Don’t hold your breadth but the next update for windows phone will include auto rotate screen lock, and text syncing between PC and phone. In addition, the live tiles will get tweaked.
Microsoft really needs to turn its resources to this OS and give it one big update to bring its capabilities in line with iOS and android.
Just a quick update to advise that the new Note 3 from Samsung will be launched out of the box with android 4.3.
Yesterday, I covered the hardware specifications and my very first initial impressions. Click here to recap.
Today, I am going to cover the software included with the Lumia 925, and it really is an impressive suite, providing a whole new phone experience. I received a software update the other night. It was a smooth process, and I now should have a more improved phone.
On the productivity side you get the following apps – Calculator, Clock, Calendar, Phonebook, Alarm clock, Reminders, To-do list, Social networks in Phonebook, OneNote, Wallet, Family Room, Kid’s Corner.
Business apps which are optional downloads include Adobe acrobat reader and Lync (Corporate IM). Software included are SkyDrive storage for documents and notes, Microsoft Office apps Excel, Word, Powerpoint, OneNote, with syncronization to Exchange ActiveSync. There is also an excellent Mac companion app and Windows 8 companion app. As you would expect you can sync your Calendar, Video, Pictures, Music and Contacts.
The Email clients are comprehensive and include Yahoo! Mail, Outlook Mobile, Gmail, Office 365, Nokia Mail, Windows Live / Hotmail / Outlook.com and MS Exchange Active Sync. The protocols supported are SMTP, IMAP4, POP3. In addition to the standard viewing and editing or email attachments, there is a text to speech message reader, conversational view option on email, multiple combined inbox view, inbox filtering, HTML viewer too.
The social side is covered with Google Talk, Twitter, Windows Live Messenger, WhatsApp, Yahoo! Messenger, Skype IM and Facebook. The Messaging features Integrated text messaging and chat, Instant messaging, Concatenated SMS for long messages, Multiple SMS deletion, List of recently used numbers, Audio messaging, Text-to-speech message reader, Text messaging, Number screening for messaging, Unified MMS/SMS editor, Automatic resizing of images for MMS, Distribution lists for messaging, Multimedia messaging, Conversational chat style SMS, Unified inbox for SMS and MMS.
One thing Nokia does well is call quality, so it comes as no surprise that the phone includes the following – Voice Commands, Call waiting, Voice mail, Integrated hands-free speakers, Call forwarding, Call logs for dialled, received and missed, HD audio, Call history, Voice dial, Conference call, Skype voice call
Video call features: Skype video call. Noise cancellation is handled by 2 microphone uplink noise cancellation.
On the security front Enterprise users get Remote security policy enforcement. General security features include Remote device locking via Internet, Secure NFC, Track and Protect via internet, Firmware update, Remote wipe of user data via Internet, Device lock, Device passcode, PIN code, Firmware and OS integrity check, Secure device start-up, Application sandboxing and integrity check, Lost device tracking, Browser integrated anti-phishing and User data encryption for device.
Other software includes Internet Explorer 10, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, DLNA, SkyDrive, PhotoBeamer, Foursquare,Wi-Fi hotspot, Nokia HERE Maps, HERE Transit, HERE City Lens, HERE Drive+. The Mapping software provided by Nokia is excellent. It is gives you the options to download the entire map of the UK so you do not use as much data when using it. It also provides full turn by turn navigation. Obviously, if you lived in another country you could download the appropriate app. The location technologies included in the Lumia 925 are Magnetometer, A-GPS and A-GLONASS.
The camera is one of the key features of the Lumia 925. The rear camera is a 8.7 MP PureView with auto focus and a two-stage capture key, 4 x digital zoom, Carl Zeiss optics, 1/3 inch sensor for excellent low light photos and a f/2.0 aperture speed for fast action shots. I intend to take lots of photos too. The phone camera also includes backside illumination and optical image stabilisation. The camera module is made up of 6 lenses. The digital camera extras include Nokia Smart Camera, Cinemagraph lens, Panorama lens and Bing vision. The front camera is 1280 x 960 pixel, f/2.4 ,HD 1.2 MP wide angle. Video is filmed at 1080p on the rear camera at 30fps. 4 x video zoom is possible. Video playback codecs supported are VC-1, Windows video, H.264/AVC, H.263 and MPEG-4. Video playback file formats supported MP4, WMV, AVI, 3GP, 3G2, M4V and MOV.
Video recording formats are MP4/H.264. The front camera records video at 720p.
