Moto X features to include Clear Pixel camera?

The latest Moto X feature rumours seem to suggest the upcoming Motorola flagship will have a Clear Pixel camera and stock Android.

Featuring a Clear Pixel rear camera and a near to stock Android OS user interface, although the Moto X isn’t said to be a powerhouse device in terms of specs, Motorola is seemingly focused on innovative features for its next flagship.

The new information comes courtesy of Android and Me employee Taylor Wimberley on his Google Plus account, someone who has already made a name for himself as a fairly reliable Moto X source.

“Moto X will feature a Clear Pixel Camera with gesture controls”, wrote Wimberly.

He doesn’t actually provide any further details as to what the Clear Pixel camera is, but we assume it is a marketing term conjured up to rival the HTC UltraPixel technology featured in the HTC One.

“It means ‘dark, blurry pics and lack of details’ will be things of the past…” he later added in the comments.

According to another commenter, Clear Pixel sensor technology will allow the Moto X to perform “two to four times” better in low light conditions, without a battery-draining high powered flash.

The Moto X will also feature a very close to stock version of Android Jelly Bean, potentially the heavily rumoured Android 4.3 OS.

“Moto X will feature a ‘pure Android’ user experience with a commitment to ‘fast upgrade cycles’,” added Wimberly.

Although it won’t be exactly the same as the vanilla Android featured in the Google Nexus 4, Nexus 7 or Nexus 10, the Moto X will supposedly only have a thinly veiled custom UI over the top.

New pictures of the front and back panels of the Moto X have emerged online, showing the upcoming flagship’s thin profile and ultra-slim bezel.

Could the Moto X smartphone sport the fastest LTE speeds on the block?

The Moto X handset may be able to out-sprint its rivals in a mobile data race thanks to the inclusion of not one, but two LTE antennas, according to rumours on Wednesday.

The device, which Motorola has been touting heavily over the July 4 holiday, will boast dual LTE MIMO (Multiple-Input, Multiple-Output) antennas, so says Taylor Wimberley, founder of Android and me.

The tech, more commonly associated with high-speed Wi-Fi, means there'd be two antennas pulling in and spitting out downloads and uploads at the same time, increasing speeds for owners of the device.

Of course, this is all a rumour at present, but Wimblerley's previous leaks info surrounding customisation of the Moto X phone, suggests that he may be onto something.

Moto's amped

Motorola is yet to officially reveal the Moto X Phone, the first high-profile handset since it became a Google-owned company, but has been amping up the anticipation this week.

It took out adverts in major newspapers in the United States and launched a sign-up page for those interested in the device.

Both communications touted the device as the first smartphone to be 'designed by you,' hinting at unprecedented customisation for users, which reports have since suggested will involve colour and engraving options.

The ads and webpage also boasted that the device would be designed, built and assembled in the United States, perhaps working in a little dig at Apple's recent 'Designed by Apple in California' PR blitz.

It's not over till it's over: BB7 lives on in newly leaked Bold 9720

Update: BlackBerry has confirmed that a new BBOS7 handset is indeed on the way. "We intend to launch one additional product this year to support the BlackBerry 7 segment", a spokesperson said.

BlackBerry 10 may be grabbing most of the headlines, but it's the older BlackBerry 7 devices that appear to be keeping the company afloat, as details of a new model recently poked out.

A user agent profile (UAProf) document spotted last week shows some deets for a device called the Bold 9720. It's powered by the company's older BB7 operating system instead of the shiny new BlackBerry 10.

The existence of the phone should come as no surprise: BlackBerry Chief Executive Officer Thorsten Heins said during the company's dismal June 28 quarterly earnings report that sure enough, another BB7 handset was due.

A new BB7 handset may seem like the wrong direction for BlackBerry until you consider that only 2.7 million of the 6.8 million handsets shipped last quarter were actually running the BB10.

Same as it ever was

According to the UAProf document posted by Twitter user @Bla1ze, the BlackBerry Bold 9720 appears to be a fairly typical addition to the manufacturer's Bold lineup.

Running the elder OS 7.1 and sporting the company's legendary QWERTY hardware keyboard with a 480 x 360 screen resolution, the latest Bold seems destined to excite only the BlackBerry faithful.

However, images leaked on the ThaiBBClub show the 9720 borrows a few design cues from the recent BlackBerry Q5, mixed with classic Curve style.

Although BlackBerry has confirmed the existence of the handset, there's no word yet exactly on when and where the Bold 9720 will wind up in the coming months, not to mention for how much.

iPhone and iPad owners warned against increased security risks

iPhone and iPad owners are being warned against increased security risks after a rise in phishing campaigns for personal data.

Kaspersky Lab is advising iOS device users to be extra cautious when inputting their personal data after a huge increase in phishing campaigns stealing iCloud and iTunes user account information including credit card details.

The number of phishing scams involving unofficial copies of Apple.com has spiked since 2012. In 2011 Kaspersky registered around 1,000 attempts to phish for personal info in this way, but now this figure has risen to a daily average of around 200,000.

The attack attempts by cybercriminals on iOS users include sending them emails supposedly from service@apple.com or the Apple Customer Support team. They will feature the Apple logo, be professionally written or even include links to the Apple FAQ pages to make them appear legitimate.

Within these emails though are fake Apple website links that request personal and credit card details from the user, which is then stolen by the phishing campaign.

In order to detect whether a site is authentic, users are advised to check the full address of the given site in the browser address bar. The fake ones will often include apple.com but the full link will give away hints that reveal its real identity.

However, iPhones and iPads have been targeted because the mobile version of Apple’s Safari browser hides the address bar away.

iPhone and iPad users can protect themselves by only opening site links that they can see the full website address.

Apple also offers a two-step authentication process to protect its customers against such attacks, which involves sending a four-digit code to one or more devices registered to the user’s Apple ID.

Asus Padfone 2 vs Asus FonePad: Which should you buy?

With the Padfone 2 and the FonePad, Taiwanese manufacturer Asus has established itself as the master of the Android hybrid.

While Android smartphones continue to thrive and Android tablets - but for a few exceptions - continue to flounder, Asus has come up with a novel way to capitalise on the former and circumvent the latter.
Mash them both together.

However, Asus doesn't quite seem to have decided on a definitive format. Both the Asus Padfone 2 and the Asus FonePad combine key elements of the smartphone and tablet form factors, but they go about it in very different ways.

The Asus Padfone 2 takes the mash-up idea quite literally, presenting you with a decent upper-mid-range smartphone that slots into a 10-inch tablet dock when you want to go large. The FonePad, meanwhile, is an altogether subtler blend, offering a sleek 7-inch tablet that happens to accept a smartphone SIM for 3G calling.

Join us as we take a look at how these two Android phone-tablet hybrids compare, and ultimately try to establish which you should buy.

Padfone 2 vs FonePad: Contacts

Both the Asus Padfone 2 and the Asus FonePad use Google's stock People app for managing your contacts, so navigating through to make calls is a pretty similar experience across the two devices.

However, when it comes to the experience of placing calls, the difference is pronounced.

The Padfone 2, when in its default phone state, is a thoroughly pleasant device to make and receive calls on.

