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Best iPhone 5 concept photos
By Flora Graham on 7 February 2012, 1:24pm
We can tell you everything you need to know about the iPhone 5, but we can’t tell you yet what it will actually look like. Luckily the Photoshop legion have taken the initiative to show us what the future might have in store. Here’s our pick of the best iPhone 5-inspired dreams.
Pick a card
We’ve heard that the iPhone 5 may have a curved screen, but this is ridiculous. This bendy AMOLED iPhone concept by Flickr user Vchenjingyuangel (also shown in our main image at the top) shows exactly why flexible screens are both cool and often totally impractical. We’d appreciate being able to flex our iPhone without it breaking, but this wafer-thin concept looks like it’s better suited to doing card tricks than making calls.
Banana phone
One of the things we miss most about the iPhone 3GS is the way it spun around when lying flat on the table. It was fun to fiddle with, and the curved back also made it easier to orientate when we whipped it out of a pocket. The flat-bottomed iPhone 4 is easier to use when laying flat, but it’s impossible to sort the right way up without a good hard look. This concept puts the curve back on the iPhone 5 with a silhouette that’s reminiscent of a banana phone.
We don’t know the source of this razor-sharp concept, but we got our copy from Le Journal du SmartPhone. If you made it, let us know, because we’d love to give credit where credit is due.
iPhone nano
This iPhone 5 concept by NAK Design clearly takes some inspiration from Apple’s metal-shelled iPod nanos. We’re quite keen on the look and we wouldn’t mind our expensive new phones being wrapped in sturdy protective metal. It would make it pretty chunky, though.
iPhone Air
The edge-to-edge display on the iPhone Air concept by Ciccaredesign is delicious, as is the way it tapers towards the front. If we were going to get a cheese-wedge for a phone, it would be this one.
Bubblicious
This bubbly concept by Alternative Industries shows off a screen that dominates the entire face of the phone. We like that — more screen means more room to fling angry birds around. We’re not quite as keen on the bubbly background, but we’re sure you could change that to a picture of your own face pretty easily.
Full-screen phoning
Antonello Falcone has also gone with a dominating screen, but this one dispenses with the colourful bubbles to provide a clean, smart design. We’d be amazed to see a phone like this with absolutely no bezel around the screen. Still, we can dream.
Gloss boss
This super glossy design from Roman Sima reminds us a little of the curved black screen of the Nokia Lumia 800. A phone encased in curved glass would look undeniably stunning, but give it a few days in a pocket with some keys and it’ll soon look battered and bruised.
Skinny latte
German mobile blog Handyflash fantasises about enjoying a steaming hot cup of coffee with this pancake-thin iPhone 5. Paltry concerns like having room for a battery trouble us not — this is one good-looking concept, and almost believable, except for the “iPhone 5″ label stuck below the home screen button like an ill-advised tattoo. However, gripping the sides would require the dexterity of a spider monkey opening a Jammy Dodger.
iPaddy
This simple but effective mock-up of an iPad 2-inspired iPhone 5 is similar to the one we massaged out of an iPod touch. This concept followed the news that the iPhone 5 may have a metal back like its tablet big brother.
We couldn’t find the original on the credited blog, Macotakara, but who are we to question such a confident watermark?
The real thing
This rendering of an iPhone 5 was outed last year by iDealsChina, saying it was sent to case-makers to help them design their gear. However, since we’re not likely to see the iPhone 5 until September, we doubt Apple started sending out renders to mould makers back in March 2011. However, we are willing to believe the iPhone 5 will sport a larger 4-inch screen, as the image suggests.
Help me iPhone 5, you’re my only hope
This demo video uses the iPhone to show off Waterworks Productions’ graphics work. Despite being of almost no practical use, having a blue hologram pop out of the iPhone 5′s screen is undeniably cool. Get on it, Sir Jony.
Keeping it real
Joy Studios offers this thoughtful concept phone based on several of the hottest iPhone 5 rumours. The home button gets nixed in favour of a touch-sensitive gesture area like the one on the Palm Pre, and the screen gets bumped up to 4.3 inches.
Snark
Cartoonist Dan Piraro may not have mastered the slick screen reflections that are required to to make it as an Apple phone stylist, but he’s captured the innovative spirit of the iPhone 5. Free pie? There’s an app for that.
Think you can do better? So do we. Hit up Google SketchUp and whip up your own creation, and upload it on our Facebook wall. We’ll be giving a shout-out to our favourites. In the meantime, head on over to check out our fave iPad 3 concepts.
