Why Apple making a watch would be the ultimate Shark Jump.

 

There have been plenty of rumours flying around about Apple designing a new watch; sites up and down the web are suggesting that Cupertino may be about to shake up a market which has stood for over a hundred years. More than likely a massive Red Herring, these rumours have annoyed me; completely ignoring the nature of Apple, a company that traditionally doesn’t pander to flights of fancy.

 

Here are some reasons, why Apple won’t bring out a watch.

 

iPods are dead.

iPod sales have been contracting over the past few years, mostly due to the lower cost of smartphones, which make the natural, and logical combination of phone and music player, while the Nano market has been less subject to these contractions, the writing is quite clear on the wall that in the medium term, standalone music players will go the way of the Walkman.

Overall the sales of iPod Nanos, paled in comparison to iPhones and other Android handsets, the number of people turning these into watches, even less. So what possible business sense would it make to have Apple create a watch off of a niche fashion statement made by the few?

 

It’s a question of style.

The answer to my above point, may very well be ‘Because it’s cool’ well, frankly it’s not. It’s not Apple’s style to bring out consumer devices of such a nature, just because they’re cool. It serves no purpose other than to augment what your phone already does, and your phone does it pretty well.

Apple also doesn’t make devices which won’t work, and since, realistically a watch would have to Bluetooth your phone, and possibly your headphones, it’s a recipe for disaster.

Now, you could say that Apple would revolutionize the watch world, there have always been attempts at combining personal tech with personal fashion, but simply, there’s too much competition. Apple typically perform well when they revamp dead markets, they fare not so well entering matured ones. You need look no further than the iPad Mini, which has been constantly compared to the Nexus 7 and not come off so well, or indeed the struggling desktop market. Apple tends not to focus on it so much anymore, but Macs are still eaten alive in this PC world. Entering the watch market would be entering somewhere with competition Apple can’t better.

 

Think Differently? 

What happens when Apple doesn’t ‘Think Differently’, well the ‘iWatch’ happens.

Apple are facing a problem, it’s a big one. The slogan, which made the company, may ultimately destroy it.

With competition in the smartphone and tablet markets getting seriously heavy, the Cupertino giant is looking increasingly slow and lacking in innovation. The iPhone 5 was a fantastic device, but the S3 equally wowed, and sales have outstripped the iPhone. The iPad Mini has the same problem, being compared to the Nexus 7 and still coming on par with it technically, but with such a wide pricing gap does Apple no favours. 

In short, Apple may not be Thinking Different anymore, a watch smells of desperation from a company, which once led, and now follows. To bring out such a product is not what shareholders want to see.

  

Where should Apple go then?

Apple should focus on what it does best, kicking the stagnant consumer tech market into gear, and ripe for the picking is the TV Market. 

No TV manufacturers offer the whole package, what we see is patchwork attempts at smart and Internet ready TV’s, and while Netflix is fantastic, the disparity of On Demand apps is painful. The market is screaming out for a sleek, sexy and uncomplicated solution to what sits in every home.

 

If I want to play games or answer a call, I look at my phone, I don’t squint at a tiny monitor a la the 80’s.

[OPINION] Why Google have started the Real Tablet War

Since the launch of the iPad, about three years ago now, competition has been springing up from every corner. Sony lunched their tablets which, while elegant were certainly the more unusual in the design spectrum. Samsung also threw a half dozen tablets into the market, with names no one can really remember and no discernible strategy of formula (The Note seems unsure whether it’s a phone, or a tablet). Amazon was the first real competition to the market, with the Fire. A low price point helped it clean up the Android tablet market. But, enter Google and everything changes.

The original iPad circa 2010

Typically known for their average devices using stock OS, Google have never really seriously contended in the market. However, the search giant has learned some valuable lessons from Apple, which other companies should take note.

While they don’t manufacture anything themselves,Google seem to have skewed their offering to two devices and given Samsung (building the Nexus Prime) and Asus (building the Nexus Tablet) strict guidelines, Nexus Prime and Nexus Tablet both running stock Ice Cream Sandwich and Jelly Bean and they’re deffinitely picking up on less is more and heavy branding is key.

The Nexus tablet sees a huge shift in Google, showing that they’re beginning to focus much more strongly on design, rather than function. It really shows when you look at the sleek design on the Nexus, one which would tempte even the most ardent Apple fan.

The very stylish Google Nexus Tablet

With its low price point, sleek design and host of features, the Nexus has balanced affordability with function, without sacrificing on design. What it’s also done, is to limit the amount you can physically do, there’s no SD slot, no additional ports beyond the power and audio etc. This is a strategy that’s worked for Apple, with the lower price, Google are tapping into that plan.

While Apple produce the pitch perfect product from the off, Android is much more a learning curve, as you’d expect from the open source nature. What companies have perfected in featues, Amazon tailored in price and function, with Google formulating in design and OS.

Before the Nexus Tablet, Apple had little to worry about, but Google’s new approach, combined with an ever more tailored and focused software experience should give Apple pause. Google is learning from its mistakes, and learning fast.