Its 4.7-inch display and relatively slim 10.4mm body make navigating its interface easy even while out and about, and lifting it up to your ear looks and feels normal. The odd circular groove pattern on the back even makes it quite comfortable to grip.

The FonePad, by contrast, is unavoidably a 7-inch tablet rather than a phone, so holding it up to your face feels faintly ridiculous. In fact, scratch that - it's hugely ridiculous.

Bear in mind that many people scoff at the idea of holding the 5.5-inch Samsung Galaxy Note 2 up to their noggins, and hopefully you'll see where we're coming from here.

Of course, there's always that Bluetooth headset or those mic-equipped earbuds you've been holding onto, but still...

As a pure phone for making and taking calls, the Padfone 2's flexibility and fit-for-purpose design makes it the clear winner.

Padfone 2 vs FonePad: Messaging

Again, the messaging experience is nigh-on identical from a software perspective between these two devices. Both feature the same default Android messaging app, and the same native email application too.

We've got mixed feelings about Asus's custom keyboard, but regardless of your preference there are plenty of fine alternatives on the Google Play Store. It's also another thing the Padfone 2 and the FonePad share, so it's hardly a deciding factor between the two.

We're left, then, with the differences between the actual physical process of messaging on each phablet device. It's undoubtedly the toughest area to call.

On the one hand, the Asus Padfone 2 offers the two extremes of messaging on the go - the potential for one-handed typing with the phone element and the potential for a full-sized two-handed typing option with the tablet peripheral engaged.

However, the Asus FonePad's 7-inch display appears to strike a fine balance between the two. Held in portrait view in one hand and typing with the other, we found messaging on the FonePad to be an error-free process. It's just got that extra bit of breathing space that makes texting and emailing a solid experience.

Padfone 2 vs FonePad: Gaming

After a slow start, gaming has become an increasingly prominent part of Android devices, and with Google's planned social and achievement integration it's only going to get bigger.

Beyond that, comparing the gaming performance of the Padfone 2 and the Asus FonePad acts as a fine barometer for their relative hardware merits. After all, nothing puts a phone's innards to the test like a modern 3D game.

A performance comparison is especially interesting because the Asus Padfone 2 and the Asus FonePad, despite being produced by the same company at around the same time, could scarcely be more different internally.

While the Padfone 2 is built on a fairly typical - though also very capable - quad-core Qualcomm CPU and Adreno 320 GPU combo with 2GB of RAM, the FonePad takes a very different approach.

It's built on an Intel Atom Z2420 processor, which uses PC-like Hyper-Threading rather than multiple cores. It's backed by the slightly creaky PowerVR SGX540 GPU and a relatively meagre 1GB of RAM.

Comparing the two using the Antutu benchmarking tool, which provides a number of graphics-intensive (both 2D and 3D) tasks for Android devices to run through, there's a clear winner. With an average score of 21,607, the Padfone 2 more than doubled the 9,208 average score of the FonePad.

This apparent doubling in performance is understandable. While the Qualcomm chip is a premium component, the Intel processor is intended for relatively low-cost devices. Sure enough the FonePad can be had for about a third of the price of the Padfone 2.

If you're after something that will be able to run high-end games both now and into the future, the Padfone 2 is a better bet - if you can spare the £600/US$720/AU$750 it will take to obtain it.

Otherwise, the FonePad will run pretty much anything currently available reasonably well - even advanced 3D games such as Real Racing 3 - and you'll pay just £180/AU$315 (around US$275) for the privilege.

Padfone 2 vs FonePad: Multimedia

The first thing to note is that both devices name the Google Play Store as the main source for their media. Through this increasingly impressive online media library you can get access to thousands of cheap video rentals and the comprehensive Google Books.

We'd prefer to watch a video and read a book on the Asus FonePad than on the Padfone 2, though. It's down to the difference in screen dimensions.

The FonePad's 7-inch 1280 x 800 display simply makes for a clearer and more engaging experience than Padfone 2's 4.7-inch equivalent.

The latter may be a little brighter and sharper, but the extra two inches of screen real estate more than makes up for that when watching a widescreen blockbuster or settling down to read a sprawling novel.

Obviously the Padfone 2 also has that 10.1-inch tablet adaptor, but with no increase in resolution and an inferior picture, both video and text can look a little grainy and washed out when blown up to such a size. It really offers little advantage.

Storage is another issue here. While the FonePad is only available with 8 or 16GB of internal storage compared to the Padfone 2's 16, 32, or 64GB, the former has the massive advantage of a microSD card slot. Not only does this open up the possibility for an extra 64GB of cheap memory expansion, it also offers another way to get media onto your tablet from other devices.

Padfone 2 vs FonePad: Internet

Once again, Google provides the default arrangements for internet software here in the shape of Chrome. It's a brilliant mobile browser, with its minimalistic interface, intuitive use of multiple tabs and ability to sync bookmarks with the desktop equivalent.

The respective screens play a big part in deciding which internet experience is preferable here. Once again, the Padfone 2's sub-par tablet component lets it down somewhat, compromising the full-size internet experience with its fuzzy, dim picture.

However, the phone's vibrant 4.7-inch display really shows off the increasingly mobile-optimised web nicely, and the phone's speedy CPU and GPU loads content up just as fast as its internet connection will allow it.

There's the sense with 7-inch tablets such as the FonePad that you're getting an internet browsing experience that's caught somewhere betwixt and between - neither small enough to make the stripped-back mobile-optimised versions of websites feel natural, nor big enough to display full web pages comfortably like, say, an iPad can. Not without some vigorous zooming and panning, at least.

There's not much in it, but browsing the web feels a little less forced on the Padfone 2 - and there is something to be said for a full-sized tablet web browser, no matter how low-res.

Padfone 2 vs FonePad: Music

Listening to music is pretty much identical on both devices. Both have access to the marvellous Google Music service, which enables you to upload 20,000 tracks to the cloud for free, as well as to listen to your music through a stylish UI and to shop from Google's reasonably priced music store.

It's also about to go full-on Spotify on us, so watch out for an extra subscription-based incentive to opt for an Android smartphone or tablet (or both) in the near future.

It's considerably more wieldy listening to music on the go with the Padfone 2 thanks to its more pocket-friendly size, but then the FonePad has the benefit of that microSD slot for loading up even more music locally.

Back in the Padfone 2's favour, however, is the fact that it comes with a half-decent set of earbuds (the proper in-ear variety) packed in, while the FonePad has none.

Yes, any music fan should really be investing in a decent set of third-party earphones, but the fact remains that only one of these devices enables you to listen to music out of the box - at least without relying on a tinny speaker.

Padfone 2 vs FonePad: Battery

Both of these Asus phone-tablet hybrids impress when it comes to battery life. The Padfone 2 has a slightly larger than average 2,140mAh battery, which is technically removable if you don't mind performing minor surgery on your phone (that's what it feels like, at least).

Combined with the famously power-efficient Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 CPU, we were easily getting through a full day of moderate to heavy usage without running out of juice.

But that's not the biggest plus point in its battery life box. That comes from the unique tablet dock, which doubles as a back-up charger.

If you carry this around with you, the tablet portion's 5,000mAh battery can be used to completely recharge the phone section three times over. When you're away from a power point for a prolonged period, this could be a massive plus.

The FonePad, for its part, has no such gimmicks to rely on, but that's not to say its 4,270mAh battery doesn't sport impressive stamina.

