Apple puts up '7' sign banners at WWDC, confirms next iOS version

Apple is expected to announce its next iteration of iOS in its upcoming World Wide Developers Conference, which will kick start on June 10.

   

Apple has begun to decorate its Moscone Center in San Francisco, the venue for WWDC 2013, and the banner used in the process shows the number '7'. This more or less confirms that the Cupertino giant will be announcing a new version of iOS.

Moreover, the much anticipated iOS 7 recently appeared in a GFXBench database and confirmed its presence. The upcoming iOS version is expected to feature a major UI redesign with a flat new look under the leadership of Apple's Senior Vice President of Industrial Design - Jony Ive.

Apple's official WWDC 2013 app for iOS is already available and, in case you are not able to attend the event, stay tuned to our website, as we will be bringing you all the latest happenings from the developer's conference live.

Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom pictured in an official photo

The first official photo of the Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom has surfaced courtesy of Sammobile. In addition, the cameraphone has appeared in live photos, showing its dedicated camera button from up close.

The Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom (CM-101) looks to be based on the Galaxy S4 mini and is going to be able to place calls. In contrast, the Galaxy Camera wasn't able to make calls due to its locked baseband radio.

Built around a 4.3" qHD Super AMOLED display, the Galaxy S4 Zoom is rumored to pack a 1.6GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM and run Android 4.2.2. The main attraction is going to be the 16MP camera at the back, which is purported to feature 10x optical zoom.

Internal memory is suggested to be 8GB, and is going to be expandable with up to 64GB microSD card. Connectivity options include Wi-Fi a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0 LE and GPS.

The right side of the device houses the lock/unlock button, volume rocker and shutter button.

  

Samsung officially announced its London event on June 20, and the Galaxy S4 Zoom is expected to be one of the stars at the show

Alleged photos of iPhone 5S front panel show new sensor array

Parts and pieces of the Apple iPhone 5S have been leaking quite a lot recently. The latest allegedly comes from an assembly line of a Foxconn subcontractor that makes the front panel of the next iPhone.

The photos might not be genuine with the workers on the line sleeping on the job and not wearing masks.

  
Alleged photos of iPhone 5S front panel

Still, if they are the real deal, then they show a different arrangement for the sensors around the earpiece. From what we’ve seen from previous leaks, the front-facing camera on the iPhone 5S will be in the same position, but will use a different ribbon cable.

The hole for the screen seems to be exactly the same, which goes against all the rumors that the next iPhone will have a larger display. Unfortunately this black panel tells us nothing about the potential third color option or a lower-end iPhone model.

Analysts think a low-cost iPhone might launch before the proper iPhone 5S and the WWDC, which starts tomorrow might be where it debuts. The event is sure to bring the next iOS version, but we’re doubtful we’ll see a new iPhone.

Alleged prototype of Samsung Galaxy Note III appears

The next generation Galaxy Note III phablet has been in the rumorland for quite some time. Today, we see the first leak photo of a prototype device.

   
Alleged images of Samsung Galaxy Note III

The leaked images of the upcoming Galaxy Note III shows us the huge display and the curved corners along with the high resolution display. The thin bezel of the prototype confirms that the device is not aGalaxy Mega 6.3.

Samsung Galaxy Note III is rumored to feature a 5.99-inch Super AMOLED display with the same pixel structure as the Galaxy S4's display, a 13 megapixel rear camera, Snapdragon 800 or the Exynos octa-core processor, an S-Pen and the latest Android OS.

The Samsung Galaxy Note III is expected to be unveiled at the IFA 2013 this September, but there is no official word about that just yet.

Samsung Galaxy Ace 3 goes official with Android 4.2 JB

Samsung has just announced the Galaxy Ace 3, its latest attempt at a mid-range Android smartphone. The Samsung Galaxy Ace 3 follows the spirit of the past generation of Ace devices and offers an attractive set of
features and a Galaxy S4-inspired design.