You might like these…
PlayBook 2.0 demo hints at what’s to come in BlackBerry 10
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Mobile Phone Reviews
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Copyright © 2012 CBS Interactive, a CBS Company. All rights reserved.
By Flora Graham on 7 February 2012, 1:24pm
We can tell you everything you need to know about the iPhone 5, but we can’t tell you yet what it will actually look like. Luckily the Photoshop legion have taken the initiative to show us what the future might have in store. Here’s our pick of the best iPhone 5-inspired dreams.
Pick a card
We’ve heard that the iPhone 5 may have a curved screen, but this is ridiculous. This bendy AMOLED iPhone concept by Flickr user Vchenjingyuangel (also shown in our main image at the top) shows exactly why flexible screens are both cool and often totally impractical. We’d appreciate being able to flex our iPhone without it breaking, but this wafer-thin concept looks like it’s better suited to doing card tricks than making calls.
Banana phone
One of the things we miss most about the iPhone 3GS is the way it spun around when lying flat on the table. It was fun to fiddle with, and the curved back also made it easier to orientate when we whipped it out of a pocket. The flat-bottomed iPhone 4 is easier to use when laying flat, but it’s impossible to sort the right way up without a good hard look. This concept puts the curve back on the iPhone 5 with a silhouette that’s reminiscent of a banana phone.
We don’t know the source of this razor-sharp concept, but we got our copy from Le Journal du SmartPhone. If you made it, let us know, because we’d love to give credit where credit is due.
iPhone nano
This iPhone 5 concept by NAK Design clearly takes some inspiration from Apple’s metal-shelled iPod nanos. We’re quite keen on the look and we wouldn’t mind our expensive new phones being wrapped in sturdy protective metal. It would make it pretty chunky, though.
iPhone Air
The edge-to-edge display on the iPhone Air concept by Ciccaredesign is delicious, as is the way it tapers towards the front. If we were going to get a cheese-wedge for a phone, it would be this one.
Bubblicious
This bubbly concept by Alternative Industries shows off a screen that dominates the entire face of the phone. We like that — more screen means more room to fling angry birds around. We’re not quite as keen on the bubbly background, but we’re sure you could change that to a picture of your own face pretty easily.
Full-screen phoning
Antonello Falcone has also gone with a dominating screen, but this one dispenses with the colourful bubbles to provide a clean, smart design. We’d be amazed to see a phone like this with absolutely no bezel around the screen. Still, we can dream.
Gloss boss
This super glossy design from Roman Sima reminds us a little of the curved black screen of the Nokia Lumia 800. A phone encased in curved glass would look undeniably stunning, but give it a few days in a pocket with some keys and it’ll soon look battered and bruised.
Skinny latte
German mobile blog Handyflash fantasises about enjoying a steaming hot cup of coffee with this pancake-thin iPhone 5. Paltry concerns like having room for a battery trouble us not — this is one good-looking concept, and almost believable, except for the “iPhone 5″ label stuck below the home screen button like an ill-advised tattoo. However, gripping the sides would require the dexterity of a spider monkey opening a Jammy Dodger.
iPaddy
This simple but effective mock-up of an iPad 2-inspired iPhone 5 is similar to the one we massaged out of an iPod touch. This concept followed the news that the iPhone 5 may have a metal back like its tablet big brother.
We couldn’t find the original on the credited blog, Macotakara, but who are we to question such a confident watermark?
The real thing
This rendering of an iPhone 5 was outed last year by iDealsChina, saying it was sent to case-makers to help them design their gear. However, since we’re not likely to see the iPhone 5 until September, we doubt Apple started sending out renders to mould makers back in March 2011. However, we are willing to believe the iPhone 5 will sport a larger 4-inch screen, as the image suggests.
Help me iPhone 5, you’re my only hope
This demo video uses the iPhone to show off Waterworks Productions’ graphics work. Despite being of almost no practical use, having a blue hologram pop out of the iPhone 5′s screen is undeniably cool. Get on it, Sir Jony.
Keeping it real
Joy Studios offers this thoughtful concept phone based on several of the hottest iPhone 5 rumours. The home button gets nixed in favour of a touch-sensitive gesture area like the one on the Palm Pre, and the screen gets bumped up to 4.3 inches.
Snark
Cartoonist Dan Piraro may not have mastered the slick screen reflections that are required to to make it as an Apple phone stylist, but he’s captured the innovative spirit of the iPhone 5. Free pie? There’s an app for that.
