Nutty Mobiles

We compare the iPhone 4 to the rumoured specs we think will be appearing on the iPhone 5 to see what’s different With the grand reveal for Apple’s iPhone 5 expected to be a short while away, we compare the rumour with the reality and look into what’s on the agenda for the biggest device launch of the year and [...]

We send one of HTC’s old guard, the HTC Wildfire, into battle against LG’s new Optimus Black We pitch the HTC Wildfire against LG’s new Optimus Black. Form:HTC Wildfire – 106.8×60.4x12mm, 118gLG Optimus Black – 122x64x9.2mm, 109gThe LG looks like an LG, which is code for saying it looks really nice. Elegant lines, minimalist features and flattering proportions means this [...]

Windows Mobile 6.x’s days are numbered as Microsoft will no longer support the OS after 15 July. On that date, the various versions of the OS will gather atop a hill, ready to be welcomed into the big HTC handset in the sky. Or, rather, Microsoft will simply stop accepting new Win Mo apps and application updates from 15 July [...]

We pitch the Samsung Galaxy S2 against LG’s new arrival, the Optimus 2X We compare the Samsung Galaxy S2 with the new LG Optimus 2X. Form:Samsung Galaxy S2 – 125.3 x 66.1 x 8.5 mm, 116 gLG Optimus 2X – 123.9 x 63.2 x 10.9 mm, 139 g Both these phones seem to come from the same school of design [...]

Fuel has been added to the iPhone 5 delayed launch fire by yet another supplier, which claims that orders for the new build are “several months later than usual.” Gene Munster, analyst for Piper Jaffray, cites two “concrete data points” as his source, one of which is an iPhone manufacturing equipment supplier who told him that they received orders for [...]

Napster has released an app for Android and iPhone to compliment its now legal music service Music service Napster has released an Android and iPhone application that gives users the ability to listen and purchase music on their mobile. The app, which is free to download from iTunes and the Android Market, boasts access to Napster’s library of over 15 [...]

Nokia’s eagerly anticipated Windows Phone handsets look set to be sporting ST-Ericsson chips – according to a senior executive. Speaking to Forbes, STMicorelectronics chief executive Carlo Bozotti, who sits on the ST-Ericsson board, suggested that the Nokia phones will use the company as one of its two chip suppliers. Borlotti stated that ST-Ericsson remained an important supplier for Nokia with [...]

Orange and Samsung have announced a partnership to finally make contactless payments a reality for the UK public. The citric network has been talking about SIM-based near field communications technology (NFC) for a while, and is now popping it in the Samsung Tocco Lite Quick Tap edition. This means that in places like Pret a Manger, EAT, Little Chef, Wembley [...]

The TechRadar Phone Awards 2011 are in full swing, with thousands of you already voting for your favourite phone apps, features and games. If you are yet to vote, then TechRadar has teamed up with Sony Ericsson to give you even more reason to have your say. We are giving away two Sony Ericsson Xperia arcs and one Sony Ericsson [...]

Analyst house Gartner has released smartphone sales figures for Q1 2011, which show that only 1.6 million Windows Phone handsets were sold over the three month period. 1.6 million might sound like a lot, but that’s 1.6 million out of 428 million mobile communication device sales, with the analysts noting that consumers seem unfazed by Microsoft’s new software. “Windows Phone [...]

Google’s executive chairman Eric Schmidt has stated that the company is working hard to simplify the often bemusing Android permissions screen when installing apps. Currently, users are given a list of what services and data an app has access to, which often overstates exactly what it will do with that data. Schmidt – talking at Google’s Big Tent event in [...]

HTC’s European boss thinks that the company will also benefit from Nokia’s agreement to make Windows Phone 7 handsets. Despite the likelihood that the Finnish smartphone giant will become Microsoft’s favourite manufacturer, Florien Sieche says that HTC can profit from the platform’s raised profile. He told the Reuters Global Technology Summit: “(The Nokia deal) will not change our commitment to [...]

Google has acknowledged a security flaw in its Android operating system and is working on an instant fix to the problem. Last Friday, German researchers published a paper which revealed that Android phone owners were at risk when using certain services like Google Calendar, Contacts and Picassa over public Wi-Fi networks. The researchers discovered that some authentication tokens are being [...]

We compare the 2010′s favourite, the HTC Desire, against the world’s first, but thoroughly glitchy, dual core smartphone, the LG Optimus 2X We examine how the HTC Desire stacks up against the LG Optimus 2X. Form: HTC Desire – 119 x 60 x 11.9 mm, 135 g LG Optimus 2X – 123.9 x 63.2 x 10.9 mm, 139 g LG [...]

Google has dropped some interesting information about Ice Cream Sandwich, the next version of Android at its Google I/O conference. We’ll update this article with more information on the new Android as soon as we get it. It talked about the new OS during the Opening keynote speech of the Google I/O conference in San Francisco. Real Ice Cream Sandwiches [...]

Joby, the company behind the popular GorillaPod camera accessory, has released a free stop motion app, known as Frame X Frame Stop motion and general photography fans will be keen to know Joby has released a new app for iPhone called Frame X Frame. As the name suggests the focus is on frame-by-frame shots, or stop motion as it’s commonly [...]

