As we noted last week, Apple had a relatively quiet 2013. However, this year should turn out to be different, as CEO Tim Cook has reassured employees that the firm has
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Sunday, January 12, 2014
What to expect from Apple in 2014: A new product category and the beginnings of convergence
Sony TVs at CES 2014: Tripling-down on 4K
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Saturday, January 11, 2014
Nvidia at CES 2014: Join us at 8 p.m. PT Sunday (live blog)
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Wednesday, January 8, 2014
CES 2014: Sony Xperia Z1 Compact crams in flagship power with a lower price
Step aside HTC One Mini and Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini, the Sony Xperia Z1 Compact is here... and it's got a spec sheet which will blow your tiny circuit boards.
Following in the footsteps of other cut-down flagships, Sony has mustered up the Xperia Z1 Compact, but as well as borrowing the name from the Japanese firm's high-end handset it also sports several other key elements.
For starters there's the same 2.2GHz quad-core processor, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage, 4G support and microSD slot that'll you find in the Sony Xperia Z1.
Read our hands on: Sony Xperia Z1 Compact reviewThe screen is, unsurprisingly, smaller at 4.3 inches and the full HD resolution of the Z1 has been downgraded to 1280 x 720 on the Xperia Z1 Compact.
Camera credentialsThere's more good news round the back of the handset, as nestled into the rear cover of the Xperia Z1 Compact is Sony's impressive 20.7MP camera with G Lens - consider its Samsung and HTC rivals don't get over 8MP (plus they're both dual-core), and you can see the spec-gulf widening..
As seems to be tradition with Sony's smartphone these days the Xperia Z1 Compact is also dust-resistant and waterproof, plus there's a dedicated shutter button on the side and the almost obligatory ability to use the touchscreen whilst wearing gloves.
The sticking point for the Sony Xperia Z1 Compact could be its price, as it's unlikely to be as cheap as the One Mini or S4 Mini - but we'll have to wait and see on that one.
Sony has confirmed that the Xperia Z1 Compact release date is set for February and the handset will be available globally.
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Tell me moreLearn moreTagsSony Xperia Z1 CompactXperia Z1 CompactSonyAndroidJelly BeansmartphonesCES 2014See more phone and communications newsCommentsTweet Add your commentType your comment here.You need to log in or join to add comments.Hello, you are logged in as Not you, eh? Log out, log in as another user or joinBy submitting this form you agree to our Terms of Use and so are legally responsible for anything you submit. DO NOT submit anything which may violate the Terms of Use or another person\'s rights including copyrighted or offensive materials. 0 commentsAdd comment AdvertisementPopular in phone-and-communications right nowLatestMost discussedCES 2014: all the latest news and reviews from the showFirst look: ASUS PadFone XSony takes fitness technology to scary new levels with CoreSony Xperia Z1 Compact vs HTC One Mini vs Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini vs iPhone 5CSony Xperia Z1 Compact crams in flagship power with a lower priceAsus feels the 'Om,' unveiles Zenfone line of smartphonesAsus Padfone mini is a 4-inch phone and 7-inch tablet in oneBest apps for your new iPad, iPhone, Android tablet and smartphoneCES 2014: all the latest news and reviews from the showFirst look: ASUS PadFone XSony takes fitness technology to scary new levels with CoreSony Xperia Z1 Compact vs HTC One Mini vs Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini vs iPhone 5CSony Xperia Z1 Compact crams in flagship power with a lower priceAsus feels the 'Om,' unveiles Zenfone line of smartphonesAsus Padfone mini is a 4-inch phone and 7-inch tablet in oneWhat does the Firefox say? Mozilla-based tablets and dual-core phones incomingAT&T Sponsored Data provides toll-free data, raises Net Neutrality concernsMicrosoft claims Windows Phone dominance over iPhone in 24 countriesHuawei Ascend Mate 2 4G keeps the size, ups the speed at CESAsus's PadFone X announced at CES, exclusive for the USFirst wireless controller for iPad and iPhone unveiled, on sale nowLG G Flex flaunting its curved frame at AT&T later this yearAlcatel One Touch Idol X+ arrives with eight cores of powerAlcatel goes Pop with new phablet and tabletsQualcomm unveils flashy new camera tech before CESNvidia announces the Tegra K1, a 192-core 'super chip'LG promises innovation as it pushes a flood of new electronicsYou might also like... Hands on: Sony Xperia Z1 Compact review
CES 2014 Is the solution to the Z1 conundrum to make it smaller?
CES 2014 A big phone for big thumbs
CES 2014 And you can't have it – neener neener!
