’s haptic system can use actuation to create shape changes or patterns. For example, future iPhone or iPad users could feel the contours of a geographical map, or could feel raised buttons on a touch display, which would make touchscreen typing substantially easier.

Apple’s advanced haptics are also multi-functional, so they can both sense and perform actions at the same time. Some versions of the technology couple the haptics system with a secondary display screen, audio system or another device entirely, so an action performed on a TV screen could possibly be felt directly on your device. This would be extremely useful if Apple ever builds its iTV, so any iDevice could create buttons specific to the program you’re trying to control (e.g. Blu-ray DVD controls vs. cable TV controls vs. video game controls, etc.).

So how does this all work? How can a user feel a 3D object on a 2D screen? Apple says its new invention includes several elastic screens (made of any suitable material, from elastomers like rubber to polyeurethane or polyester) that are stacked on top of each other, so various arrangements of the signals could create elements of different sizes and shapes. With these layers of elastic sheets, Apple’s haptic system can create different types of actuation, including “vibration, net displacement, bending, deforming, other modes, or any combination of these elements.”

While the system would create a striking way to interact with your iPhone, Apple also adds that this haptic system can be applied to flexible organic light emitting diode screens, or OLED screens. The OLED screen can be flexible or inflexible, and inflexible embodiments of the display could potentially include a protective cover made of a clear plastic like Lexan. It was interesting that Apple cited Lexan, since the plastic is typically used for space and sports helmets, but it can also be used for heads-up displays or video glasses, such as Google’s “Project Glass.” Who knows, Apple could be building a Project Glass competitor as we speak.

Even if Apple isn’t building its own eyeglasses, the company says this advanced haptics system would work with almost every portable Apple device, including iPhones, iPod Touch devices, iPads, MacBooks, and even TVs and video projectors. It can also work with monochrome displays like e-Ink displays, which could mean Apple is building a hybrid Retina-to-grayscale display.

So what’s the likelihood that Apple could actually implement this display in time for September or October, when everyone expects the iPhone 5 to be released? It is completely possible since this technology has been long in the making, but there’s no mistaking the fact that Apple has filed several haptic-related patents since March 2011. Apple wants this technology to happen, and it would make sense if Apple introduced 3D haptics alongside its 3D camera system, which is also apparently in the works. Both pieces of technology may be finished by October, which would certainly make it the No. 1 smartphone on everyone’s holiday wish lists.

iPhone 5: Other Rumored Features

OLED Display. Speaking of OLED … Apple has reportedly been testing iPhone 5 prototypes with an A5X chip, which is the same quad-core graphics processor that powers the Retina Display in the new iPad. But why would Apple want such a powerful chip for an iPhone? Given that the A5X chip is a graphics powerhouse, if Apple doesn’t drastically change the physical size of the screen to 4.6 inches, it could change the display’s overall quality.

On April 4, the Korea Times reported that Apple was interested in switching from LCD to OLED displays for its next round of iPhones and iPads. The reason behind the potential move would be Samsung, which recently launched its spinoff company called Samsung Display that aims to pivot away from LCD to focus more on OLED technology. Apple is by far Samsung’s biggest customer: The Cupertino, Calif.-based company bought $7.8 billion worth of components from Samsung in 2011, ranging from memory chips to LCD panels, but the company will reportedly buy $11 billion worth of parts this year, which could mean Apple is buying more expensive display material.

Apple has plenty of money to afford OLED screens in an iPhone-sized display, and it would make sense for Apple to ask Samsung to help build its iPhone 5 displays. Samsung knows how to build big, beautiful screens for any size device: Just imagine what Samsung could do with Apple’s Retina technology implemented into an OLED. Apple would effectively put distance between the iPhone and all other smartphone competitors for another five years, at the very least.

Lag-free multi-touchscreen. A touchscreen that created the sensation of textures would be an incredible piece of technology, but we’re hoping Apple completes the puzzle with one important piece of technology from Microsoft. In mid-March, Microsoft engineers unveiled a lag-free touch screen that responds to the finger’s touch in less than one millisecond. Current Apple devices only have a minor lag with their touchscreens, but this minor adjustment would make users feel like they’re really touching their work, drawing a picture, or handwriting a note. Apple has proven to us time and again that simplicity is the key to an enjoyable experience, but speeding up the touchscreen would make the already-popular iPhone into the best touchscreen experience ever.