Mobile roaming costs could finally fall to palatable levels in the next few years if rumoured EU plans are pushed through. According to ZDNet, the EU’s digital agenda commissioner Neelie Kroes wants to see home and roaming charges for data reach the same level by 2015. The main difference between this and other data price regulations is that the EU [...]

We review LiveSports 24 3D Football, a scores and CGI replay app from Genera Interactive SL for Windows Phone 7 With Sky having sewn up everything related to football when it comes to live transmission, it’s hard for mobile users on the go to anything more detailed from a game than the score and the occasionally text commentary nowadays. LiveSports [...]

We review both 100 Pushups and 200 Situps, two fitness apps from Morten Trydal for Windows Phone 7 The worst thing about exercises isn’t always the act of doing it, it’s giving yourself the mental push to start in the first place. Most of us we’re sure have tried to ‘turn it around’ and promise themselves a regular fitness schedule, [...]

We review Wiki Snacks, a Wikipedia app from Xpert 360 Ltd for Windows Phone 7 It’s often the case that viewing webpages through your phone isn’t the greatest of experiences. Even those with dedicated mobile sites are constrained by the need to keep mobile browser compatibility, so often lack – or at least hide – functions that would have been [...]

Vodafone has announced it will be changing its data plans to allow users to tether their phones as part of their data bundle. As smartphone usage has increased rapidly in the last year or two, users have become increasingly irate at their inability to connect their smartphone to a laptop or tablet and use it as a modem with the [...]

We take a look at the cream of the photography app crop on Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7 platform With cameras improving all the time in mobiles and smartphones, we’re using them more and more. The problem is, the offerings on Windows Phone 7 are not the best, and that makes 3rd party photo applications all the more useful. Whether it’s [...]

We review PhotoWeather, a weather app from AlbertoM for Windows Phone 7 PhotoWeather’s unique selling point is rather than just simply deliver the latest weather forecast from wherever you are in the world – something plenty of other Windows Phone 7 apps already do – PhotoWeather also displays images from the place in question alongside the forecast. While it may [...]

We pit last year’s Android superstar, the Samsung Galaxy S, up against the dual core-powered HTC Sensation Just how much ground has been covered in the evolution of Android smartphones in the last year? Well, we aim to find out as we compare one of last year’s finest devices, the Samsung Galaxy S, to a smartphone which will reign supreme [...]

Apple is aiming to further shrink the size of the micro-SIM cards found in gadgets like the iPhone 4 and 3G versions of the iPad. Reports today claim that Apple has already submitted plans for a new SIM standard to the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI). The plans to make the micro-SIM, first seen in the original iPad, even smaller [...]

Intel has blamed its ill-fated partnership with Nokia as the reason for delays in bringing its long-promised processors for smartphones. CEO Paul Otellini said called the MeeGo tie-in a mistake, and that the company would have been better-off choosing a different partner. “In hindsight, Nokia was the wrong partner to have picked,” said the Intel boss. Medfield chips The CEO’s [...]

If you want to know what you can do in your local vacinity, whether abroad or in the UK, Viator is designed to help you with its database of over 9,000 trips Viator has released an app that gives you the lowdown of all trips within your local area. Pulling activities and day trips from its database of over 9,000, [...]

There are some things in life we bank on – while a stable mobile signal isn’t always one of them, we at least expect the networks to be able to transmit it without an issue. Then, a few months ago, parts of the Vodafone network go down. ‘It’s a conspiracy!’ the Twitterverse cries, convinced it’s a ploy to make more [...]

O2 customers may not be able to call, text or use data services today, after the network’s East London site was broken into and parts stolen in the early hours of the morning. The bubbly network has lost a bit of fizz as some customers in East London, North London, Kent and Essex are unable to send or receive messages [...]

While Android doesn’t feature the same volume of apps in its Marketplace as iPhone users are used to, there are still loads of great Android apps to download. Whether you’re after the best free Android apps or the best paid ones, we’ve rounded up the top Android apps for 2011 in the articles below. 40 best free Android apps Most [...]

Augmented reality specialist Metaio has released footage and a brief look at its Junaio software and the possibilities of the technology Metaio has released footage and information about the potential of augmented reality on tablet devices. Calling it the ‘big picture of augmented reality’, the press release focuses on the firm’s plan to integrate the technology into tablets like the [...]

Android phones could be offering up usernames and passwords to hackers, allowing sensitive data to be siphoned off. Researchers from the Institute of Media Informatics at Ulm University have discovered that Android devices could offer up user’s Google Calendar, Contacts and Picasa information. The research found that devices using Android 2.3.3 and older using ClientLogin (which is used to authenticate [...]

The latest augmented reality app from Parrot, the team behind the AR.Drone, is going to be AR.Race Parrot has just announced its latest augmented reality app will be checkpoint racer AR.Race. Designed to compliment the expensive but ultimately awesome AR.Drone gadget, AR.Race has you putting your piloting skills to the test as you aim to race around circuits in the [...]