   

Samsung Galaxy Ace 3 official photos

The Samsung Galaxy Ace 3 packs a 1GHz dual-core CPU of unknown architecture and 1GB of RAM. Internal memory is just 4GB, 1.77 GB of which is user accessible. However, the Galaxy Ace 3 compensates this shortcoming with the presence of a microSD card slot, which supports up to 64GB memory cards.

The Samsung Galaxy Ace 3 is build around a 4-inch TFT LCD display of WVGA resolution. At the back there's a 5MP camera with LED flash, capable of recording 720p HD @30fps video. There's also a VGA front-facing camera for video chatting.

Measuring 121.2 x 62.7 x 9.8 mm, the Samsung Galaxy Ace 3 weighs 115 grams and sports a Li-ion battery of 1,500mAh. The Ace 3's connectivity suite includes Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n (single-band), Bluetooth 4.0, and A-GPS.

Alongside the 3G version of the Galaxy Ace 3, Samsung is also releasing an LTE variant for select markets. This version of the handset will have an upgraded internal storage from 4GB to 8GB. The processor is still of the dual-core variety, but is slightly overclocked from 1GHz to 1.2GHz.

Moreover, the battery has been bumped to 1,800mAh, making the LTE Galaxy Ace 3 slightly heavier at 119.5 grams. It's a tad thicker, too measuring 10mm, as opposed to 9.8mm of the 3G variant.

There's also 1080p video playback as well (the 3G version maxes out at 720p), hinting at a different chipset design altogether, but nothing has been confirmed just yet. The final difference between the 3G and LTE version is the HSPA speeds which reach 42Mbps on the LTE units and just 14Mbps on the LTE ones.

   

Samsung Galaxy Ace 3 LTE version

A dual-SIM version will also be available in some regions.

   

Samsung Galaxy Ace 3 dual SIM version

Exact pricing and availability are unknown at this point, but we suspect more information will be provided at Samsung's London event on June 20.

iOS 7 'screenshot' pops up after sneaky beta preview

OK, before we go any further: the screenshot below apparently showing iOS 7 is a mock-up based on a beta preview shown to the guys over at 9to5Mac.

The Apple-centric site claims it's managed to cast its eyes over an early release of the Cupertino firm's next iteration of its mobile platform and although it couldn't post screens from the actual handset, it has got to work in PhotoShop.

If the mock-ups it's produced are to be believed then there are going to be some quite clear design changes appearing in iOS 7, with a cleaner font and icon tiles which have both lost their shadow effects in a bid for a simplistic finish.

iPhone me

As you can tell from the screenshot it looks like a beta iOS 7 demo was running on an iPhone, and the signal bar appears to have been changed to five dots while the likes of Wi-Fi, service provider and battery status seem to be pretty much the same.

A number of Apple's stock apps have been given an icon design overhaul as well, with less detail in the likes of Safari and Camera, while Photos and Game Center appear to be receiving a completely new look.

We can't be sure how accurate the mock-up is and it's worth noting that this is apparently based on a beta of the iOS 7 software, so various designs could change between this and the final version.

Luckily we don't have long to wait to find out if it's on the money, as Apple's annual WWDC event gets underway later today where we expect to see Tim Cook and Jonny Ive announce iOS 7 in San Francisco.

iOS 7 to shake up photo sharing, iRadio confirmed?

With just hours to go until the big WWDC event, speculation about what Apple's iOS 7 has in store is understandably at fever pitch.

While we think we may have had a glimpse at the anticipated new flat design, the Wall Street Journal is reporting a few new tidbits of information to add to the pot.

The new iOS will reported to bring "new ways to share photos and videos with other iPhone users" which would corroborate AirDrop integration, which will bring integrated sharing between Apple devices; not just iPhones but also iPads and Macs too.

The WSJ is also backing rumours of iRadio making its debut, adding that the Apple will announce the "long-expected streaming-music service", which it claims will be supported by Apple's iAd service and feature a "Buy" button for downloads.

Gruber says 'hold the iPhone'

According to prominent Apple blogger John Gruber, however, we might want to be a bit cautious about the leaked iOS information we've been picking up until now.

Speaking on this week's episode of The Talk Show podcast, he claimed that "all the leaks are wrong" regarding iOS 7 so far.

