iPhone 4S review

The iPhone 4S caught many by surprise, with Apple expected to release the iPhone 5 - but instead we got an iPhone 4 with overhauled innards.

While the masses were initially disappointed, the iPhone 4S features a glut of top-end tech that is designed to put it on a par with the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S2 - but does it manage to do that?

The changes to the iPhone 4S are easy to document - the camera has been upgraded to 8MP (with an improved aperture ratio), the CPU is now the same dual-core A5 processor as seen in the iPad 2, and a seven time increase in graphical processing power.

The bottom of the phone is pretty standard, with the Apple connector and dual speakers which pump out the (actually quite decent) sound.

The left-hand side of the phone sees the rounded volume keys, with the top one of these also acting as the camera shutter button to make it easy to snap with the new iPhone. We've also got the silencer switch too, which has been slightly moved upwards from the previous iteration.

As we've mentioned, the iPhone 4S is almost identical in outward design to the iPhone 4, which might irk those that like to show that they've got the most up to date device from Apple when out and about with friends.

However, the flip side of this is that things like the plethora of iPhone 4 covers on the market at the moment will still fit.

credit : techradar.com

Samsung Galaxy Ace 2 review

With a price point that is neither overtly friendly on the wallet or aspirationally expensive, the Samsung Galaxy Ace 2 bridges the defined boundaries of the smartphone market, featuring a number of notable improvements over its predecessor whilst failing to match the collection of ground-breaking and genre defining specs as its Galaxy S3 branded sibling.

A well rounded, impressive little handset, the Samsung Galaxy Ace 2 plays host to a largely appealing 3.8-inch WVGA TFT capacitive touchscreen display with an 800 x 480p image resolution that is pleasant on the eye despite failing to set the device apart from a number of its upper-end competitors.

Slotting this display into an aesthetically pleasing, albeit largely plastic, design, the second-generation Galaxy Ace has slimmed down with a strong construction that makes the device as impressive in the hand as it is on the eye.

Coming for a general all-round overhaul, the Galaxy Ace 2 has been bumped to an 800MHz dual-core processor from a similar speed single-core offering whilst the handset's RAM offering has made the jump from 278MB to a far more respectable 768MB.

As fun as it is functional, the Ace 2 is far from bereft of redeeming qualities on an entertainment front as the handset sees Samsung pair a 5-megapixel rear-mounted camera with autofocus capabilities and integrated LED flash features.

LG Optimus 4X HD review

LG desperately needs a reboot at the sharp end of the smartphone market - can its slim quad-core offering, in the shape of the much-vaunted Optimus 4X HD, step up to the plate?

We got a few promises from LG in the form of offerings like last year's Optimus 3D – but that just felt a bit gimmicky. LG needs to pull something out of the bag if it wants to muscle in on an arena now dominated by Samsung, HTC, Sony and Motorola.

On paper the Optimus 4X HD appears to have it all. Thin and light, a True HD-IPS screen, all the connectivity options you could ever hope for, NFC, 8MP HD camera, Ice Cream Sandwich and a Quad-Core processor.

The beauty of no home button is that LG has made the screen a little bit longer (it uses the soft keys that Google much prefers but some manufacturers eschew). We did have issues occasionally when holding it with one hand as reaching down to the bottom of the screen with a thumb led to it feeling like we may drop it.

But there is a great decorative metal trim around the sides which we found gave us something to hold onto. And another warning – it is an absolute fingerprint magnet.

credit : techradar.com

HTC One S review

The HTC One S follows swiftly on the heels of the One X in HTC's new premium brand of Android 4.0-enabled handsets, bringing a svelte chassis, 7.8mm depth and a low-price of just £26 a month at launch - and only $149.99 in the US too.

First things first: the HTC One S is a cracking looking device. It's marketed this as the thinnest handset HTC has ever made. And you feel that when you take it out of the box. It's tall at about the same height as last year's HTC Sensation (with which it will draw a lot of comparisons) but a lot, lot sleeker.

First thing you notice is that huge black, glossy display on the front. Resolution wise, it keeps the Sensation's 4.3-inch display with a 540 x 960 resolution - qHD to you and me, meaning a pixel density of 256ppi.

Colours are easily as bright and vivid as the now almost year-old Samsung Galaxy S2 even though the Super AMOLED display lacks the 'Plus' bit that the latter handset boasts of - but don't think it's not got superb contrast ratios though.

In fact, if you put the phone down on a table and look at it from a couple of feet away, that screen looks even more incredible with hues just jumping out at you and finished off with the polish of the glass.




credit : techradar.com