Will this Apple fan boy be tempted? Well, I’ve bought an Android phone, but the iPad still has everything I need. Tempte, yes, but I will be sticking to the iPad for now.

[OPINION] Why the Facebook Phone won’t Work

News is already buzzing about the new Facebook smartphone which is rumoured to be making a release, sooner rather than later. While it’s generating a lot of interest, the big question is, will it sell? I predict, probably not, and for some very fundamental reasons.

Concept designs for the Facebook Phone

The first reason being; Facebook has had phones before! It’s easy to forget that several handsets have added the Facebook name, from HTC to Vodafone who have brought out Facebook phones, but generally failed to sell. The main reason being that the handsets were generally poor, barely deserving the ‘smartphone’ name and badly marketed overall.

Perhaps, a more fundamental flaw isn’t bad marketing, or poor design; it’s Facebook itself. Facebook may be the world’s most popular social network, however that can’t translate into other, much more diverse market. There are two big problems with the launch of the Facebook phone, the first being that people like to diversify their devices – with Android, Nokia and iOS all running the Facebook app, there’s little consumer need for the Facebook Phone. Secondly, the market place is a far more competitive one than the social media market. Facebook can be easily swallowed up after having made such a large jump from one market to another, without dominating anything in between as Google have done.

People now expect a strong user experience from their handsets, something that Facebook has largely failed to deliver. With an app history that is best described as problematic and a desktop interface, which has changed several times in recent history, it all spells a poorly designed and lacking handset. Both Android and iOS have spent years perfecting their handsets, both with experience of some kind of OS or similar environment before. With such a heavily established eco-system, nothing short of the perfect OS will do.

The HTC Salsa and ChaCha, two heavily branded Facebook oriented handsets

At the end of the day, it can even boil down to people not wanting to be dominated by one brand. A monopoly is a bad thing for both business and consumers, and people tend to begin drifting when a company gets too big. Microsoft have seen it, and Google may see it. Monopolies stifle innovation and competition. More than that, they also reduce a consumer’s choice, which the end consumer isn’t a big fan of. A Facebook phone could be that step too far for the social network. Why have a Facebook phone when you can have your choice of another, with the app?

It’s been suggested that Facebook have been busy hiring hardware developers, especially from Apple, but without the vision and experience of strong smartphone design, the handset may fall flat on its face. Given Facebook’s history in mobile, might not be surprising.

In saying this, the Facebook phone may surprise and sell. The brand awareness is certainly there, and the consumer base. I however, don’t believe this will translate. There will be a few sales, but overall the Facebook phone won’t give Apple, Google, HTC or Nokia any sleepless nights.

[REVIEW] HTC One S and Ice Cream Sandwich

Recently I decided to make the jump over to Android, leaving my iPhone 4 to the storage bin that is the zip pocket in my satchel. As someone who loves pretty much everything Apple, I was hesitant about making the leap. However, I was pleasantly surprised by my changeover. The HTC One S is part of a range of One phones, including the larger brother the X and the smaller V. I opted for the S as besides the screen size and resolution, there isn’t a huge amount of difference to the X, and I prefer a smaller, slimmer phone.

HTC One S

Hardware

The HTC One on first glance is a good-looking device. Made of a light aluminum, this handset is slim and surprisingly light weighing a mere 119 grams. So light, you’d almost forget it’s in your pocket. The screen is also a nice big 4.3” display, which offers a crisp AMOLED viewing. While lower resolution than the iPhone, it’s still respectable and colours appear strong and vibrant, while HD videos are as sharp as you’d expect.

The battery, like the iPhone is fixed. The user can’t get at it, and nor should they try. Offering a strong battery life, the handset could easily go for twice as long as the iPhone, depending on usage. There is a removable section for the Micro SIM at the top, which can feel a tad flimsy.

My main concern is scratches; the back of the phone can pick up a few without you even noticing, which can be an annoyance for a high-end handset. Also, the weight and slimness of the handset can lead to some accidents when slipping it into your pocket.

On the inside, the HTC One S shines, with a dual core Snapdragon processor, RAM of 1GB and storage of 16GB, the phone offers roughly the same storage of the basic iPhone 4 with twice the processing power. Apps and commands are well and truly, as the name suggests, snappy.  The 8MP camera, with 1080p HD video is a nice touch, proving clear and crisp while the Beats Audio really gives you some good quality sound when listening to music.

If you’re looking for expandable memory, it might be worth checking out another Android, this handset is 16GB, period. It does however offer 25GB free Dropbox space, which is handy for quick cloud backups.

Software

This is what I was really excited about; Ice Cream Sandwich. Google released this OS not too long ago, and as an iPhone user I smirked that it had taken so long to get an OS right. ICS is a good OS, there’s no doubt about it. Fluid, simple and highly adaptable, this OS plays nicely with other devices, allowing photo, video and music sharing easily. If you own a Mac, it’s not as simple but as Apple say, there’s an app for that. DoubleTwist allows you to connect your Mac to Android, wirelessly.