Think you can do better? So do we. Hit up Google SketchUp and whip up your own creation, and upload it on our Facebook wall. We’ll be giving a shout-out to our favourites. In the meantime, head on over to check out our fave iPad 3 concepts.
You might like these…
PlayBook 2.0 demo hints at what’s to come in BlackBerry 10
Samsung Galaxy S3 could be revealed on 22 March
Samsung Galaxy S3 could be world’s thinnest smart phone
White Nokia Lumia 800 looks chilly in official photo gallery
White Samsung Galaxy Nexus on sale 13 February
Mobile Phone Reviews
More reviews »
Copyright © 2012 CBS Interactive, a CBS Company. All rights reserved.
Skype for Windows Phone being tested, coming soon
By Luke Westaway on 6 February 2012, 11:41am
Skype should be arriving on Windows Phone soon, as reports from The Verge suggest the app is in the testing stages.
Microsoft employees are reportedly able to download test versions of the Skype app from the Windows Phone Marketplace. The app itself will likely fit right in with the Windows Phone aesthetic, with several panes to scroll through by swiping left and right.
The app can’t arrive too soon as far as we’re concerned, because in case you’d forgotten, Microsoft actually owns Skype. So the fact that we’re still waiting for the VoIP service to arrive on the software giant’s own operating system is weird to say the least.
Microsoft originally vowed to get Skype on to Windows Phone in autumn of last year. The news that it’s in testing is positive though, and if it’s ready to show off by the end of February, it could make an appearance at Mobile World Congress, a big trade show for everything phone-related.
We used to be reluctant when it came to recommending Windows Phone, because compared to iOS and Android it was extremely light in the app department.
But things are improving — Microsoft’s OS nabbing Spotify has made it a much more appealing option, for us at least, and the Nokia Lumia 800 gives the platform an extremely classy device upon which to sit.
What do you think of Windows Phone? Tell us in the comments, or on our Facebook wall.
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Copyright © 2012 CBS Interactive, a CBS Company. All rights reserved.
By Luke Westaway on 6 February 2012, 11:41am
Skype should be arriving on Windows Phone soon, as reports from The Verge suggest the app is in the testing stages.
Microsoft employees are reportedly able to download test versions of the Skype app from the Windows Phone Marketplace. The app itself will likely fit right in with the Windows Phone aesthetic, with several panes to scroll through by swiping left and right.
The app can’t arrive too soon as far as we’re concerned, because in case you’d forgotten, Microsoft actually owns Skype. So the fact that we’re still waiting for the VoIP service to arrive on the software giant’s own operating system is weird to say the least.
Microsoft originally vowed to get Skype on to Windows Phone in autumn of last year. The news that it’s in testing is positive though, and if it’s ready to show off by the end of February, it could make an appearance at Mobile World Congress, a big trade show for everything phone-related.
We used to be reluctant when it came to recommending Windows Phone, because compared to iOS and Android it was extremely light in the app department.
But things are improving — Microsoft’s OS nabbing Spotify has made it a much more appealing option, for us at least, and the Nokia Lumia 800 gives the platform an extremely classy device upon which to sit.
What do you think of Windows Phone? Tell us in the comments, or on our Facebook wall.
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Nokia Lumia 900 briefly up for pre-order on Play.com
Samsung Galaxy Note ad mocks Apple fans, again
Mobile Phone Reviews
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Copyright © 2012 CBS Interactive, a CBS Company. All rights reserved.
White Samsung Galaxy Nexus on sale 13 February
By Luke Westaway on 6 February 2012, 12:47pm
Read Full Review
Wealthy suitors take note — Samsung’s confirmed the white version of the Galaxy Nexus will go on sale in the UK on 13 February, just in time for Valentine’s Day. Aww.
The Galaxy Nexus needs little introduction — its place in mobile history is cemented as the first phone to run Android 4.0, aka Ice Cream Sandwich. That’s the latest, greatest edition of Google’s mobile operating system, and it brings an interface overhaul, as well as the ability to unlock your phone using your face.
The Nexus also sports a 720p display and a natty design, and while the camera boasts a mere 5 megapixels, we liked the Nexus enough to plop four and a half stars on it in our review, along with our prestigious Editors’ Choice award.
But if you’ve been holding off on buying the Nexus because it doesn’t match your dishwasher, origami collection and fleet of trained polar bears, now is the time. Samsung tells us the white Nexus will be flogged through a “range of stores across the country” from next Monday.