Crack-proof glass. Apple’s patent for crack-resistant glass, granted on Nov. 15, uses the same alumino silicate glass solution used in the iPhone 4 and 4S, but chemically treats it with potassium and sodium ions to achieve greater compression thresholds on the surface and edges of the glass, making it less susceptible to cracks.

Apple also included a handy feature that will appeal to everyone who’s ever dropped their iPhone: The patent calls for a shock mount to be placed between the glass and the body of the device, which will instantly inflate if the device senses it’s falling. If the iPhone’s internal accelerometer senses it’s falling, an actuator within the device sucks in the cover glass as it accelerates to the ground, protecting it from damage.

3D Photography. Some may say 3D technology is nothing new, or possibly even overdone; Apple would argue that’s because nobody has done it right. Yet.

Apple says that while existing 3D cameras and video records can get three-dimensional information from objects, they’re generally incapable of getting detailed enough information in relation to the shapes, surfaces and depth of the objects. Apple’s solution involves a series of systems, tools and methods to capture a 3D image by using multiple sensors and cameras. One sensor would capture a polarizing image, while two other sensors would capture two different non-polarizing images, and Apple’s system would combine the images into a composite.

Apple has another solution involving different specialized sensors for capturing the image’s surface information, color imaging and luminance, and combining the data into another composite that has information about the depth and plurality of surfaces. Together, these systems and methods of capturing light and image information would create an incredible 3D image that can be seen without glasses.

LTE Connectivity. It’s already a foregone conclusion that Apple will implement radio bands for 4G LTE in the iPhone 5, given that Apple introduced the high-speed network on its new iPad, released on March 16, which was likely done as a “practice run.”

LTE features significantly higher download and upload speeds compared to 3G technologies, but previous implementations of LTE in smartphones tended to ravage battery life, which was a major complaint from users. If Apple wanted LTE in the iPhone 4S at the time, it would have been forced to increase the phone’s thickness to accommodate a larger circuit board and a bigger battery. Apple CEO Tim Cook, in a company earnings conference call in April 2011, said “first-generation LTE chipsets force a lot of design compromises.”

“The iPhone 4 PCB [printed circuit board] is already incredibly small, not leaving any room for an extra chip to enable LTE without shrinking the size of the battery,” said Anand Shimpi, a chip expert and CEO of Anandtech.

Fortunately, Qualcomm recently unveiled the fifth iteration of its new chip, which supports TD-SCDMA, TD-LTE, HSPA+, EV-DO, embedded GPS, and LTE on TDD and FDD networks worldwide. The chip works with Android and Windows 8 devices, but there’s a great chance this will be the chip inside the iPhone 5.

NFC. Near-Field Communication is nothing new: in fact, many current smartphones have the chip built-in so owners can use mobile payments solutions like Google Pay. Apple has held off on implementing NFC technology into its iPhone, but a slew of recently granted patents seem to suggest that will change with the sixth-generation iPhone. Two of the major features said to use NFC rather heavily are the iWallet, and iTunes “Gifting.”

The iWallet. Apple won a major patent on March 6 for a piece of technology called the “iWallet,” which is a digital system that gives users complete control over their subsidiary financial accounts on their iPhones, and also leverages Near-Field Communication technology to complete credit card transactions directly on the phone as well. The iWallet has many different features, including giving users the ability to see their entire credit card profiles, view statements and messages from their banks, and even set parental controls for their children, should they also want to use their iPhones as digital wallets. Outside of the iPhone, users can keep track of their payments and statements within the iTunes billing system, which keeps credit card information and records safe and secure. There’s a possibility that iWallet could also work with other Apple utilities, which could allow users to buy things like movie tickets directly within the apps, but only time will tell with that one.

iTunes Gifting. While downloading and storing digital media with online service providers has become commonplace — more so than purchasing DVDs and CDs at physical retail stores — it’s not very easy to transfer digital files from one individual to another, usually because of copyright laws. Apple believes it has a solution to this issue: A gift-giving platform where users have a standardized way for buying, sending and receiving media files from a media provider (iTunes) between multiple electronic devices (iPhones, iPads and iPod Touch devices). The process is simply called, “Gifting.”

