iPhone 5 SPECs vs SPECs

Hi everyone!

So.... the iPhone 5 is out. A few days ago, I posted a blog SPECulating on the iPhone5's SPECifications.
Okay, so let's see how well I did.
First of all, I mentioned 3 main themes in the next iPhone. I can say I am quite right about them.
1st- Improvements in hardware and software - the "boring" part. Actually this is most of what the new iPhone has to offer.. faster.. lighter.. thinner.. blah blah..  2nd - Narrowing some gaps with the high-end Android phones -  4G, bigger screen, faster processor. And lastly - some gimmicks - earphones, "Lightning" pin.

Okay , I'll just list out what I predicted and how it compares with the real iPhone5.

1. Screen

"I am pretty sure it will be a bigger screen, possibly a 16:9 aspect ratio. And again, featuring its high resolution Retina screen. Prob 4 inch ballpark.
Maybe a borderless screen that goes right to the edge?"

Bingo- 4 inch Retina screen it is.

2. Processor



"Not much to guess here, expect a quad core processor, either a Snapdragon or Tegra chip. But it will be called A6, and it's true spec won't be revealed."

Pretty close - A6 - and no details revealed . Although I have heard it is a duo core rather than quad.

3. RAM

"Glaringly, the iPhone4s' 500mb RAM is not really a market leader. In fact the other day I was thinking that my current phone has a higher ram than my old desktop, which I am no longer using. Then I realised at least my old desktop still trumps the iPhone4s in this department. Expect the RAM to increase to 1 or 2 g."

Unknown- No one likes to point out they're are behind, and definitely not Apple. I suspect most likely 1g. No doubt this info will be available in the new future.

4. Casing

"Probably still something metallic. I suspect Apple will do away with the infamous 'smashing' glass coating.
Screen will feature Gorilla glass 2, but of course this won't be revealed to you."

Correct- Not much change except removal of glass back.

5. Size

"Wider, longer, thinner, lighter. However the width may not change as much if the screen goes to the edge."





Close- Longer, thinner, lighter. But width remains the same

6. Colours

"Black, white or silver."

Hmm.. Just black and white.. with some silver

7. UI

"Will Apple stick to its awesome grid of icons? I suspect this interface will finally change. With one extra interface layer added. I was going to say that Apple will allow more user customization, but I take this back now. I think the UI may change and look more fluid and multidimensional, but it will stick with 1 type of interface. The best one. At least that is what you will be told.
More multitasking ability."

Unfortunately Apple HAS decided to stick to the boring uncustomizable grid of icons.
They didn't add a new interface layer, just one layer of icons!
And yes.. Apple says it's " the most advanced OS ever"


8. Connectivity

"4G. And other stuff.. Wifi, bluetooth, and it's proprietary pin connector that will cost you $30 for an extra cable."

Bingo - 4G
Bingo- New proprietary pin that will cost old Apple users NZD$49.00 for an adaptor.

9. Apple Map/Navigation

"Apple is trying to break away from any reliance on Google products. Expect Google maps to be replaced with its own map and navigation system."



Bingo- Maps App


10. Camera

"Better cameras, front and back. Not much more to say. 10-12 megapixels perhaps?
For camera enthusiasts, before you start nagging me, I meant a better in all ways, not just increased megapixel count, okay?"

Close - No surprises here. The surprise is Apple exalting the awesomeness of the panoramic mode, which is already native feature on the Samsung Galaxy S2. Marketing chief Phil Schiller used the term " killer panoramic mode"

I was wrong about the 10-12 megapixels.



11. Some novelty software that you can't get on the 'last iPhone'. Like Siri.

"Voice controlled camera? More voice controlled everything?
Motion controlled functions.
Some stuff you won't need but will want.
More iPhone to iPhone only social networking apps.
Apple TV remote?"

Close

More voice control Siri options.
No mention of new motion controls.
Passbook.
Facetime over network. Integrated FB
New earphones.
Airplay for Apple TV.



12. Long lines

"Again, expect long lines, as people fight to fill the emptiness of their hearts."

Pretty sure there will be long lines. Not sure about the empty hearts being filled though...maybe just for a while.


I leave you now with this video, which reminds us again why we should tip our hats off to Apple.
Genius deserves respect and when it comes to marketing, Apple is in it's own class.