On the music and audio front, Nokia impresses once again. The Lumia 925 includes Nokia Music (live streaming of music), Internet Radio, FM Radio, Music Player, Dolby Headphone support, graphic equaliser. Codecs supported are MP3, AMR-NB, WMA 10 Pro, GSM FR, WMA 9, AAC LC, AAC+/HEAAC, eAAC+/HEAACv2. Audio playback file formats supported ASF, MP4, AAC, AMR, MP3, M4A, WMA, 3GP and 3G2.
Finally, if you like gaming, the Lumia 925 includes DirectX 11, Touch UI and XBox-Live Hub. The X-Box games that you can purchase or trial are excellent too. More of that in the next part of my review.
Need that new phone in 12 hours. Can’t stand waiting for gadget purchases.
Currys or PC World are offering same-day delivery for online orders. UK residents buying small gadgets from either shop before 9:30AM can spend £15 to have the goods reach their door by 10PM that night.
Sunday afternoon deliveries are being offered at similar pricing, and the £5 next-day option now includes all orders made before midnight. Quick fix speedy shipments are initially limited to those in greater London and a handful of other post codes, but the companies promise wider availability in the near future.
Nokia has started rolling out an update to its Lumia Windows Phones that enables the blocking of calls and SMS messages.
The setting is now an update to the Extra + Info application. Nokia has added an additional settings area in Windows Phone so that you can block specific numbers from calling or sending you text messages. This app also integrates into the phone section of Windows Phone, where you can simply tap and hold on a number to add it to the block list.
Yesterday, I received in the post the Nokia Lumia 925. Removing the Lumia 925 out of the box reminded me of when I had the Lumia 620, except now I was holding a slimmer and more capable Lumia. Before I continue, just a quick thanks to Nokia for sending the Lumia 925 for review.
Opening the box and removing the Lumia 925, its beauty and quality finish are very apparent.
Turning it over and looking at the back, you get to see the Carl Zeiss Camera optics.
On the right hand side the Lumia 925 has the on/off button, volume keys and dedicated camera button.
The left side has no buttons, as well as the bottom of the device. At the top you have the sim tray, headphone socket and micro usb port.
Photo of box and contents. Contents include micro sim ejector tool, guide, usb lead, headset and UK adapter as well as the Lumia 925.
The official official hardware specifications of the Lumia 925 are –
Dimensions – 129 mm x 70.6 mm x 8.5 mm, Weight: 139 g
Screen – 4.5 inch, WXGA (1280 x 768) with PureMotion HD+, ClearBlack, Brightness control, Orientation sensor, High brightness mode, Refresh rate 60 Hz, Corning® Gorilla® Glass 2, Sculpted glass, Easy to clean, Lumia Color profile, Wide viewing angle, Sunlight readability enhancements
Display colours -TrueColor (24-bit/16M)
Aspect ratio – 15:9
Pixel density – 334 ppi
Display technology – AMOLED
Touch screen technology – Super sensitive touch
Sensors – Ambient light sensor, Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Proximity sensor, Magnetometer
Operating keys – Volume keys, Camera key, Power/Lock key
SIM card type – Micro SIM
Charging connectors – Micro-USB
AV connectors – 3.5 mm audio connector
System connectors – Micro-USB-B
Connectivity – USB – USB 2.0, Bluetooth – Bluetooth 3.0
Bluetooth profiles – Object Push profile (OPP) 1.1, Hands-free profile (HFP) 1.5, Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP) 1.2, Audio/Video Remote Control Profile (AVRCP) 1.4, Phone Book Access Profile (PBAP) 1.1
Wi-Fi – WLAN IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n
WLAN Security – WPA2 (AES/TKIP), WPA, WPA-Personal, WEP, WPA2-Personal, WPA-Enterprise, WPA2-Enterprise, PEAP-MSCHAPv2, EAP-SIM, EAP-AKA
NFC – Secure NFC for payment, Sharing, Pairing, Tagging
Other wireless connectivity – Wi-Fi Channel bonding
Data Network – LTE network bands3, 1, 3, 7, 8, 20, LTE max data speed DL 100 Mbps
LTE max data speed UL 50 Mbps
WCDMA network: 900 MHz, 2100 MHz, 1900 MHz, 850 MHz
WCDMA max data speed DL: HSDPA – 42.2 Mbps
WCDMA max data speed UL: HSUPA – 5.76 Mbps
GSM network: 850 MHz, 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, 1900 MHz
GSM max data speed DL: EGPRS 236.8 kbps
GSM max data speed UL: EGPRS 236.8 kbps
Power – Battery BL-4YW , Battery capacity: 2000 mAh
Battery voltage 4.2 V,Removable battery: No
Maximum standby time 18 days,Talk time (2G), 18.3 h,Standby time (3G) 440 h
Talk time (3G) 12.8 h, Maximum cellular network browsing time 6 h
Music playback time 55 h,Video playback time 6.6 h
Maximum Wi-Fi network browsing time 7.2 h
Wireless charging with accessory cover
Processor – Qualcomm Snapdragon™ S4, Dual-core 1.5 GHz Dual-core 1.5 GHz
User data storage, In device, SkyDrive cloud storage
RAM 1 GB ,Mass memory5, 16 GB or 32 GB, Free cloud storage: 7 GB
In part 2 of my first impressions, I will cover the software included as standard with this phone. And it is like an army of extra software that Nokia include with their Windows Phone devices.