We clocked around eight and a half hours of continuous usage - which involved whacking the screen brightness up to full and repeatedly looping an HD video - before the battery died. Impressive stuff.
Whichever Asus device you opt for, you won't have a problem with battery life.

Padfone 2 vs FonePad: Verdict

As we've hopefully made clear, the Asus Padfone 2 and Asus FonePad are far more different than their shared heritage and similar names would suggest.

This means that when it comes to deciding which is the right Android phone/tablet hybrid for you, your mileage may vary.

If you're after a capable smartphone first and foremost, with a competent tablet experience considerably lower down on your list of priorities, then the Asus Padfone 2 is the device for you. It's nicely proportioned and very powerful, while its 4.7-inch display is very impressive.

Sure, its tablet dock provides a sub-par full-sized tablet experience, but it does the job. This component also acts as a portable recharger for the phone, which could prove very useful for the frequent traveller.

If the tablet side of things is more - or even equally - important to you, then the Asus FonePad is probably the better buy. It's a superbly well balanced device with a sharp display, exemplary build quality and an irresistibly low price tag.

Indeed, it's the Asus FonePad's sheer value for money that nudges it over the line for us when weighing the two against each other. At a third of the price of the Asus Padfone 2, this competent all-rounder is firmly in impulse-buy territory - and few will be disappointed with such a snap decision.

ZTE Geek U988S to become first Tegra 4-powered smartphone

A China Mobile version of the upcoming ZTE Geek has been pictured, by none other than ZTE itself. The picture comes in conjunction with images outed by China's TENAA certification database, which is notorious for leaking devices coming out of Asia. ZTE has released some shots of the device from a more flattering (albeit somewhat gushy) perspective.

Sporting a 5-inch fullHD LCD and an upgraded front-facing camera, the real star of the show is the expected NVIDIA Tegra 4 chipset inside, featuring four Cortex-A15 cores clocked at 1.8GHz. This is bound to be the official debut of the chipset in a smartphone.

For now, the ZTE Geek U988S is set to work only on China Mobile's TD-SCDMA network, so we'll have to wait and see if a global version of the Tegra 4-powered Geek is also in the works.

Google patches 'Master Key' Android hole, already on its way to Samsungs

The sky was falling last week when it emerged that there was a major security hole that could mean 900 million Android devices could be vulnerable to hack attacks - but Google has now rolled out a patch.

It was quite a dramatic state of affairs, with security firm Bluebox reckoning that 99 per cent of Android handsets were vulnerable - there was the potential for nefarious devs to modify app update code.

That would mean that users could be merrily installing what appears to be a legit app update, but is actually riddled with nasty code courtesy of nefarious developers.

Patchwork

However, Google has been working to close the hole since February and has now succeeded.
Exactly when you'll get the update will depend on your phone make, with individual manufacturers responsible for rolling out the update.

Samsung owners are quids in though, as Google confirmed to ZDNet that "a patch has been provided to our partners" with "some OEMs, like Samsung… already shipping the fix to Android devices".

Google says that it's been a bit of a storm in a teacup though, adding, "We have not seen any evidence of exploitation in Google Play or other app stores via our security scanning tools. Google Play scans for this issue - and Verify Apps provides protection for Android users who download apps to their devices outside of Play."

BlackBerry A10 specs leaked in confidential document

The BlackBerry A10 specs have been leaked in a screenshot from an official and top secret BlackBerry document.

Revealing the hardware for the next BB10 device, the leaked confidential document contains the full specs for the highly rumoured BlackBerry A10 ahead of any official unveiling.

Posted on the CrackBerry forum as a screen grab with the simple comment “I’ll just leave this here”, the specs are part of a confidential BlackBerry document which is only available to those who have signed a Non-Disclosure Agreement.

However, despite the NDA warning, the document dated May 23 2013 has still managed to emerge online, revealing the BlackBerry A10 spec sheet.

Previously tipped to be a ‘big’ full touch phone, the latest leak supports this theory, suggesting the A10 will have a 5-inch OLED Display with a 1280 x 720p HD resolution and 295ppi image density.

This means the screen will be of a lesser quality than the other BB10 devices, the BlackBerry Z10 and BlackBerry Q10.

It will supposedly pack a 1.7GHz dual-core Qualcomm processor with a quad-core GPU and 2GB of RAM.

An 8-megapixel camera in the rear will be paired with a 2-megapixel front-facing snapper. The BlackBerry A10 will also have 16GB of internal storage bolstered by a microSD slot for cards up to 64GB.

The next BB10 smartphone will also pack a pretty powerful 2800mAh if this document is correct, along with a micro USB and HDMI port, DLNA, Wi-Fi, NFC and 4G LTE connectivity to boot.

Many of these specs tally up nicely with the Z10 and Q10, but the A10 may well play host to the new BB10.2 version of the latest BlackBerry operating system.

Currently, all that is available is the BB10.1 version, so 10.2 may bring new features with it.

Apparently, the BlackBerry A10 is set for a November launch, but today’s leak may spur BlackBerry on to release it a little earlier.

HTC One finally boosted to Android 4.2.2 in Europe, US users still waiting

Some HTC One owners in Europe have a new version of Android to explore this weekend, after the latest 4.2.2 version of Jelly Bean started to arrive on handsets across the region.

Some users of the 4G iteration of the device began seeing the update late on Friday, which brings the Android Daydream wallpaper, quick settings options and access to lock screen widgets.

However, beyond the standard Android 4.2.2 update, which also includes the ability to access Google Now by swiping up from the home key, HTC has also taken the opportunity to boost HTC Sense.

It brings Instagram to Blinkfeed, adds a battery percentage indicator and gets rid of the unsightly black menu bar that popped up when using some Android apps.

Not seeing it? Don't fret

The update is available to download over the air and users can check its availability by navigating to Settings > About > Software updates.

As always with these deals, it may take a little while for the update to reach all users so if you haven't had a notification yet, don't fret too much.

There's also no indication of when One owners in the US may be getting the update, but we can't imagine it'll be too long.

The good folks at AndroidCentral have gone hands-on with the update so at least you can see what's in store when the new software lands on your device.

How to free up space on your iOS device

Computers used to be all about expandability. Essentially you owned a box that could be tailored to your needs as your requirements evolved. A popular upgrade path was storage, adding new hard drives as your files grew in size and number. But with Apple's touchscreen revolution, everything changed.

The iPhone, iPad and iPod touch are more like appliances than 'traditional' computers - they're sealed boxes that forever remain as they were the moment you purchased them. You can no more extend their storage capabilities than you can add a new compartment to your fridge-freezer.

A quick look at Apple's modern hardware suggests its entire line-up is heading in the same direction, but iOS devices are more restricted than Apple's desktops and notebooks. After all, if you need more storage for a MacBook Air, you at least have the option of offloading large documents to an external hard drive (and, of course, then sensibly backing up that data along with the internal drive's, either locally or to an online service such as CrashPlan).

But iOS devices aren't designed that way. They don't have a USB port or a user-accessible file structure. The intention is that you store everything on the device itself (well, almost everything - services like iTunes Match enable you to grab your music from the cloud).