CES 2014 Is the solution to the Z1 conundrum to make it smaller?
CES 2014 A big phone for big thumbs
CES 2014 And you can't have it – neener neener!
The Z10 gets suited and booted
A phablet for the masses? Really?
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CES 2014: Sony's funny Vaio Fit now comes in an 11-inch version
We were fairly bemused by Sony's Vaio Fit range when it launched at IFA last year, and now the foldable origami-inspired tablet/laptop hybrid will be coming in a 11-inch version.
The Sony Vaio Fit 11A joins the 14- and 15-inch editions that were already announced, and the whole line-up will also be getting a juicy bit of Photoshop action, with Elements 12 coming pre-installed on each machine.
The Fit range lets you use the device as a regular laptop, a tablet or in 'viewer mode' which basically means as a tablet on a stand that's built into the bones of the device itself.
TriluminosThe Vaio Fit 11A comes rocking a Triluminos display and ClearAudio+ for what Sony boasts to be top notch film watching.
There's also a front-facing camera for video calling and selfies, and an 8MP Exmor rear-facing lens. The 11-inch device weighs 2.82lbs (1.2kg) which is a fair bit more than a stand-alone tablet (the iPad 2 is 1.33 pounds/601g, for example) but still not exactly back-breaking.
The tablet/laptop comes with a stylus which should go quite nicely with that Photoshop software you'll get with it too.
On the inside, we're looking at an Intel Pentium quad-core processor and SSD, although the exact specifications will vary according to how much you pay.
The Fit range will be hitting the US from January with prices starting at $579 (we're waiting on international availbility but that works out as about £352 or AU$646).
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Tell me moreLearn more Get free weekly updates and offers Sign up to receive TechRadar Pro's free weekly round-up, with competitions, special offers, the biggest stories and the hottest reviews. Sign upTagsCES 2014CESSonyVaio Fit 11ASony VaiolaptoptabletSee more mobile computing newsCommentsTweet Add your commentType your comment here.You need to log in or join to add comments.Hello, you are logged in as Not you, eh? Log out, log in as another user or joinBy submitting this form you agree to our Terms of Use and so are legally responsible for anything you submit. DO NOT submit anything which may violate the Terms of Use or another person\'s rights including copyrighted or offensive materials. 0 commentsAdd comment AdvertisementPopular in TechRadar Pro nowBest laptop: 30 top laptops for every budgetBest free video editing software: 9 top programs you should download10 best Android tablets in the worldHTC One reviewReviews RatedMost Read
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Hands-on review: CES 2014: Sony Xperia Z1 Compact
Sony might be late to the 'mini phone' party, but it might have just taken the lead with this impressive phone.
The Sony Xperia Z1 Compact is an odd phone for a number of reasons - but not many of them negative.
For starters, this isn't a handset that's meant to be based on the larger model but been stripped of functionality - with the Z1 Compact, there's pretty much the exact same internal make up as seen on the Sony Xperia Z1.
Consider that for a moment: that means you're getting the 20.7MP G Lens sensor, a Snapdragon 800 quad-core chipset, the same metallic surround and all the waterproofing you could want.
Well, provided you don't want to plummet to a depth of over a metre, and for no longer than 30 minutes, of course.
On top of that the same Bravia and TriLuminos technology has been wedged into the screen, which has been upgraded to include the same in plane switching (IPS) LCD technology as seen on the Sony Xperia Z Ultra.
This is a massive move, as anyone who's played with the Z1 and original Z will have noted that the screen can look washed out even when viewed head on, and even worse when you tilt the phone. As a result colours look amazing on the Z1 Compact, making it a real upgrade over its bigger brother in this respect.
Of course, there is that pesky notion of physics to deal with, meaning that the smaller phone will have to have a tinier screen - although it's still an iPhone-busting 4.3-inches on offer. It's sadly been dropped to 720p, which means a PPI of 340.... again, higher than that seen on the iPhone 5S.
It begins to bring the question of how Apple can charge so much for its flagship phone to the fore once more - while there isn't a final Sony Xperia Z1 Compact price, it's going to be up to three tiers below the iPhone 5S with arguably superior technology on board.
It's not as well designed as Apple's offering, or even the HTC One Mini, as although the metallic chassis is back from the Xperia Z1 (and feels better in the hand, as the compact dimensions of the Z1 Compact make it fit much more nicely in the hand) it still has an element of chunk about it, as the rounded metal gives the impression of higher heft.
It's not a terrible thing, and I like it more than the larger variant. The screen sharpness isn't a problem either - anyone that can tell the difference in the resolution when using the phones generally has eyes that should be certainly donated to science.
