Top 5 high-end smartphones worth buying for the 2012 holiday season

Smartphone war starts ahead of holiday season. Starts with iPhone 5, then Windows phone 8 follow up, such as Nokia Lumia 920, Windows Phone 8X by HTC, Samsung ATIV S. The Nexus 4, announced yesterday and rumored for about 50 years before, goes on sale directly from Google starting November 13. The Smartphone war is heating up as smartphones play a bigger role this holiday season.

Thinking about buying a new smartphone for yourself or as a gift this holiday season? People are spending a whole lot of time with their smartphones these days, so here's a list of the top smartphone choices to make sure it's time well spent.

1. Nokia Lumia 920

The Nokia Lumia 920 is the new flagship smartphone of the Windows Phone 8, which features a 4.5 inch PureMotion HD+ display, LTE, 8.7MP PureView camera, 1.2MP front camera, 1.5GHz dual-core processor, wireless charging, 2000 mAh battery,1GB of RAM, and 32GB of internal memory , Nokia Maps, Nokia Drive, Nokia City Lens. Nokia claims its new handsets are “the world’s most innovative smartphones”. I know many of you have already added it to your list this holiday season, so do I. Now Nokia Lumia 920 is available in Canada (at Rogers). More units will be shipped in the near future.

2. Windows Phone 8X by HTC

The Windows Phone 8X by HTC is a premium Windows Phone 8 device that packs a punch with a beautiful 4.3-inch HD-resolution super LCD 2 screen, a powerful 1.5GHz dual-core processor, impressive 8MP camera with HTC's custom Image Chip technology and a very-wide-angle 2.1MP front-facing shooter on the other side. Customers will enjoy the feel of the pure unibody design in California Blue, access to Windows Phone’s Live Tiles, immersive studio-quality sound with Beats Audio™ and incredible camera capabilities of the Windows Phone 8X by HTC.

3. LG Nexus 4 runs on Android 4.2

The Nexus 4 has a 4.7-inch, 1,280 x 768 pixel resolution display, a quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro processor from Qualcomm, 2 gigabytes of RAM, an 8-megapixel rear camera, a 1.3-megapixel front camera and either 8 or 16 gigabytes of storage. It also has NFC, a micro USB port and micro HDMI output. For bells and whistles, Google is touting built-in wireless charging (though you’ll need to supply your own compatible charging mat) and a Photo Sphere feature that can shoot 360-degree panorama photos but it doesn’t support 4G LTE. LG Nexus 4 runs on Android 4.2, which comes with a lot of new features, like updated Google Now, and multiple user accounts. It also adds a Swype-like trace keyboard, built right into stock Android.

    See also: Android 4.2's four best new features

4. Samsung Galaxy Note 2

If you are interested in larger screen, then galaxy note 2 may be your best choice. The Galaxy Note II will be featuring HSPA+ and 4G LTE connectivity, a 1.6GHz quad-core processor, a 5.5-inch HD Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 1280 x 720, Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, an 8 megapixel auto focus rear-facing camera with a 1.9 megapixel front-facing camera, S Pen stylus, Bluetooth 4.0, a 3100mAh battery, 2GB of RAM and microSD card support up to 64GBs. The Galaxy Note II will also be coming in 16GB, 32GB and 64GB models along with a white or black color to choose from.

5. iPhone 5

“The iPhone has always been an innovator since its 2007 release and its true potential really came out with the 4 and 4S models, but the iPhone 5 is the king of them all,” said junior Caleb Hughes.

The iPhone has a 4-inch LED-backlit IPS TFT display featuring 326ppi pixel density with 640 x 1136 pixels and also has Gorilla Glass, features a A6 chipset with 1.2GHz dual-core CPU and of course the PowerVR SGX543MP2 GPU, 1GB RAM, has an 8-megapixel on the rear and a 1.2MP on the front, as well as 1080P HD video, geo-tagging, HDR, panorama, LED flash, autofocus and face detection. The iPhone 5 comes in 16, 32 and 64GB versions, which is running iOS 6. Price of the iPhone 5 is relative high than other smartphones.

With shoppers getting ready to kick off the holiday season the day after Thanksgiving — or sooner — retailers are ready for consumers to pull out their smartphones or tablets, NRF's Shay said. So Which one is your next mobile device as the holiday gift ?

Read More

Nokia Lumia 920 vs HTC 8X vs Samsung Ativ S，which windows 8 phone would you buy?