Samsung enjoys teasing us with different coloured phones. In the past we’ve seen both white and pink versions of the excellent Galaxy S2, and there’s a white Galaxy Note doing the rounds too.
Would you whip out your wallet for a white Nexus? Or do you prefer the moodier default grey-ish black version? Tell us in the comments, or on our Facebook wall. If you need help deciding, try and imagine whether you’d rather see a penguin waddling towards or away from you.
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Copyright © 2012 CBS Interactive, a CBS Company. All rights reserved.
By Luke Westaway on 6 February 2012, 12:47pm
Read Full Review
Wealthy suitors take note — Samsung’s confirmed the white version of the Galaxy Nexus will go on sale in the UK on 13 February, just in time for Valentine’s Day. Aww.
The Galaxy Nexus needs little introduction — its place in mobile history is cemented as the first phone to run Android 4.0, aka Ice Cream Sandwich. That’s the latest, greatest edition of Google’s mobile operating system, and it brings an interface overhaul, as well as the ability to unlock your phone using your face.
The Nexus also sports a 720p display and a natty design, and while the camera boasts a mere 5 megapixels, we liked the Nexus enough to plop four and a half stars on it in our review, along with our prestigious Editors’ Choice award.
But if you’ve been holding off on buying the Nexus because it doesn’t match your dishwasher, origami collection and fleet of trained polar bears, now is the time. Samsung tells us the white Nexus will be flogged through a “range of stores across the country” from next Monday.
Samsung enjoys teasing us with different coloured phones. In the past we’ve seen both white and pink versions of the excellent Galaxy S2, and there’s a white Galaxy Note doing the rounds too.
Would you whip out your wallet for a white Nexus? Or do you prefer the moodier default grey-ish black version? Tell us in the comments, or on our Facebook wall. If you need help deciding, try and imagine whether you’d rather see a penguin waddling towards or away from you.
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Mobile Phone Reviews
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Copyright © 2012 CBS Interactive, a CBS Company. All rights reserved.
Best Samsung Galaxy phones
By Andrew Hoyle on 6 February 2012, 1:21pm
Samsung’s range of Galaxy phones seems to be expanding so rapidly that we’re terrified it will get so massive it collapses in upon itself. Galactic catastrophe aside, the wonderful thing about having such a vast range is there’s likely to be a phone to suit the needs of every single person in the universe.
On the other hand, with so many, many phones on offer, choosing the right Samsung Android for you can quickly become a planet-sized headache, leaving you lying down in a darkened airlock, whimpering softly.
Because we’re so spectactularly lovely here — and because we hate headaches — we’ve put together a complete guide to the entire Galaxy, er, galaxy. Read on for the shortened version — what we think are the five stand-out phones from the range.
Samsung Galaxy S2
The Galaxy S2 is Samsung’s darling, helping the company deal a firm left hook to Apple. Why is it so popular? Its 4.3-inch screen is superbly bright, clear and colourful, so your pictures and videos will look awesome. Its 1.2GHz dual-core processor easily tears through most apps and at only 9mm thin, it’ll slide easily into your pocket. As our favourite phone of 2011, the much anticipated Galaxy S3 has awfully big shoes to fill.
Galaxy Nexus
One of our favourite things about the Nexus is its screen. It boasts a delicious 720×1,280-pixel resolution and is slightly curved like a banana, which gives it a unique look, as well as making it sit more snugly against your face. Like the Galaxy S2, it’s powered by a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, but the Nexus comes with the latest version of Android, known as Ice Cream Sandwich. If you crave the latest software and a curved screen, the Nexus will definitely float your boat.
Galaxy Note
With a gigantic 5.3-inch screen, the Note is arguably more tablet than phone. On the one hand, that means you look a bit silly when making a call, but the sheer vastness of the screen makes watching videos and browsing the web a joy. It’s extremely bright and clear too, which makes your images pop, but also results in a poor battery life — make sure you carry a charger with you. But if big-screen browsing is your bag, the Note is worth checking out.
Galaxy Ace
Samsung has culled many of its customary bells and whistles to offer Androidy goodness at a cut-down price. The Ace doesn’t have the same high-resolution screen as its bigger brothers — it’s smaller too, at 3.5 inches — but it’s good enough for most day-to-day tasks and it seems to have had the knock-on effect of giving excellent battery life. It can’t hold a candle to the mobile elite in terms of processing power, but if you’re after smart phone features and don’t want to spend a fortune, the Galaxy Ace is a great choice.