One of the other big changes is to introduce colour to the party, with the Z1 compact available in white, black, pink and yellow. The hue is embraced throughout the design, and is even pushed into the metal itself, making it feel much more premium than if you just shoved a third party cover on the top to create the same effect.
The battery may cause some problems again, despite Sony's cries of its excellent Stamina mode –the Xperia Z1 was all that long-lasting despite having one of the best chipsets on the market, and with a battery reduction to 2300mAh some users might experience battery drain a little ahead of what they might expect.
That's not really a fair assumption to make at this point though, as with Android 4.2 on board (yet to be confirmed for final release) things could have been tweaked and optimised a-plenty and therefore working a lot better even with a reduced power pack.
Beyond that, there's not very much that's different with the Sony Xperia Z1 Compact, as it works in precisely the same way as the Z1, which means the speed under the finger is insanely good, the web browsing is beyond what I'd have expected and the music service, with the Music Unlimited offering built right in, is something that should be more lauded than it is.
And as I mentioned, video really looks killer on the Z1 Compact thanks to that improved screen - I've become used to using the larger screened phones so everything seems a little more squashed down, but considering that the main target of the Xperia Z1 Compact is going to be the upgrader from an iPhone or another handset from two years ago, the screen size won't be that much of a miss.
You can tell Sony is looking to make its name as a the leader in changing over from one phone to another, as it's introducing the Sony Xperia Transfer Mobile - a service that will allow you to connect to another phone and in an instant see all your contacts, messages, calendar entries and media, and switching them across to your new handset.
This will be possible even with the iPhone, and while I've heard several murmurs of other manufacturers interested in the same thing, it looks like Sony has made the jump first.
The most impressive part of Xperia Transfer Mobile is that it will scan your old Android or iPhone and work out which apps are on there - and will match it to the current catalogue to allow you to port over.
This will be in the form of a list of links, but is really only useful to iPhone defectors, as if you've properly backed up your Android phone then Google will auto-download your apps anyway.
Early verdictI've seen the rise of the mini phone die and then become reborn again - what's interesting is that three years ago Sony Ericsson was really making waves in this area, with the likes of the Ray showing that a decent smartphone didn't need to cost the Earth, so it's odd to see that the company took so long to get back into this arena again.
But with very few compromises to talk about, there's definitely a different vibe going on here - the Compact isn't a Mini, if that makes any sense. Sony didn't want to go down the route of the Xperia Z1 Mini as that confers the notion that this phone is a diluted version of the original.
While it's not fair to say that, it's still very close to something like the HTC One Mini, which is only marked as different to this handset thanks to only having a dual-core set up.
But with the range of colours, the larger amount of technology and the fact it's waterproof, Sony may have entered the 'compact phone' market just at the right time - to the point where I'd worry about anyone wanting the Z1 any more.
See more mobile phonesRead more on this subject... Related news Sony Xperia Z1 Compact crams in flagship power with a lower price Sony Xperia Z1 Compact vs HTC One Mini vs Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini vs iPhone 5C Sony takes fitness technology to scary new levels with CoreRelated reviews Sony Xperia Z1 Compact review Epson Moverio BT-200 smart glasses review ASUS Transformer Book Duet review In Depth Sony Xperia Z1 Compact vs HTC One Mini vs Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini vs iPhone 5C Intel: we want to make all your devices smart LG promises innovation as it pushes a flood of new electronics Add your commentType your comment here.You need to log in or join to add comments.Hello, you are logged in as Not you, eh? Log out, log in as another user or joinBy submitting this form you agree to our Terms of Use and so are legally responsible for anything you submit. DO NOT submit anything which may violate the Terms of Use or another person\'s rights including copyrighted or offensive materials. 0 commentsAdd comment'Hands on reviews' are a journalist's first impressions of a piece of kit based on spending some time with it. It may be just a few moments, or a few hours. The important thing is we have been able to play with it ourselves and can give you some sense of what it's like to use, even if it's only an embryonic view. For more information, see TechRadar's Reviews Guarantee.
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CES 2014 A big phone for big thumbs
CES 2014 And you can't have it – neener neener!
CES 2014 Is the solution to the Z1 conundrum to make it smaller?
CES 2014 A big phone for big thumbs
CES 2014 And you can't have it – neener neener!
The Z10 gets suited and booted
A phablet for the masses? Really?
© Future Publishing Limited, Beauford Court, 30 Monmouth Street, Bath BA1 2BW. All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number 2008885.
View the Original article