So I turned the Lumia 925 on for the first time (after inserting my micro sim card) and then sat back admiring the gorgeous screen. It is not the highest ppi but at 334ppi on a 4.5 inch screen, with Nokia’s Puremotion HD+ and ClearBlack technology, it is simply stunning. The other aspect that is noticeable is the comfort when holding the Lumia 925. With the gentle curve of the back it is a joy to hold. It reminded me of the solid and comfortable feeling when holding my Lumia 620. In addition the Windows Phone experience of oversizing menus etc is simple, clever and effective. It makes reading and using the device so much easier. The on screen keyboard is probably the best I’ve used on any device.
The other interesting part of the Lumia 925 is the wireless charging. With the official protective back cover, this also allows the Lumia 925 to be charged wirelessly. I wish more phones provided this functionality out of the box.
Anyway, I have to now explore the software suite Nokia include and the special camera optics. More tomorrow, with a closer look at the software included.
LG launched the G2 is New York yesterday.
It features android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean, a 5.2-inch 1080p IPS panel with just 0.1 inch of a bezel. This is achieved using a dual-routing method in which the touch sensor uses two connectors instead of one. This translates into 75.9% of the screen occupying the front of the phone. It also has a 2.26GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 SoC, a 13MP camera with optical image stabilisation, 2.1MP front-facing, 24 bit/192kHz HiFi playback (that is incredible), a non-removable 3,000mAh battery, 2GB RAM and your choice of 16 or 32GB internal storage.
The volume and power button are on the rear of the device. There are no buttons on the side. The volume buttons are launch the front camera for self portraits and the quick memo function. The phone also features functions like double tap the screen to turn the phone on, or off.
LG has a big launch planned with over 130 countries within 8 weeks. In fact if you read the spec sheet it becomes one long list of drool worthy items.
Except it fails before it even starts. The memory is being offered in 16 or 32gb, and once again a top flagship is ruined by lack of memory. The 16gb is being offered by Three UK, and it only has 10gb useable. It also appears it has no micro SD slot.
So, video, photos, your Real Racing 3, Asphalt 8, Nova 3 installs have just taken all that free memory. Such a fail. 16gb should not be offered on top flight phones. Apple offer upto 64gb on their iPhones and 128gb on their iPads so it is possible. Cloud storage is not always dependable. No Internet connection and you have access to nothing.
Now, lets take one key feature LG were promoting, the high quality audio sound at 24 bit/192khz. Have you any idea how much larger a mp3 file is at this level. Don’t worry if you are not aware, but rest assured they are considerably larger. And LG felt no need for a micro SD card support. Words fail me.
I feel with each new flagship launch, we take 10 steps forwards and 20 backwards.
Launched in the US, the All Access music monthly music streaming service goes live today in the UK Google Play store. It is also live in 7 other European countries including Spain, France and Italy. New Zealand and Australia are also in luck.
If you sign up before August 31, you’ll get a month free and then pay £7.99 a month for All Access after that. If you wait until September or beyond, you’ll still get a free month but your monthly cost will be £9.99 once that’s up.
All Access works in a similar way to Spotify – there’s a vast library of songs from major labels and indies available to either stream online or cache to your Android phone or tablet so you can listen without an internet connection.
You can also sync your music library up to the service – as long as you don’t have more than 20,000 songs to store online and then stream to your phones and tablets.
No news on iOS availability yet. This is an android only offering at the moment.
Online store Very.co.uk is selling the new Nexus 7 with a supposed 3 day shipping.
Seems to good to be true!
In the second part of the camera review, I am going to look at one of the multitude of preset modes available on the S4 Zoom. Today it is the turn of food mode. Food mode turns photos of food, into more vibrant, appealing and adds some zing. So first up is the plate of baked beans shot in auto mode.
And now photographed in food mode. Don’t those baked beans and toast look so wow now 🙂
Whether or not you prefer the food mode is personal choice, but if you were uploading to twitter or Instagram it would certainly help make your food shot stand out more. Just remember baked beans aren’t that much of a wow food!
Gavin's Gadgets & Photography 