Galaxy S
As the name suggests, the Galaxy S is the precursor to the massively popular S2. Yes, that means it’s pretty old, but it still has tonnes to offer and you can pick it up for a very reasonable price. The 4-inch screen is bright and clear and the 1GHz processor, while not powerful enough for the most demanding 3D games, will be more than sufficient for your twittering and Facebookery. If you don’t give a bean about having the latest hardware, but fancy a decent sized slab of Android on the cheap, the Galaxy S should be on your list.
CNET UK recommends
Samsung Galaxy S2
From £7.00
Samsung Galaxy Nexus
From £10.50
Samsung Galaxy Note
From £7.00
Samsung Galaxy Ace
From £7.00
Samsung Galaxy S
From £11.00
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Follow CNET UK
Behind the scenes on Facebook
Stay up to date on Twitter
Copyright © 2012 CBS Interactive, a CBS Company. All rights reserved.
By Andrew Hoyle on 6 February 2012, 1:21pm
Samsung’s range of Galaxy phones seems to be expanding so rapidly that we’re terrified it will get so massive it collapses in upon itself. Galactic catastrophe aside, the wonderful thing about having such a vast range is there’s likely to be a phone to suit the needs of every single person in the universe.
On the other hand, with so many, many phones on offer, choosing the right Samsung Android for you can quickly become a planet-sized headache, leaving you lying down in a darkened airlock, whimpering softly.
Because we’re so spectactularly lovely here — and because we hate headaches — we’ve put together a complete guide to the entire Galaxy, er, galaxy. Read on for the shortened version — what we think are the five stand-out phones from the range.
Samsung Galaxy S2
The Galaxy S2 is Samsung’s darling, helping the company deal a firm left hook to Apple. Why is it so popular? Its 4.3-inch screen is superbly bright, clear and colourful, so your pictures and videos will look awesome. Its 1.2GHz dual-core processor easily tears through most apps and at only 9mm thin, it’ll slide easily into your pocket. As our favourite phone of 2011, the much anticipated Galaxy S3 has awfully big shoes to fill.
Galaxy Nexus
One of our favourite things about the Nexus is its screen. It boasts a delicious 720×1,280-pixel resolution and is slightly curved like a banana, which gives it a unique look, as well as making it sit more snugly against your face. Like the Galaxy S2, it’s powered by a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, but the Nexus comes with the latest version of Android, known as Ice Cream Sandwich. If you crave the latest software and a curved screen, the Nexus will definitely float your boat.
Galaxy Note
With a gigantic 5.3-inch screen, the Note is arguably more tablet than phone. On the one hand, that means you look a bit silly when making a call, but the sheer vastness of the screen makes watching videos and browsing the web a joy. It’s extremely bright and clear too, which makes your images pop, but also results in a poor battery life — make sure you carry a charger with you. But if big-screen browsing is your bag, the Note is worth checking out.
Galaxy Ace
Samsung has culled many of its customary bells and whistles to offer Androidy goodness at a cut-down price. The Ace doesn’t have the same high-resolution screen as its bigger brothers — it’s smaller too, at 3.5 inches — but it’s good enough for most day-to-day tasks and it seems to have had the knock-on effect of giving excellent battery life. It can’t hold a candle to the mobile elite in terms of processing power, but if you’re after smart phone features and don’t want to spend a fortune, the Galaxy Ace is a great choice.
Galaxy S
As the name suggests, the Galaxy S is the precursor to the massively popular S2. Yes, that means it’s pretty old, but it still has tonnes to offer and you can pick it up for a very reasonable price. The 4-inch screen is bright and clear and the 1GHz processor, while not powerful enough for the most demanding 3D games, will be more than sufficient for your twittering and Facebookery. If you don’t give a bean about having the latest hardware, but fancy a decent sized slab of Android on the cheap, the Galaxy S should be on your list.
CNET UK recommends
Samsung Galaxy S2
From £7.00
Samsung Galaxy Nexus
From £10.50
Samsung Galaxy Note
From £7.00
Samsung Galaxy Ace
From £7.00
Samsung Galaxy S
From £11.00
Mobile Phone Reviews
More reviews »
Crave on Mobile Phones
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Samsung Galaxy S3 could be world’s thinnest smart phone
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White Nokia Lumia 800 looks chilly in official photo gallery
Mobile Phones
White Samsung Galaxy Nexus on sale 13 February
Mobile Phones
Skype for Windows Phone being tested, coming soon
Follow CNET UK
Behind the scenes on Facebook
Stay up to date on Twitter
Copyright © 2012 CBS Interactive, a CBS Company. All rights reserved.