Windows Phone 8 is going to launch next week. Microsoft is gearing up for the launch of the Windows Phone 8 operating system with a number of handset manufacturers announcing new smartphones for the platform, such as HTC ,Nokia and Samsung, in order to complete with Google’s Android and Apple’s iOS.

When it comes to Windows Phone 8 it’s clear there are three major choices at the moment, the Nokia Lumia 920 or the HTC Windows Phone 8X, or the Samsung Ativ S.

Few Days ago, Best Buy has opened up pre-orders for the Nokia Lumia 920 and the HTC Windows Phone 8X, according to WPCentral. Nokia Lumia 920, which ships with 32 GB of on-board store, is available for $149.99 with a 2 year contract, while at the same time, HTC 8X, with 8 GB of on-board storage, costs just $99 with a 2 year contract. Both devices cost $599.99 unlocked. Best Buy began accepting pre-orders for the new Nokia Lumia 920 on Sunday, but the link to the product page has since been removed. Samsung ATIV S price remains a mystery, but retailer Handtec recently took a stab with a whopping £431.99. Obviously, HTC 8X and Samsung Ativ S is cheaper than the Lumia 920, but I don't think it is a good idea to leave the Lumia 920.

Now let’s take a look the full specs about the phones.

The full specs of Nokia Lumia 920:

• Display: 4.5-inch AMOLED PureMotion HD+ display, 1280 x 768, 332 ppi
• CPU: 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor
• Memory: 32GB , RAM 1 GB
• Wireless: Bluetooth 3.1 
• Ports: 3.5mm audio, microUSB
• Cameras: Front- 1.2 MP, Rear- 8.7 MP, LED flash and autofocus, PureView Camera
• Audio: Dolby Audio
• Battery: 2000mAh
• Dimensions: 5.1 x 2.8 x 0.42inches, 6.52 ounces
• NFC capable, Yes
• Yellow: red, white, black, yellow and cyan
• Extras: Wireless charge

See also: Compared to Apple iPhone 5 display, Nokia Lumia 920 is better

The full specs of HTC 8X:

• Display: 4.3-inch super LCD 2, Gorilla Glass, 1280x720, 342 ppi, CPU: Qualcomm S4 1.5 GHz dual-core
• Memory: 16 GB, RAM 1 GB
• Wireless: Bluetooth 2.1 
• Ports: 3.5mm audio, microUSB
• Cameras: Front- 2.1 MP, f/2.0 aperture, ultra-wide angle, 1080p recording; Rear- 8 MP, f/2.0 aperture, 28mm lens
• Audio: Beats Audio
• Battery: 1,800 Ah
• Dimensions: 5.21 x 2.6 x 0.39 inches, 4.58 ounces
• NFC capable, Yes
• Colors: California Blue, Graphite Black, Flame Red, and Limelight Yellow colors

The full specs of Samsung Ativ S:

• Display: 4.8-inch HD Super AMOLED display, 1280x720, 306 ppi
• CPU: Qualcomm S4 1.5 GHz dual-core
• Memory: 16 GB, RAM 1 GB, expand to a further 32GB using a microSD card.
• Wireless: Bluetooth v3.0 
• Ports: 3.5mm audio, microUSB v2.0
• Cameras: Front- 1.9 MP, Rear -8 MP, 
• Battery: 2300mAh
• Dimensions: 5.40 x 2.78 x 0.34 inches,  4.76 ounces
• NFC capable: Yes
• Colors: Not much is known about the colors of ATIV S, but the Samsung Web site shows a gray model.

The Windows Phone 8X will be available in November from 150 carriers including AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile in the US. Lumia 920 will be exclusive to the mobile carrier for the first six months after the phone’s launch.

The thing is, we’ve been looking at the tech specs again and actually the Nokia Lumia 920 is better suited as a rival to the  HTC Windows Phone 8X and Samsung Ativ S, This would leave the Nokia Lumia 920 as a true flagship and device of pure innovation, what do you think?

Related article:

• Samsung ATIV S and HTC Windows Phone 8X joining Nokia Lumia 920 on Rogers
• Dear Samsung - Here is a 101 reasons why I will NOT be getting an ATIV S
• Nokia Lumia 920 and 820 land stateside on AT&T's 4G LTE network this November

Read More

Apple unveils iPhone 5, open the door for Nokia, Samsung

September 12, 2012 by Christopher Fuller

Apple finally took the wraps off its latest iPhone- a thinner, taller, faster iPhone 5 in San Fransisco on Wednesday. The company also announced two new iPods-upgraded iPod Touch with Siri, New iPod Nano. 