Therefore, an important tip when it comes to better iOS device storage and management comes at the moment of purchase: buy the model with the most storage that you can afford, unless you're absolutely convinced you won't need it.

Even then, reconsider; be mindful that as technology evolves, demands for storage increase. Retina screens require larger applications, and iOS cameras can shoot HD video, which requires a huge amount of space.

Also, demands on iOS devices are increasing purely on the basis of what they can now do. People frequently shoot and edit video, work with photography, read magazines and compose music on iPads and iPhones. All these things require lots of storage.

If your device gets really full, it alerts you. Also, things stop working. You won't be able to install new apps or shoot video new footage. You may find that updating apps becomes problematic, because the device doesn't have enough space to download, unpack and install updates before deleting older versions.

We offer advice for dealing with such a situation, along with managing iOS storage in general. Note that this isn't intended as a start-to-finish walkthrough, more a series of ideas that can be utilised to free up space.
As ever, we should stress the importance of back-ups before making major changes to iOS devices. Even if you're backing up to iCloud, make the occasional local back-up (select your device in iTunes and click 'Back Up Now' on the Summary page).

Local backups are also useful when it comes to dealing with app data, because you can later use iExplorer to fish out settings and other documents from such a backup, even if those things have long been removed from your device. Also ensure before making any major changes in terms of deleting content that you don't only have said content on your iOS device.

For music, sync your device with iTunes to transfer tracks to your Mac (although you can grab previous purchases from iTunes, if necessary). For photos and movies, transfer them across by attaching your device to your Mac via USB, launching iPhoto, selecting the device and clicking the Import button.

How to manage iOS device storage

1. Check device capacity in iTunes

Although iOS devices no longer require iTunes, Apple's desktop app remains useful from a device management standpoint. Connect your device (via USB or over Wi-Fi) and select it from the Devices button. Across the bottom of the window, you see a chart detailing what's taking up room: audio, photos, apps, books and 'other'.

If storage is an issue, you could free some up. For example, if you've lots of music or photos on your device, select the relevant tab, uncheck the sync box and then sync your device. The relevant media is removed. You can then perform updates and manage your apps, perhaps free up more space, and later restore your media by resyncing it.

Occasionally, you might find the 'other' section becomes massive. In our experience, this is usually down to you having a lot of in-app data (see Step 3) or failed app updates, which can happen on trying to update without enough free space. Resyncing should help; if not, a restore from a local backup.

2. Discover app sizes 

Apps can be massive. Sizes are shown in iTunes and the App Store, but that's the size of the compressed download. Once installed, an app's size can balloon.

In iTunes, check app sizes by clicking on the Apps tab and selecting Sort by Size from the pop-up menu at the top of the apps list. Peruse the list, and if there are apps or games you no longer use, consider deleting them. You can do so by clicking Remove in iTunes; when you've done so for all apps you'd like to delete, click Sync.

Alternatively, tap-hold an app on your device to make all the icons jiggle and, for each, tap the cross icon and then 'Delete' to remove it.

3. Examine app data

Open the Settings app on your device and in the General category, select Usage. You see available and used storage and a list of apps. These are ordered by the total amount of space they require, including app data.

Newsstand and similar apps tend to be storage-hungry. Their containers might be small, but the actual magazines rarely are. If you want to see how much space an app's data is using, tap the app in the list and look at the Documents & Data figure.

If you've several such apps taking up loads of room you need, consider deleting data. For example, if you subscribe to magazines, delete old issues from within each app. You can usually redownload issues later if you need to. If you fancy taking a speedy option and don't have a capped broadband connection, deleting a Newsstand app takes all its data with it. You can then download a fresh copy from the App Store and the latest issue.

Magazine and book apps aren't the only storage culprits, note. Dropbox can (optionally) store documents locally (by flagging them as favourites) and some video apps have download capability, so check those too.

4. Back-up app content

Should you no longer use a game or creative app, but think you might one day return to it, download its data to your Mac using the free version of iExplorer (macroplant.com/iexplorer).

Connect your device to your Mac via USB, select Apps from iExplorer's sidebar and select the app in question. Select the Documents and Library folders, Ctrl-click and select Export to Folder. (Alternatively drag them to a Finder folder.)

The contents of these folders can later be sideloaded into a fresh install of the app, meaning you won't lose your progress in a game that doesn't support iCloud, or could get saved compositions from a music-app back to your device with a minimum of fuss.

5. Use last-chance folders

If you tend to frequently download new apps, chances are some fall out of favour, but you might not necessarily know which. Create date-based folders (07-2013, say) and place apps within that you don't think you use any more. If you find yourself using one, 'rescue' it from the folder. Otherwise, delete the folder's contents after a few months, first backing up app data as necessary.

(Note: if you don't download apps to iTunes on your Mac, sync with it before deleting the apps, so you've a back-up you can later install to your device. You can of course redownload apps from the App Store, but only if they are still made available to you.)

This is a fairly ruthless app-management method, but it's useful for keeping installs current and ensuring you have space.

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Best ebook readers for Android – Top Free Apps to Read ePub and PDF

Printed books are loosing popularity as electronics readers gaining popularity. People now love to read on their smartphones and Tablet as they can take their favorite books on the go. Specially tablet devices offers a great experience for reading books as they are light-weight, very compact and capable of storing thousands of books.

Our goal is to find Some of the BEST ANDROID apps for reading ebooks which you can download for free! Let’s have a look at the list of Best free android reading apps.

By the way, there are many of us who loves to Download Ebooks, ePub books and PDF books over the internet and certainly look for some great apps to put them on to read on our Android. First we will discuss about the best Android reading apps with content support and great user experience.

Google Play Books

Google’s own Play Books app is the most fancy and best ebook reader android app. As you can guess from the title, google has to offer a wide range of books from its own play store where you can download free ebooks and purchase the premium books. Over 3 million titles available on google’s library for you to browse and download. On the feature side, the app comes with all the functions you would expect from a good android reader app. Another great thing is that it sync across all your devices means you can start reading a books on your tablets then resume reading where you left from your phone or in the computer. It supports the most popular  ebook formats.

Kindle

Most of us know how popular Amazon Kindle fire tablet among the readers for its content and great reading experience. Well, you can get the same experience on your phone or tablet with their Kindle app for Android. Similar to play books, users can download and Read Free Books—Choose from thousands of free ebooks and Easily shop for ebooks, including new releases and New York Times Best Sellers. Consider Kindle app as the one of the best ebook reader for android.

NOOK for Android by B&N

Following Amazon’s move on Android App, Barnes and Noble also brings their  NOOK for Android app. The company is already famous for its Nook Tablet and a wide range content on their online store allowing users to get access of million of books and magazine. The app allows you to subscribe a great list of magazine such as US Weekly, National Geographic, and The Oprah Magazine — starting with free for a 14-day trial period.

Aldiko Book Reader

A great alternative ebook reader and one of the best Pdf book read for Android. The app lets you buy ebooks at lowest price. EPUB or Adobe PDF books can be easily imported from your SD card and you can even also download directly ebook of your choice on Android device without using a computer to transfer files.

Moon+ Reader

Yet another great android app for reading books. Thousand of ebooks are free to download through online libraries. Comes with a nice day & night reading options for great reading experience without hurting your eyes. Real page turning effect seems very cool. The app also got gesture based controls to do many things such as zooming, lock the page, adjust brightness level and many more. Download an ebook or pdf book on your device and instantly find it on Moon Reader library.