Some things which instantly impressed me about ICS was the syncing with my iPhone over Bluetooth, the live wallpaper, very interactive interface and a smooth scrolling which made moving around the phone nice and easy. While the iPhone is something you can pick up and use, with it’s logical OS structure, the Android is definitely takes a little bit of time, but makes for a more comfortable, personalized experience.

There’s no doubt that there’s a few gimmicks, like Face Unlocking, but overall it’s a fantastic OS and as a native Apple user, I found the interface refreshing and adaptable, really showing off what it can do to impress.

 

To wrap up, the HTC One S is a great phone. There are some drawbacks to it, but Ice Cream Sandwich is a fantastic OS, and the slim, sleek design makes the phone an absolute delight to have in your hand.

4.5/5

[FEATURE] Top Smartphones of the Mobile World Congress

The Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona is perhaps the biggest tech gathering of the year, with virtually every tech company and mobile network present for companies to unveil their plans for upcoming smartphones, and to generally show off what they can produce to the world.

Entrance to the Mobile World Congress

This year, the battle seems to be shaping up largely between Android and Windows, with some healthy competition coming from some fantastic product launches at the event. Windows, along with Nokia, have shook things up slightly with some great and feature rich new handsets. While Samsung and HTC have unveiled some gorgeous Android smartphones.

But which ones are shining? Here’s a roundup of some of the smartphones which have been on display.

Nokia

Nokia kicked things off by displaying its new Lumia 900 handset, with a larger screen, front-facing camera and seriously good looks, this handset is expected to run Windows Phone Tango, and is largely an overhaul of the existing Lumia 800, with some tweaks. The Finnish manufacturer has done a brilliant job so far with its WP7 selection, and it’s great to see some more features being added to the Lumia line, which helps fill some of the gaps left by the 800.

The Tango powered Nokia Lumia 900

The real shock came with the new 808 Pureview, which features a whopping 41-megapixel camera, seeming poised to depose the N8 as the flagship camera-phone in Nokia’s inventory. With a gorgeous, sharp 4-inch screen and 16GB storage, expandable with microSD, 518MB RAM, it’s a great little handset. What’s surprising is that the phone is running Symbian Belle, seemingly going against Nokia’s decision to produce only Windows handsets, having ditched Meego and launched with much fanfare their new WP7 lines. It’s an odd choice, especially with a limited app market and support, but shouldn’t hugely put off camera enthusiasts.

The Nokia 808 Pureview, Symbian Powered super-camera

HTC

HTC – the Taiwanese smartphone manufacturer has been quietly working away, creating some really great Android handsets, however they’re now set to impress with the HTC One X. This is their thinnest handset to date, and is part of a series of ‘One’ devices. It’s a stunning smartphone, running Ice Cream Sandwich with HTC Sense 4, this ‘superphone’ is packing 1GB RAM, with a nice 8mp camera strapped on the back, and 4G connectivity. The 4.7inch screen means you can see everything in rich, sharp views. It really is the stand out handset from Barcelona so far.

The stunningly sharp, HTC One X

Samsung

The company which has in many ways become the darling of the Android world, has released a raft of new handsets in the MWC. While none are exactly world changing, there’s certainly a lot to consider. The Galaxy S Blaze is the latest in their range of lower end smartphones, however while not reaching the level of the S II, it’s certainly coming close with 4G connectivity, and a 4 inch SUPER-AMOLED screen to compliment the 8mp camera there’s definitely some appeal. What really sets it apart is the 1.5GHz Dual-core Snapdragon S3 processor, which has been lifted straight out of the Galaxy S II.

The Android Powered, Galaxy Blaze, in 4G

Asus

Asus is a company, which has long been rumored to be hiding something up its sleeve, and it looks like they’ve delivered. The Padfone is a 4.3-inch smartphone, which by day runs Ice Cream Sandwich with a thickness of 8.9mm and feeling perfect on the palm, but by night can be connected to a dock and converted into a 10-inch tablet, which is a real head turner! The smartphone-cum-tablet is a great piece of tech and comes with an optional optical keyboard and stylus, which is used as an antenna while taking calls. The phone is certainly very impressive and could be worth picking up when it hits the shelves.

The Asus Padfone, with it's sleek dock

As always, there’s been a host of amazing gadgets and devices unveiled at the MWC, and there’s plenty more which were presented to the technology world this week. One thing is for certain, while Android may still rule the roost, Windows, thanks to Nokia is beginning to show its creative side and appears to be drumming up some nice and healthy competition.

[NEWS] iPad 3 set for March 7 launch

It appears that the rumors may actually be true, today it has been announced that a new product will be launched on the 7^th March at 10am Pacific Time in San Francisco at the traditional Yerba Buena Centre. This goes against an earlier suggestion that the event was going to break with tradition and instead be in New York.

Apple's launch Invite

[FEATURE] Mountain Lion best features

This week Apple released its developer preview of the new OS X 10.8, Mountain Lion, which is expected to reach us regular consumers in summer of this year. While there’s well over 100 new features which have been added to the new OS version, the most noticeable off-the-bat is that Mac has been dropped from the naming convention – which has led many to believe that OSX is moving more towards an iOS, app heavy interface style.

OS X Mountain Lion (with the Mac)