We’re keeping it in the family this time around, as we pit the up and coming HTC Sensation against its stable-mate, the newly released Desire S HTC has plenty of fans around the globe, and for good reason, but which HTC device do you buy? Well, of the two newest devices on the horizon, the Sensation and the Desire S [...]

A senior executive at Nokia has responded to rumours that Microsoft is readying a bid for the mobile arm of the Finnish company, saying they were wide of the mark. Nokia and Microsoft decided to partner up back in February in a bid to take on Android. So far we have not seen this partnership bear fruit, but from day [...]

Phones4U has let slip that the fifth generation iPhone will hit the shelves on 21 November 2011. This new date thrown out by Phones4U’s anonymous representative while speaking to TechRadar BFF T3 ties in quite nicely with speculation that Apple is delaying the next iPhone launch until September; usually new iPhone hardware is revealed in June. Questions also remain as [...]

Samsung has announced it will be re-rolling out the Galaxy S Android 2.3 update in the near future. The Korean brand has confirmed it will be bringing the Gingerbread update to theGalaxy Ace, Gio, Fit, Mini and Galaxy Tab as well as the Galaxy S. As many Galaxy S owners might remember, the Android 2.3 update landed last month for [...]

Nokia could be about to launch its first MeeGo handset, dubbed the Nokia N950, as soon as next week. After the handset formerly known as the Nokia N9 reminded us all that it exists by slipping through the FCC last week, it now looks as though developers will get their hands on the mysterious device very soon. Mobile blog Unwired [...]

The Samsung Galaxy S2 has already received two software updates since its launch, fixing one of the main problems with the device. Samsung has rolled out the updates to the device, despite it not being available internationally yet, in order to sort out the auto-brightness issue that caused the Super AMOLED Plus screen to get darker and brighter too rapidly. [...]

We see how the BlackBerry Bold Touch 9900 stacks up against the might of the Apple iPhone 4 We compare the Apple iPhone 4 to the brand new BlackBerry Bold Touch 9900. Form:BlackBerry Bold Touch 9900 – 115 x 66 x 10.5 mm, 130gApple iPhone 4 – 115.2 x 58.6 x 9.3 mm, 137g These two handsets could not be [...]

We review Birdsong, a Twitter app by Red Badger for Windows Phone 7 blowers One of the first questions when an unofficial Twitter app comes out for any mobile system is ‘what can this one do that the official one can’t?’. It’s a question that isn’t quite as clear cut as it should be, thanks to Twitter’s own inability to [...]

The TechRadar Phone Awards 2011 are in full swing with over 10,000 votes cast so far. One of the most popular categories people have voted in is the Best Phone Feature, which looks at the bits of a phone that have made all our lives that little bit easier, or at the very least better. From Wi-Fi hotspots to screen [...]

Samsung has created a new touch AMOLED display that can be folded and manipulated without sullying your view with a crease. If you want to have a go at making one yourself, all you’ll need are two AMOLED panels, silicone rubber, a glass cover and a modular case for it to sit in. Whack that all together and you should [...]

Samsung has spoken to TechRadar to outline the reasons why it switched the specs of the Galaxy S2 so close to its UK launch. The first big surprise was the improvement in processor power, from a 1GHz dual-core option to a 1.2GHz dual core Exynos CPU instead. Simon Stanford, the UK and Ireland MD for Samsung’s mobile division, said it [...]

LG has moved swiftly to release a patch for a problem that caused seemingly hundreds of Optimus 2X handsets to freeze and reboot. The issue was first noticed two months ago and posted on XDA Developer Forums, where users began noticing the phone was rebooting randomly, freezing on a blank screen while still being turned on and getting very warm [...]

We pitch the BlackBerry Bold Touch 9900 against the HTC Sensation We see how RIM’s BlackBerry Bold 9900 compares to the HTC Sensation. Form:BlackBerry Bold Touch 9900 – 115 x 66 x 10.5 mm, 130 gHTC Sensation – 126.1 x 65.4 x 11.3 mm, 148 g The HTC Sensation looks nice, not amazing, but nice, it’s got that modern styling [...]

Ofcom has published its report into 4G into the UK, looking into the real-time effect the next-gen tech will have on data users. The study aims to “understand the realistic capacity improvements of 4G relative to 3G” and has found that despite the data speed and traffic management improvements, the inevitable explosion in smartphone, dongle and tablet usage might mean [...]

New figures suggest that PlayStation certified games on Android are not selling at quite the rate most expected. Currently it is only the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play that can access PlayStation certified games, which does limit how many can be sold, but a month after launch and some of the titles are selling in their hundreds or very low thousands. [...]

Apple may be facing a shortage of iPhone 4 and iPad 2 stock because of the scarcity of both components and labour at its manufacturing plant in China. The unceasing demand for the iPad 2 has already led to stock shortages all over the place, but Apple’s manufacturing partner, Foxconn, faces further issues. Rumours have long abounded that supply of [...]

Anyone can get the source code for the basic Android platform and build a phone with it; now Google is letting anyone build peripherals and accessories for Android with its Android Open Accessory Kit program. There are “no NDAs, no fees and no approvals process,” engineering director (and former Sidekick founder) Joe Britt points out, while Apple’s Made For iPhone [...]