To the tune of Sleigh Bells' Ring Ring (and you have to wonder if the New York duo had phone ads in mind when they composed this catchy song), Apple reveals its new iPhone 5C to the world.
Not the keynote-following, tech-literate world, but the rest of the world -- the ones who'll buy this hyper-coloured mobile...
Read the full story here... Source: CNET
While Apple has been rumored for some time to be planning to launch a lower-cost iPhone available in multiple colors with a plastic shell, reports have been picking up steam in recent weeks, led in part by a claim that Apple will be adopting the bright colors it used for its iPhone 4/4S bumpers. That report was followed by leaked design drawingsfrom a case maker showing the expected measurements and physical features of the device.
And just this past weekend, several new images were posted to Chinese forum site WeiPhone showing what may be rear shells from the lower-cost iPhone in yellow, red, and green.
Based on all of this recent information, we once again commissioned Ciccarese Design to produce some high-quality mockups intended to capture the lower-cost iPhone's size, shape, and texture given that it will mark a departure from the nearly all metal and glass bodies of recent iPhone models.
The renderings show a slightly thicker device than the iPhone 5, measuring at 8.5 mm thick compared to 7.6 mm for the iPhone 5. The lower-cost iPhone is also slightly taller and wider than the iPhone 5 to account for the thicker plastic shell.
Physical features are very similar to those of the iPhone 5, although the volume buttons appear to be shifting from the round design seen on recent iPhone models to pill-shaped, and the speaker and microphone holes along the bottom edge will also see a simpler design compared to the iPhone 5.
Apple is expected to launch its iPhone 5S flagship device later this year, most likely around the same September-October timeframe seen the past two years. The company's lower-cost iPhone is likely to make its debut at around the same time, offering an updated more affordable option for consumers, particularly in markets where carrier subsidies are uncommon.
Source: Mac Rumours
Despite Samsung’s love affair with plastic build materials, the company may finally opt to take another approach later this year. According to SamMobile, the company is reportedly “worried” about the design and quality of its current devices, especially when compared to the lovely engineering of the HTC One. To remedy this, the company is planning to “switch the build quality for its next flagship.”
Samsung has built a reputation for creating some of the most popular devices on the market. But one criticism repeatedly flung at the company is how “cheap” its handsets feel, and the design language is consistent in its cheapest smartphone on up to its most expensive tablet. The Galaxy S4 remedied this slightly, but the build still doesn’t hold a candle to the One.SamMobile’s source claims the Galaxy Note III will change that.
Samsung allegedly hoped to implement a metal design with the S4, but production issues meant the handset, in its planned configuration, couldn’t be built en masse on time. Instead, the Galaxy Note III will debut with a more premium look, though SamMobile’s source couldn’t confirm Samsung’s final material choice. The source did say, however, that the Korean company will introduce even more features, while the device itself will come with a 6-inch Full HD AMOLED display, Exynos 5 Octa CPU with LTE and 13-megapixel camera.
If Samsung manages to inject a more premium design into its next flagship handset, the company could potentially grab even more marketshare around the world. If that does happen, the Galaxy S4 may very well be the last of its kind, at least as far as build goes. We’ll have to wait and see.
[Source: TechnoBuffalo]