Mantano Ebook Reader Lite

Recently released on google play store Mantano Ebook Reader is a great choice. Read, annotate to any EPUB or PDF ebook with the most powerful Android ebook reader compatible with the Adobe DRM.  With its advanced UI the app let’s you organized books in collection. Allows to  create annotations, highlights and bookmarks and Quickly access them. The integrated file explorer allows to browse through SD card and import books manually.

HTC One Mini pictures and specs leak again

One of the worst kept secrets in all of tech land, a new array of images and claimed specs for the heavily rumoured HTC One Mini have started doing the rounds.

Hitting the web ahead of the phone’s expected unveiling in the coming weeks, the latest HTC One Mini pictures show a phone which looks markedly similar to the 4.7-inch flagship HTC One, just scaled down to a more pocketable 4.3-inch form factor.

An expected rival to the Mini model of the Samsung Galaxy S4, the as yet unconfirmed HTC One Mini has been the thing of much rumour and speculation for a number of weeks, with the latest leaks claiming to confirm the handset’s full array of innards.

While a 4.3-inch 1280 x 720p HD display will see the mid-market spinoff touchdown with a higher resolution display to that of its S4 Mini branded rival, its mooted 1.4GHz dual-core CPU is down on the Samsung’s 1.7GHz dual-core offering.

With a HTC One Mini release date rumoured for August, it has been suggested that the phone will run Google’s latest Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean direct from the box. Although the full sized model launched with Android 4.1 in tow, a HTC One Android 4.2.2 update was recently rolled out to UK based users.

Maintaining the same 4-UltraPixel rear-mounted camera and BoomSound stereo speakers as its iPhone 5 rivalling sibling, the HTC One Mini specs sheet has been rumoured to be rounded off by a 1.6-megapixel forward-facing snapper and 1GB of RAM.

With no word having yet surfaced on potential HTC One Mini pricing, the phone’s battery size is also still up in the air.

LG unveils thinnest Full HD panel ahead of Optimus G2 event

LG has unveiled the world’s slimmest Full HD LCD panel for smartphones, conveniently launched just ahead of its Optimus G2 event next month.

Measuring just 2.2mm thick with a 2.3mm bezel, the 5.2-inch Full 1080 x 1920p HD panel is world’s slimmest and should allow smartphones to be considerably thinner.

Not only thinner, the panel is also lighter than other screen and will provide a larger surface area upon which to view content on smartphones.

“Today’s introduction of the world’s slimmest Full HD LCD panel represents an exciting advancement for the high-end smartphone segment, and is possible due to our world-class expertise in IPS and touch technologies”, said Dr. Byeong-Koo Kim, the VP and Head of LG Display’s IT and Mobile Development Group. “LG Display will continue its commitment to developing products that maximise consumer value as well as opening new doors for the mobile and tablet PC industry.”

The super-slim panel includes the latest touch technology from LG Display, named Advanced One-Glass-Solution (OGS). By inserting Dual Flexible Printed Circuits between the panel and the “touch film” increases the responsiveness of the screen.

LG Optimus G2 Rumours

LG has conveniently launched this super-slim panel technology just ahead of its August 7 launch for the LG Optimus G2.

The clearest LG Optimus G2 images emerged earlier this week, supporting the original reports that the smartphone was too thin for buttons. In fact, the smartphone’s volume rocker is supposedly located on the rear of the device below the 13-megapixel rear camera.

The South Korean electronics manufacturer could include this latest panel technology in its upcoming flagship, due to replace the LG Optimus G.

Lastest rumours have suggested that the smartphone will pack a 5.2-inch display, which could be this super-slim panel.

Other tipped specs include a 2.3GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 CPU with 2GB of RAM powered by a 2700mAh battery.

Motorola wants YOU to design the Moto X, touts device's homegrown cred

Motorola has hinted buyers will be able to customise the design and hardware specs of the still mysterious Moto X handset in a new advert scheduled to appear in U.S. newspapers over the 4th of July holiday.

In a new ad, revealed by AdAge, the company promises the device will be "the first smartphone you can design yourself" while boasting that the handset will be assembled on home soil in the United States.

Within the full-page ad, the company teases Moto X is "coming soon" and that "users should have the freedom to design the things in life to be as unique as you are."

What Google-owned Moto means by 'design yourself' isn't exactly clear yet, but earlier this year Google advisor Guy Kawasaki did (sort of) suggest the device could be personalised like a Porsche sports car.

Yahoo fancies a Qwiki

Yahoo's mobile property guzzling continues as the company announces it has bought Qwiki, an app that takes photos, music and clips and turns them into short movies.

The deal is said to have gone down for something in the $40 million to $50 million realm (about £26m-£33m / AU$44m-$55m).

It's another move from Yahoo to move into the mobile space, squaring up to the likes of Google and Facebook. However, unlike it did with Summly, Yahoo has promised that it has no intention of killing off the Qwiki brand, instead looking at ways to integrate the technology with other services.

Clearest LG Optimus G2 images yet emerge

The clearest images yet of the forthcoming LG Optimus G2 have been released onto the internet a month ahead of its likely launch.

An anonymous tipster supplied the revealing snaps to Engadget. They provide a clear view of the device, with Nexus 4-like rounded corners replacing the blocky design of the previous Optimus G.

Also noteworthy from these images is the dominance of its screen. The bezel is tiny, lending support to the suggestion that we're looking at a 5.2-inch Full HD display.

We can also see that LG has continued with the Nexus 4's button-free front approach, instead adopting the stock Android virtual controls for navigating the Android OS.

Previous leaks had already appeared to confirm reports that the LG Optimus G2 will adopt an unusual rear-mounted volume button set-up, but these pictures grant an even closer and clearer look.

They also show that the phone, whilst very slim (apparently slimmer than the Nexus 4), isn't as ridiculously thin as some had predicted. Back in April, South Korean news sources claimed that the decision to move the volume buttons to the back of the device was because it was simply too thin to house them on the side. That doesn't appear to be the case here.

The Optimus G2 tipster also expanded a little on the device's processor. We already knew from LG itself that the Optimus G2 would be using a Snapdragon 800 CPU, but we now know that it'll probably be clocked at 2.3GHz, and will be backed by 2GB of RAM.

LG has sent out invitations to a special event to be held in New York on August 7. It's almost certain that this will be for the LG Optimus G2 launch.

Samsung Galaxy S4 catches fire while charging overnight

A Samsung Galaxy S4 has reportedly burst into flames whilst set to charge, an incident that rises potential safety concerns around the Android 4.2.2 handset.

Something of an isolated incident more than a widespread issue, a Samsung Galaxy S4 owner based in Abu Dhabi has claimed that her iPhone 5 and HTC One rivalling handset caught fire without warning whilst plugged in to charge overnight.

“I cannot explain to you my extreme frustration, disappointment and extreme fear when I found my brand new Samsung Galaxy S4 burning at the charger connection to the phone,” phone owner Sarah Shurrub said in a correspondence to Samsung following the incident.

