Yesterday, I was a guest along with a number of other people on the Phones Show Chat Podcast, number 253. This was also the 5th Anniversary podcast, so a special Video Hangouts On Air was produced.
If you wish to just listen to the audio only, click here for all the info and download links. http://stevelitchfield.com/sshow/chat.html
As you know, I co-host a weekly podcast with David from UKMobileTech called Gav & Dave’s Tech Podcast. It is a light hearted tech podcast broadcast bi-weekly. To subscribe click here for iTunes or copy and paste this link into your favourite podcast app.
Episode 22 is now live for your listening pleasure.
In another blow for the Windows Phone App eco system, the popular social mapping app Waze is not going to be receiving anymore updates on the Windows Phone platform.
Just as well Here Maps is included in most Nokia branded Windows Phone handsets!
On the left is the HTC One M8 running android, and on the right is the same hardware but running Windows Phone. It is exactly the same 5-inch 1080p aluminium unibody design, with just the Windows Phone logo on the back. It comes with on-screen buttons, built-in infrared, the same Snapdragon 801 processor and Duo Camera and 4mp ultrapixel. In fact it is identical except for the operating system. Only one catch, it is only available in the USA and with Verizon and AT&T at the moment.
Updated. Thanks to Richard Yates for the additional information.
Today, Microsoft announced the UK availability for the Lumia 530 which will go on sale from major retailers. The latest Lumia smartphone runs Windows 8.1 and delivers an uncompromised performance for the fraction of the price of its higher-end counterparts and provides seamless integration with Microsoft services such as Skype and Microsoft Office right out of the box.
The Lumia 530 has a changeable shell which comes in a variety of colours including bright orange, bright green and dark grey, and will be available from the 4th September at EE, Vodafone, O2, Three, Phones 4u and Carphone Warehouse from £60.
What a deal!
IDC’s latest report on global smartphone shipments noted that not only did Windows Phone’s market share shrink from Q2 2013 to Q2 2014, but its overall shipment numbers shrank as well.
That’s 7.4 million Windows Phones shipped in Q2 this year, a 9.4% decline from the 8.2 million Windows Phones that shipped during the same period last year.
So is this doom and gloom. Hardly, but it is a warning sign. First up Windows does have a decent operating system that is still installed on a vast number businesses and personal pc’s. Second, it is just going through a major restructuring following their Nokia acquisition and this will take a little while longer to start to bear some fruit.
Another factor in these figures, is that all smartphone companies like Apple and Samsung are seeing a slow down as the market is now saturated and there is still an economic downturn.
Microsoft still has an eco system but it does need to use it to its best advantage soon, otherwise, the competition will advance further forward. Even Amazon could end up with higher sales than Microsoft!
Source – IDC – http://www.idc.com/getdoc.jsp?containerId=prUS25037214
Below are some photos I’ve taken over the years with a number of different phones. I’ve tried to keep the subject matter similar where possible.
The shot above was taken using the iPhone 4. Yes iPhone 4!
So same church but this is using the crappy camera in the HTC Hero. However, still perfectly acceptable. Below is a shot from the iPhone 5.
The above shot was using the HTC HD2. An old classic but it still took great photos.
Now the above shot is at the same place, just in the middle of thick haunted fog. You could hardly see anything that day. But I really liked the shot from the ancient iPhone 3GS.
So let’s take a few current phones. The above is from the Samsung Galaxy K Zoom. The S5 would have taken a similar shot to that shown below from the LG G3.
I could continue with samples from so many different smartphone cameras but my point is this, regardless of how good or poor their camera sensors were they all captured the memory. If you want DSLR quality go and buy one so you can pixel peep to your hearts content.
If there was one prime objective when deciding on which phone to buy, make sure it’s the one that can take the shot easily and fast. A memory doesn’t exist if you did not take the photo in time. That’s why iPhones are great. Quick to open the camera app and quick to snap the shot. The HTC One M8 and LG G3 are equally as impressive. And in all honesty smartphone sensors are tiny so miracles won’t ever happen.
If you happen to expand your horizons down the DSLR or similar route you will be surprised at just what you can do with a proper camera. I recently acquired an ultra wide 10-20mm camera lens. It takes photos like I’ve never seen before! Sample shot below-
So have a good weekend everyone. And happy shooting 🙂
You looking at your 2 year old smartphone and wondering why should you buy the newer model. It claims to have a new snapdragon 801, or 800 or if you’re lucky the snapdragon 805, bigger battery, better screen and high mega pixel camera and so on.
But do these improved specs matter? Depending on what and how you use your phone, they may make no difference whatsoever. But a more powerful processor can make a world of difference depending on your smartphone usage.
Newer processor aren’t all about being more powerful unless you’re into gaming. They have many other benefits too. Battery consumption generally improves as the newer processors can handle more tasks more efficiently and also run at a lower clock speed for more mundane activities.
But another aspect of more powerful processors on board relate to improved camera prowess. Historically cameras are all about decent optics with big bulky lenses, pixel size and speed. This is still true for now, but as technology improves processors can start to remove the need for complex optics since brute computing power undertaking at lightning speeds will be able to produce similar results without the bulk. So a snapdragon 800 processor will not be able to offer the same camera trickery as the newer snapdragon 805. So it photography is your thing , then this may be worth noting. Obviously, well written camera firmware and software is another vital part.
However, if photos are merely uploaded to Twitter, Facebook or Instagram or anything similar, then a cheap Moto E phone will suffice and all internal specs will be irrelevant to you.
So do you worry about the specs?
As you know, I co-host a weekly podcast with David from UKMobileTech called Gav & Dave’s Tech Podcast. It is a light hearted tech podcast broadcast bi-weekly. To subscribe click here for iTunes or copy and paste this link into your favourite podcast app.
Episode 21, is now live for your listening pleasure.
This is a much shorter but more costly production via satellite phone.
Jon Love from Clove Technology has written a superb review of the Nokia Lumia 930.
“The best Windows Phone right now.”
“Nokia_Lumia_930_Hands_OnbIt has been some time since I have extensively used a Windows Phone device. I tried and failed to fall in love with the OS because whilst appealing, it lacked much of what I wanted or what I had already.
I am still an avid Android user at heart, sold into the Google ecosystem, but change is good and Nokia or should I say Microsoft have made a big play of the Lumia 930 and what Windows Phone 8.1 has to offer.
Many Windows Phone users have very positive experiences and only good things to say and what can not ever be knocked is the statements that Nokia make with their hardware.
The Lumia 920 burst onto the scene quite some time ago, the 925 and many others have arrived with only the 1020 and 1520 perhaps getting the attention they deserved. The 930 looks set to make a similar impact that the 920. So what is my opinion on it? Read on to find out.”
More at http://blog.clove.co.uk/2014/08/04/nokia-lumia-930-review/ . Well worth a read.
Gavin's Gadgets & Photography 