He also claimed that Apple's Jonathan Ive-developed OS overhaul will be "polarizing" according to what he's heard from friends in the know.

Gruber's words came before the WSJ report, and there's no way of knowing if he was talking about the actual pictures we've seen or the more general rumours about iOS 7 dropping the skeumorphic design.

The upshot? It's all still to play for. We'll know for sure in a few hours - WWDC kicks off at 10am PT / 6pm BST / 3am EST.

Sony Xperia ZU could be phablet formerly known as Togari

The Sony Xperia ZU may be the official name for the much rumoured, super-sized handset Togari.

Apparently VR-Zone is in the position to exclusively reveal the name of Sony's next handset, along with a Xperia ZU release date of June 25.

Now Sony does have an event planned in Germany on that date and while details on this are thin on the ground sources have claimed the Japanese firm will use this forum to unveil its gigantic smartphone.

How big can you go?

The Xperia ZU is tipped to pack an eye-popping, palm-stretching 6.44-inch full HD screen which the sources also reckon will feature Sony's fancy new Triluminos display tech which already appears on some of the firm's TVs and laptops.

Water-resistant could also be present on the Xperia ZU, while under the hood the report suggests it will pack a meaty 2.3GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor.

We've contacted Sony to find out more information about the Xperia ZU and its event in Germany, although it's not really making a big deal of the German date which would suggest we may not see any new hardware after all.

Apple, Xbox One and PS4 all make it a Magnificent Monday

A few times a year we are lucky enough to get a night in tech that make everybody sit up and notice - traditionally they include Apple's iPhone and iPad launches and Samsung's Galaxy S announcements.

But on this Magnificent Monday we are getting not two but three major reveals from a triumvirate of the world's tech leviathans, and we couldn't be more excited.

In the San Francisco corner of this tech super slam is Apple - its WWDC 2013 keynote promises some major announcements. It kicks off at 10am PT / 6pm BST / 3am EST.

Not only are we expecting to see the latest version of its operating system for iPhone and iPad, a redesigned and overhauled iOS 7, we also expect a look at Mac's OS X update, OS X 10.9, and potentially new Macbook Pros and Mac Pros.

Apple's WWDC - big news on the way

But the headliner may well prove to be a new service - with the much vaunted iRadio arriving to bring's Apple's music offering into an era where Spotify and Pandora have begun to eat into the old hand iTunes.

• Keep up with all the WWDC 2013 announcements from Apple

Even as Apple is announcing its latest kit, the tech world's attention will be flitting over to Las Vegas and the E3 2013 keynote from Microsoft which kicks off at 9.30am PT / 5.30pm BST / 2.30am EST.

We're hoping the event will reveal much, much more about what the Xbox One will be bringing to our living rooms.

Microsoft's Xbox One at E3 2013

The focus, after what can only be described as vitriolic response to the tech- and services-heavy Xbox One reveal, will thankfully be on gaming and what titles will be vying to attract the world to the Microsoft gaming world.

• Read all the latest on the Xbox One E3 announcements, or check out everything we know about Xbox One

A few hours later at 6pm PT / 2am BST / 11am EST, we'll see what Sony has got up its sleeve as we get our first proper glimpse at the PS4. In what proved to be the complete opposite of Microsoft's approach, Sony gave us a lot of gaming glimpses when it announced the PS4 but very little hardware.

Sony at E3 2013

In fact, in what has to be one of the most bizarre steps in recent tech history, Sony decided to keep the actual console out of sight, showing us the controller but not the box that will be sat under our television.

• You can follow all the PS4 and Sony E3 announcements with TechRadar.

Poor old Nintendo's Wii U will not be a part of Magnificent Monday, so we will not get the chance to compare all three of the big guns, but given the lack of impact from the Japanese giant's latest offering it's probably better that its on its own on Tepid Tech Tuesday where at least it gets a chance to have an impact.

With a bit of luck this will be a date that offers up some new innovations that will still be meaningful in the tech world in five year's time.

Until the announcements are made we're not really going to know which of Magnificent Monday's big three bags itself the most headlines, but the anticipation is a big part of the fun.