One method for gifting requires the sender to authorize a gift charge to their iTunes account, which is then transmitted from the sender’s device to the receiver’s device — via tapping, or as long as they’re nearby — thanks to the NFC chip. If the recipient of the gift isn’t nearby — or you want it to be a surprise — the gift-giver may submit an official request with iTunes, which then processes the request and charges the initiator’s account for the given file. The patent also allows for multiple gifts to be sent in a single transaction, as well as certain customization options for the gifts — including voice greetings and custom gift images, likely to conceal the gift’s identity before the receipient opens it.

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What features would you like to see in the iPhone 5? Do you hope to type onto a 3D keyboard someday? Let us know your thoughts and impressions in the comments section below.

Article source: http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/338146/20120507/iphone-5-features-apple-patents-screen-pictures.htm

Big Bad Apple Wants iPhone 5 Domain from Fans

Whether the next version of the Apple’s best-selling smartphone will be called the iPhone 5 or not, the company apparently covets the domain based on that name.

In a complaint filed with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Apple is challenging the ownership of the iphone5.com domain name, which is currently used to host a forum for Apple enthusiasts to speculate about the next iPhone.

According to the directory for domain name ownership, Whois, the owner of the iphone5 domain wishes to keep her or his identity private, but the owner’s mailing address is a post office box in Fortitude Valley, Queensland, Australia.

Other iphone5 domains listed with Whois include iphone5.net, .org, .biz, .info and .us. Those domains are either not very active or dead ends. None have been challenged by Apple yet, but that’s not unusual. In the past, Apple has mostly reserved its challenges to dot-com domains.

Although Apple has paid for some domain names in the past, it recently has resorted to the Uniform Domain-Name Dispute-Resolution Policy (UDRP) to latch onto domain names that violate its trademarks. Those names include iphone.com, ipods.com. wwwitunes.com, appleosxlion.com, and applefans.com.

Fan website with the domain Apple wants.

While Apple’s move on the iphone5 domain isn’t surprising, its timing is out of the ordinary, according to Eric Slivka, writing for MacRumors. He notes that Apple didn’t gain control of the iphone4.com domain until a year after the product was launched. It acted faster to grab the iphone4s domain — weeks, rather than months after the product launch — but some urgency was involved, as the domain was being used as bait to send visitors to a porn site.

“Given that Apple typically doesn’t pursue domain names for its products until after they launch, lest their names be revealed ahead of time by the negotiation process, it seems odd that Apple is already seeking to gain control of iPhone5.com,” Slivka muses.

Needless to say, the publicity that Apple’s action has generated has started attracting new members to the iPhone site. Those newbies have mixed feelings about the site snatch effort by Apple.

“I’m sure if you were Apple, you would want the same thing,” argues “ThunderCracker.”[Y]ou’ve had your time on the domain, now it’s time to give it up.”

“You need to sue Apple,” chimes in “Ranis.”

“I think that it makes sense that Apple would want to own this domain…,” “Benjamin Archdeacon” adds. “Because the ‘iPhone 5′ keyword currently gets over 20 milion searches a month on Google alone, Apple will want to filter that traffic onto its new iPhone category page, whether it’s called ‘New iPhone’ or ‘iPhone 5.’”

While the next version of the iPhone is being referred to as the “iPhone 5,” so was the latest version of the phone, which Apple chose to instead call the “iPhone 4S.” That confusion around the numbering scheme for the iPhone appeared to have influenced Apple’s thinking, in general, about numbering products, because when it released the latest version of its tablet, it called it the new iPad and not the iPad 3.

It’s been predicted that the iPhone 5, or whatever it will be called, will be announced sometime in August and will be a “monster upgrade.”

Follow freelance technology writer John P. Mello Jr. and Today@PCWorld on Twitter.

Article source: http://www.pcworld.com/article/255123/big_bad_apple_wants_iphone_5_domain_from_fans.html