Describing the incident which took place late last month, less than a month after the S4 in question had been purchased, Shurrub added: “The phone was found burning, while charging. It’s only thanks to God that I woke up in the middle of the night and controlled the burning before it could cause damage to my home and family.”

Not quite a case of negligence on the owner’s part, the dangerous S4 had reportedly only been charging for a matter of hours when it combusted. “I woke up in the middle of the night to [attend to] my toddler, and it was about 2am at night. I think it was charging for about 3 hours by then,” the phone’s owner said.

While it is unclear as to the cause of the S4 started fire, Shurrub has suggested that Samsung has looked to amend the issue with the promise of free phones.

“It was agreed that they would replace [my burnt Galaxy S4] with a new phone, the flip cover that got burnt and as compensation, they will give me another brand new Samsung S4, though they don’t have a compensation policy and this is purely as an exception,” she wrote.

The Samsung Galaxy S4 is one of the most popular smartphones on the market right now, with more than 20 million units of the 1.9GHz quad-core brimmed device shipping globally during the phones first two months on sale.

It runs a 13-megapixel rear-mounted camera and pairs a raft of premium hardware features with a collection of innovative software additions, including the eye-tracking Smart Pause and Smart Scroll.

Has Apple made a resolution to release a Retina and non-Retina iPad mini 2?

According to the last piece of info we gleaned from the ever-churning Apple rumour mill, the company hadn't decided if it will upgrade its popular iPad mini with a Retina display.

In what is admittedly a speculation-raising twist, reports on Friday suggested that Apple will give buyers of the 7.9-inch iPad mini 2 the option of snapping up both Retina and lower-res non-Retina equipped models.

In its report, Taiwan's reputable Economic Daily News (via Electronista) has claimed a shortage of Retina display panels means a potential Q4 2013 release has been scrapped in favour of an early 2014 arrival.

A report from earlier this week suggested that it was the decision over screen resolution itself could cause delays, but either way, it doesn't seem like the iPad mini 2 will arrive much before Christmas.

Will it, won't it?

The long-running saga over whether Apple would launch a sequel with a higher resolution display has been going since the day the company initially announced the device in October 2012.

The relatively lo-res 1024 x 768 resolution was by far the most criticised feature of an otherwise widely-liked device, which sold by the truckload amid stiff competition from the likes of the Google Nexus 7.

Recent speculation has also suggested that the second-gen device would have a faster A6X processor, a touchscreen bezel or even no bezel, and, if a Retina display is on-board, a slightly thicker profile.

When will we see the new iPad mini 2 (or 2s), and what features will it/they include? Apple as yet to confirm even a single refresh to its smaller slate let alone a pair, so until we get official word we're sure to hear everything from the plausible to the utterly implausible. That's OK though - at least we'll be entertained.

Budget iPhone: more leaked pictures showcase colourful cases

More pictures of the glossy colourful cases of the rumoured budget iPhone have leaked online.

The rear shells of the budget iPhone, tipped to be called the iPhone mini, have been snapped online again showing off the array of five colours.

As seen here, the budget iPhone is tipped to come in five shades – green, blue, white, yellow and red – and seems to feature a gloss hard plastic casing rather than the brushed aluminium of the latest iPhone 5 handset.

Tying in nicely with the colour scheme of the recently unveiled iOS 7 mobile operating system, the budget iPhone may well more closely resemble the 5th generation iPod touch range.

These aren’t the first budget iPhone images to do the rounds either, seemingly cementing the iPhone mini rumours further.

The latest rumours showed an apparent budget iPhone hands-on video leak online, showing the supposed handset’s plastic body and rounded corners.

Budget iPhone rumours

Expected to be formally unveiled later this year, perhaps in line with the iOS 7 release in the autumn, the budget iPhone will be a mid-range handset to be a more affordable option alongside the iPhone 5S.

Tipped to launch in September, the budget iPhone is said to have the same 4-inch display as the iPhone 5 but will offer reduced top-end specs in an attempt to keep the price low.

That’s also the reason Apple has supposedly opted for a plastic casing rather than the brushed aluminium too. This plastic body could add a few millimetres to the thickness of the iPhone mini in comparison to the iPhone 5, but we doubt this will be a hugely noticeable difference.

The budget iPhone could even touch down alongside the next-generation of the iPad mini. However, if the latest rumours are to be believed, the iPad mini 2 release date may be pushed back due to Retina display issues.

LG Optimus G2 to crash through the full HD 5-inch smartphone barrier?

The forthcoming launch of the LG Optimus G2 may be a little more newsworthy than previously expected judging by recent rumours and speculation.

Last week we heard the device may feature volume buttons on the back and today reports claimed the new Optimus will be the first smartphone from the company to boast a full HD screen larger than 5-inches.

Up until now, speculation had suggested the device would be rocking a 5-inch 1080p screen, but TechBlog brings word that the Korean company plans to stretch it out another two-tenths of an inch.

That would officially make it the largest 1080p smartphone phone from a major manufacturer, something that LG would be wise to trumped when the device eventually launches.

Say cheese

Other new information from the TechBlog report claims the device will also have a 13-megapixel camera, bringing it in line with most of the other top-line handsets on the market.

Previous leaks have shown an edge-to-edge display, while its highly likely the device will arrive packing Android 4.2 Jelly Bean.

LG has already said the device will pack the Qualcomm 800 series processor, while the company is also thought to be working on a phone with always-on voice commands.

In terms of a release date? Well we should hear more about LG's August 7 press event in New York where the Optimus G2 is likely to be unveiled.

Zooming in on the Lumia 1020's camera apps and features

It's seemingly impossible to go a week without a new smartphone announcement, with manufacturers falling all over themselves to announce the "next big thing."

Some may be tempted to write off yesterday's reveal of the Nokia Lumia 1020 as just another debut of yet another Windows Phone 8 device, albeit one with a humungous camera, but the Finnish firm is hoping consumers will find that it actually enhances the mobile phone experience.

When CEO Stephen Elop took the stage to put the focus on the bombastic 41MP Pureview camera fitted into the Lumia 1020's frame, he showed the world the Nokia is ready to evolve beyond the traditional idea of a smartphone.

In addition to attempting to blaze a new path in the cellphone sphere, Nokia believes its latest flagship will offer prospective users true control and confidence in capturing their lives at the press of a button.

Two camera apps, one focus

That the Lumia 1020 has a better camera than most point-and-shoots, and low-end DSLRs for that matter, shouldn't intimidate potential users.

For Nokia, one of the core concepts of its latest phone is putting confidence back in the hands of the amateur photographer.

According to the company's research, consumers will take 7-10 pictures with a camera just to make sure they got the right image.

As Nokia's reps explained to us, with the Lumia 1020, the first picture you take will hopefully be the picture you keep. Granted, it make take the phone a little longer to save the 15MB image, but the aim is that it's worth the wait.

The phone's Pro Camera app should alleviate some of the unease and uncertainty users might have about getting the shot just right, as well.

Useful features like Reframe allow you to craft multiple images from just one massive 41MP shot, while more experienced photographers will still find all the ISO, f-stop, and shutter speed options they could hope for, allowing them the same level of customization they have with a full camera in a device decidedly smaller. The features aren't inaccessible to the non-photogs among us, either.

The Smart Camera app provides a range of "been there, done that" options at a slightly lower resolution, but is still capable of offering more creative ways to personalize your pictures.