Compares to the iPhone 4s, iPhone 5 offers a larger screen size with 4 inches, 4G LTE speeds, and a terrific camera. At the same time, Apple said the iPhone 5's processor speed is twice as fast as the previous version, with the new "A6" chip.

According to Apple, The device, which is 18% thinner and 20% lighter than the iPhone 4S, is the thinnest smartphone in the world, easily defeated the Samsung galaxy S3.

But no matter how good the iPhone 5 is, it lacks the knockout feature that Apple followers have come to expect. The phone lacks of the appearing features what we have never seen before, make people who have fall in love with Apple disappoint. Perhaps a better battery life like Motorola Droid Razr Maxx HD or an innovative camera feature that lets you drag and drop subjects around the screen which may give more attention to others. Maybe Cook is just Cook, not Steven job. Apple unveils the iPhone5, finally, and then opens the door for Nokia, Samsung. CNET have list the features which we didn't get from iPhone 5.

Nokia unveiled the Lumia 920 and Lumia 820 windows8 phone at simultaneous events in New York and Finland on September 5, 2012, in order to compete with the new iPhone. The Lumia 920 also took better pictures and video with PureView camera technology, especially in low light, than any other phone camera.  The Lumia 920 is even built-in wireless charging . Also, Nokia Maps, Nokia Transport and Nokia Drive all upgraded with new features for the two devices. May be compares to the iPhone5, many iPhone fans will switch to Lumia 920 windows phone as Lumia have so many new features.

Another big competitor to Apple, everyone knows, that is Samsung. Samsung put pressure to Apple with its Galaxy Series, like Galaxy S3, Galaxy Note 2 and also the tablets 10.1. Although Samsung loss the patent battle to Apple, it have never give up. News from CNET says that Galaxy S3 sales will to surpass 30 million this year. Rumors now said Galaxy Note2 with windows phone8 is coming in order to compete with iPhone5.

It is said that the new iPhone5 will go on sale in the U.S. and eight other countries next Friday, Sept. 21. While at the same time, Rumors have said Nokia is aiming to release the Lumia 920 on November 2 with AT&T. Whether Nokia can get its magic back in the smartphone world or not, and how far will Samsung go, everything will see in the near future, including No NFC，No radical new design，No higher-capacity memory model,etc .

Whether you are an Apple fan or Android fan, If you have some good idea for the new iPhone or the article, leave your comment below is welcome. 

Read More

Nokia try to keep up with Samsung and Apple in the Smartphone market with Lumia 920

There is no doubt that, Apple and Samsung have become the two giants in the smartphone market. Nokia try to gain an edge in the Smartphone Market, with Lumia 920 and 820 comes running Microsoft's latest version of its mobile OS, Windows Phone 8 on September 5, 2012. But is there room for Nokia?



News from zdnet says that Lumias puts challenge to rivals with Nokia's focus on features and services with Windows Phone 8, like Nokia Maps, Nokia Transport and Nokia Drive all upgraded with new features for the two devices.

The Lumia 920 also took better pictures and video with PureView camera technology, especially in low light, than any other phone camera.  It can also be charged without being plugged in; the user just places it on a wireless charging pod.

So then the big question on everybody's lips is: just how does it shape up against its two current biggest rivals, Samsung with Samsung Galaxy S3, Samsung Galaxy Note 2 and Apple with the new iPhone 5 coming? The Lumia 920 will feature the same dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor as found in high-end phones in the U.S. like the Samsung Galaxy S3 and the HTC One X.

Samsung's Galaxy S III became the top-selling smartphone in the U.S. in August. And Apple Inc is expected to reveal the iPhone 5 at an event in San Francisco next week, which means the holiday quarter is going to be a tough one for competing smartphones. Everyone is looking forward to what the new iPhone can bring to us with ios6.



“This is the most innovative smartphone in the world,” said Jo Harlow, Nokia’s executive vice president. But Nokia did not say how much the phones would cost or when and where they would be available, which is unfavorable for the Nokia. Maybe while at the same time, consumers could be able to buy the new iPhone in the market.

"The next two quarters will define Nokia's future. Whether Nokia can get its magic back in the smartphone world or say goodbye to us? It remains to be seen.

Read More