Though you won't be able to take 41MP images with Smart Camera on, you'll have much more freedom and flexibility for action shots and editing within Nokia's built-in Creative Studio.

Technically, there's a third camera app in the default Windows 8 camera, but it's not fine-tuned for the new Pureview lens like the other two Nokia-developed apps.

It will still take pictures just like you'd expect, but it doesn't offer any of the bonus features found in either Smart Camera or Pro Camera.

Regardless of which app you use, all photos are taken with the new stabilization, multi-layered lens, and flash, which should help give even novices a chance at capturing the elusive "perfect" image.

The forest for the trees

Unless you've got an actual photographer in your family, most of your photo albums are probably full of either close-ups or wide-angle shots.

Your smartphone camera album is probably even worse, as most digital zooms end up looking awful and distorted.

Pro Camera's Reframe takes all the guesswork out of the equation, and lets you snap pictures now and decide what the story is later, without the loss of pixel density or fidelity.

To be fair, in our time with the Lumia 1020, we found zooming in all the way for the tiniest of details left things muddled, but the range of post-photo zooming is miles above what's available elsewhere.

Reframing works as soon as the photo is saved, giving you the choice of repurposing the still to your exact specifications quickly and easily.

While more savvy photo fiends are already doing these kinds of things in editing programs on their computers, having the option available instantly and on the go certainly helps the Lumia 1020 appear more flexible for the average consumer.

Simple and smart

Even if you'll be losing some of the ridiculous pixel density by using the Smart Camera app, there are still some advantages to the secondary application.

We've seen camera features like action shots, multi-shots, face-swapping, and the ability to wipe moving objects before, but that doesn't make them any less relevant for a phone like the Lumia 1020.

By including a wealth of options like those above, Nokia has effectively eliminated the hoping and praying typically associated with trying to get just the right shot.

In theory, users will be able to take solace that no matter what, they're going to get the shot they wanted... with a little help from Nokia's software.

Of course, there's something to be said for the lens and flash coming with the Lumia 1020 as well, as those components will do a lot of the heavy lifting in making sure photographs turn out the way you intended.

Intelligent design

The Xenon flash isn't as harsh as an LED flash, but it is brighter and faster, which means images taken in low-light will come out stronger, even if people are moving.

Outside of turning the flash on or off, that's not something you'll ever have to manage; that's just the way the phone is built.

Additionally, the five lenses (one glass, four plastic) compacted together to create the Pureview design have stabilization measures built-in to ensure they all move in unison.

By ensuring the lenses will never be out of sync, you have a markedly lower chance of shaky cam happening with stills or with video.

Again, this should aid in taking all of the worry out of picture-taking, which in turn allows users have faith in their abilities, and should keep them snapping away without having to worry about standing perfectly still.

Point of sale

The Lumia 1020 is still a pricey piece of hardware (priced at $299.99 in the U.S. or about £199/AU$327) when compared to some competitors, but Nokia and its products appear set to take a different path than phones like Samsung Galaxy S4 or the HTC One.

The Lumia 1020 doesn't quite hold up to the screen and hardware power of its top rivals, but as the line between spec-heavy devices has blurred, Nokia's phone is a bold statement about where it sees itself going in the future.

Based on our earliest impressions, every aspect of the Lumia 1020 has been fine-tuned to appeal to the snap-happy consumers that have flooded social networks with pictures of everyday life, while also offering power and performance that should impress pros.

As it will be arriving in just a few weeks in the U.S., we won't have long to wait to discover if consumers are willing to shell out premium prices for the convenience, and confidence, the Lumia 1020 provides.

OnBeat Solar Headphones charge your phone in the sun

Phone battery always dying on you? The OnBeat Solar Headphones could be the perfect solution to your smartphone woes.

A UK-based Kickstarter campaign is trying to raise funds for a pair of solar-powered headphones that can charge smartphones and tablets in the sun.

The OnBeat Solar Headphones work via a flexible solar panel that covers the entire headband to soak up the rays. This channels the solar energy to a pair of Lithium ion batteries located inside the ear cups.

When it's not sunny outside, there's also a USB connection so you can hook your tablet or smartphone and charge it via a PC.

OnBeat claims that the headphones will provide a full battery recharge for a mobile phone however the company fails to provide evidence of the charging performance for specific devices.

In terms of the standard headphone specs, the OnBeat headphones feature 40mm drivers, have a frequency response of 20hz to 20,000Khz and include an integrated remote to control the volume.

OnBeat is searching for £200,000 and with 29 days to go has reached just under £8,000. At the bottom of the pledging scale if you give £5 you can get a mention on the website. If you chip in £89 or more you’ll get a pair of the headphones sent to you if they successfuly launch.

The headphones will end up costing around £119 and an estimated delivery date of February 2014 suggests you will have to wait until next year to see the first pair. You can find out more on the OnBeat Solar headphones Kickstarter page.

Kinivo BTC450 Bluetooth Hands-Free Car Kit for Cars with Aux Input Jack (3.5 mm) - supports aptX

Features

• Hands-Free car kit designed for answering and receiving calls with any Bluetooth smartphone - iPhone, Android, Blackberry etc
• Seamlessly stream music from any Bluetooth (A2DP) capable device; supports aptX for CD quality audio
• Built-in microphone and easy to use music controls
• Provides audio through your 3.5mm input in Car Stereo when playing music and answering phone calls
• Requires 3.5mm audio input in the car stereo

List Price:
Special Offer: check this out!

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Product Description
The Kinivo BTC450 Bluetooth Car Kit is designed to provide a simple hands-free solution for answering and receiving phone calls while on the go. Also stream stereo music from your smartphone, tablet or other Bluetooth capable devices at CD quality with aptX codec.

Key Features
- Supports aptX for high quality audio
- Stream music from any Bluetooth (A2DP) capable device
- Music player controls - Play, Pause, Previous song, Next song.
- Supports Bluetooth profiles: HFP, HSP, A2DP and AVRCP
- Connect via Bluetooth with phone to receive phone calls and use voice commands
- Recharge your device while listening to music via USB port
Note: The car kit requires a 3.5 mm input jack in the car stereo

Device compatibility
- All iPhones, iPads and iPod Touch
- Android smartphones - HTC, All Droids, Samsung
- Blackberry smartphones
- All Bluetooth (A2DP/HFP/HSP) capable devices

What's in the Box
- Kinivo BTC450 Bluetooth Car Kit
- Adhesive pad (for mounting)
- User manual

Warranty
The Kinivo BTC450 Bluetooth Car Kit is backed by our 1 year warranty. Please contact us via email if you have any questions.

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iPhone 6 release date, news, rumours and price

Introduction

The next iPhone is coming out in just a few short months. Will it be called the iPhone 6, or the iPhone 5S?

Here’s everything we know, so far, about the iPhone 6.

iPhone 6 release date 

Apple is sure to unveil its next iPhone later this year. Since 2007 when the first iPhone was released, every year has seen a new iPhone outed.

The release schedule of previous iPhones shows a very clear pattern too – Apple plans its launches with incredible precision.

iPhone – June 2007
iPhone 3G – July 2008
iPhone 3GS – June 2009
iPhone 4 – June 2010
iPhone 4S – October 2011
iPhone 5 – September 2012

The early days of the iPhone series were all about summer launches, but these days Apple has skipped a few months back. Its last two phones were unveiled in September or October.

And, naturally, we’re highly unlikely to see an iPhone 6 arrive in July given we’re already in the thick of it. A September launch is likely.

A July release date was speculated earlier in the year, the source being a leaked document from a Japanese network, but that just goes to show you can never trust rumours.

The first we hear of the Apple launch is likely to be when the invites go out, which could be as late as two weeks before the event itself. However, previous Apple events have been revealed after having their venue booking details leaked. We’ll be back as soon as any such leaks happen.

The next iPhone will launch alongside iOS 7, which was revealed at WWDC 2013 in June, again pointing towards a possible mid-September unveil – Apple says it’ll arrive in the ‘Fall’.

However, if the next iPhone turns out to be the iPhone 5S, it’s likely that we’ll have to wait until 2014 to see the iPhone 6.

That said, there is a third possibility. Some suggest that the long-rumoured ‘low-cost’ iPhone will be called the iPhone 5S, and that the next full-fat iPhone will be the iPhone 6. In that case, both may launch this year.

However, this creates some most un-Apple-like series continuity issues – namely that the iPhone 5 would have higher-end construction than the iPhone 5S.

iPhone 6 price

Apple has a strict approach to pricing. It almost never cuts its prices mid-cycle, only lowering prices when an iPhone goes from being the ‘current’ model to an older legacy phone.

It’s not into doing anything that’ll devalue its products.

This policy is likely to mean the next iPhone costs roughly the same amount as the current one – which starts at £529 for the 16GB model.

The price escalates to £599 for the 32GB model and £699 for the 64GB phone.

iPhone 6 specs

When assessing a phone’s power, there are three main elements to consider – the CPU, the GPU and the RAM.

In pure figures terms, Apple’s iOS series CPUs have never sounded that impressive. They stuck to dual-core chips while Android rivals moved onto quad-core CPUs, but they have actually been quiet trailblazing of late.

The iPhone 5’s A6 processor uses a custom system architecture rather than the ‘off the shelf’ type seen in the vast majority of phones.

However, Apple needs to play catch-up in this area. The iPhone 6 is likely to feature a quad-core processor, rumoured to be clocked at 1.2GHz. 2GB of RAM is also likely.

This would make the iPhone 6 the very first quad-core Apple mobile device. At present, the most powerful in the iOS family is the iPad 4, which stuck with a dual-core main processor.

However, it is rumoured that the iPhone 6 will use the same GPU – the graphics chip – as the iPad 4, the PowerVR SGX554MP4.

This may sound like a disappointing improvement given the iPad 4 was released in 2012, but consider the difference in screen resolution – the iPad 4 screen has over 3 million pixels, the iPhone 5 under one million.

A lower-resolution screen needs less power to render visuals of the same perceived quality.

iPhone 6 software

If the iPhone 6 arrives in 2013 rather than 2014, the phone will definitely run iOS 7. This software was unveiled in June and will power all new iOS devices following its release alongside the next iPhone.

Although the software is not publically available, it has already been released to developers. We know exactly what it looks and feels like already.

iOS 7 is Jonathan Ive’s redesign of the system – he was at the helm of the design team for most of Apple’s iconic products including the iPod and MacBook.

A new look is one of the most important changes. Icons are sharp rather than rounded and other aspects of the interface have taken some cues from Android.

For example, the drop-down notifications menu gives you control over phone features.

However, the system still doesn’t offer home screen widgets, which are what many iOS detractors have been asking for.

iPhone 6 screen

One of the most speculated-about elements of the iPhone 6 is its screen. Will it be bigger? Will it be higher-resolution?

In early 2013, there were rumours that Apple was planning to release two phone in 2013 – a 4-inch phone and a larger 4.8-inch one, the latter most likely to be dubbed ‘iPhone 6’.

iLounge’s Jeremy Horwitz clarified the rumours with his own sources, saying that while a 4.7-inch device was in prototyping stage, it’s “certainly not expected in 2013.”

Horwitz wrote in January that the iPhone 5S will arrive in 2013, will have a 4-inch screen like the iPhone 5.

It is also possible that the next-generation iPhones will use Sharp IGZO screens rather than the Sharp IPS displays used in the iPhone 5. These offer more efficient power consumption than the current type.

iPhone 6 camera

The next iPhone is likely to use a Sony camera sensor similar to those seen in the Sony Xperia Z and Samsung Galaxy S4, if the iPhone 6 is to follow the series’s current direction.

Both the iPhone 4S and iPhone 5 use an 8-megapixel Sony sensor – much as people may think Apple only uses its own components, it does not. Using the same sensor for three generations of iPhones is highly unlikely.

Most of this year’s top phones, including the Galaxy S4, use 13-megapixel Sony-manufactured camera sensors.

The two most notable exceptions are the 8.7MP Nokia Lumia 925 and HTC One, but both of those use rather different technologies to make their cameras stand out.

It’s unlikely that the iPhone 6 will make the same moves. The iPhone 6 is likely to be too slim to fit in the OIS components needed to copy the Lumia 925, and using a low-resolution, high pixel pitch sensor like the HTC One’s is a move that could misfire marketing-wise.

We expect the iPhone 6 to use a higher-resolution sensor and a familiar LED flash. Improvements in image quality are likely to be down to an improvement in lens construction and better noise reduction algorithms in the camera’s software.

There are clear improvements to be made in the iPhone 5’s camera lens too. It’s a reasonable f/2.2 construction, but beaten by several others these days, including the F/1.9 Lumia 720 and f/2.0 HTC One.

These figures are the cameras’ f-stop rating, which is the ratio between the diameter of the lens aperture and the focal length of the lens. The lower the figure the better – indicating that it’ll let in more light within the same exposure time, therefore giving the potential for faster shooting in good light and better low-light performance in gloomy situations.

iPhone 6 rumours

The rumour mill is always flying around the launch of another iPhone but what are the rumours to look out for?

Fingerprint scanner

The integration of a fingerprint scanner in the iPhone 6 has been heavily rumoured. Apple patents suggest it could be hidden within the phone's bezel.

Joseph's multicoloured iPhone

In January rumours surfaced suggesting the iPhone 6 could be in line for some serious restyling withup to 8 colours becoming available. It's not as far-fetched as you might think, especially considering the iPod touch comes in various hues.

Plastic iPhone

Could the iPhone 6 be made of plastic? Not likely but there are plenty of rumours suggesting a budget iPhone may be launched on the same release date as the iPhone 6.

Summer release date

In June pics of the iPhone 6 or 5S were reportedly snapped on a production line. If that's the case and production is already underway we could see an early release date in August.

iPhone 6 – Worth the Upgrade?

If we assume the iPhone 6 is to arrive this year, it’s unlikely to be a huge upgrade. All the rumours point to a sensible rather than hugely dynamic generational shift. We’ll get more power, a more advanced screen and updated software – although all recent iPhones will get the latter.

If the iPhone 6 is to land in 2014, it could well be a more dynamic device that, like the iPhone 5 did, changes the form of the device altogether by adding a larger screen. However, it’s too early to tell, especially given Apple is unlikely to have finalised the design of a product more than a year in advance.