Speculating on the next iPhone

Whether you are a techie, 'trend-follower', business person or just need a new phone, there is no doubt one of the most anticipated new products to come into the market is the next iPhone, or the iPhone 5, depending on what Apple chooses to call it's next flagship phone.
Actually, the most anticipated 'product' in the world is still food on the table, as an iPhone remains in the domain of the priviledged.
Now that Apple has announced the next iPhone will be revealed on Sept 12, there is more speculation than ever on what the next phone will be like.
Here is my 2 cents worth on what we might see in the next iPhone. As for my qualifications, I have none. I don't make or sell phones. However, I would like to think I am quite a logical person. And I wonder if that is enough for a prediction.
I think there will be 3 main themes in the next iPhone. First it will be feature improvements in hardware and software compared with iPhone4s. Boring and expected. Second, it will have features 'more like' some of the high-end android phones, 'narrowing the gap', so to speak and third, it will feature some novelty gimmick, like the Siri.
Okay, lets get into it
1. Screen
I am pretty sure it will be a bigger screen, possibly a 16:9 aspect ratio. And again, featuring its high resolution Retina screen. Prob 4 inch ballpark.
Maybe a borderless screen that goes right to the edge?
2. Processor
Not much to guess here, expect a quad core processor, either a Snapdragon or Tegra chip. But it will be called A6, and it's true spec won't be revealed.
3. RAM
Glaringly the iPhone4s' 500mb RAM is not really a market leader. In fact the other day I was thinking that my current phone has a higher ram than my old desktop, which I am no longer using. Then I realised at least my old desktop still trumps the iPhone4s in this department. Expect the RAM to increase to 1 or 2 g.
4. Casing
Probably still something metallic. I suspect Apple will do away with the infamous 'smashing' glass coating.
Screen will feature Gorilla glass 2, but of course this won't be revealed to you.
5. Size
Wider, longer, thinner, lighter. However the width may not change as much if the screen goes to the edge.
6. Colours
Black, white or silver.
7. UI
Will Apple stick to its awesome grid of icons? I suspect this interface will finally change. With one extra interface layer added. I was going to say that Apple will allow more user customization, but I take this back now. I think the UI may change and look more fluid and multidimensional, but it will stick with 1 type of interface. The best one. At least that is what you will be told.
More multitasking ability.
8. Connectivity
4G. And other stuff.. Wifi, bluetooth, and it's proprietary pin connector that will cost you $30 for an extra cable.
9. Apple Map/Navigation
Apple is trying to break away from any reliance on Google products. Expect Google maps to be replaced with its own map and navigation system.
10. Camera
Better cameras, front and back. Not much more to say. 10-12 megapixels perhaps?
For camera enthusiasts, before you start nagging me, I meant a better in all ways, not just increased megapixel count, okay?
11. Some novelty software that you can't get on the 'last iPhone'. Like Siri.
Voice controlled camera? More voice controlled everything?
Motion controlled functions.
Some stuff you won't need but will want.
More iPhone to iPhone only social networking apps.
Apple TV remote?
And one last thing...
12. Long lines
Again, expect long lines, as people fight to fill the emptiness of their hearts.
What do you think?
Leave a comment below.
Lets see how my prediction pans out in the next few days.

" See how my prediction went here "

BENCHMARKS -Samsung Galaxy S3 vs HTC One X vs SGS2 vs Iphone4S vs others

If you are a geek, you will know that the Samsung Galaxy S3 was recently launched on 3rd May 2012.
And if you are a geek like me, you may be interested in how it performs against other top line smartphones.
I don't own one, but I've scoured the web for some numbers and this is what I've got so far.
And I've listed a few others that might be interesting for comparison.
Please remember benchmarks only measure processing power, not quality of user interface, which in itself is subjective. Benchmark numbers can change each time it is done, so the numbers are approximate.

Quadrant Benchmark - ( I use this one)

Goku                                  >9000
Samsung Galaxy S3            5130-5332
HTC One X   (AT&T)        5183
HTC One X   (Int)              4906
SGS 2  (mine)                     4230( after ICS upgrade)
HTC sensation                    1600
SGS 1                                1000
LGP500                             <400 (my old phone)

Sunspider ( Browser + CPU ) ( lower the better)

SGS3                          1424.7
HTC One X (AT&T)  1608-1709
HTC One X (Int)        1737.7 -1772.3
SGS2                         1753.5
Iphone4S                    2250
Iphone4                      3545
HTC sensation 4G      6217.4

Browsermark

SGS3                          161710
HTC One X (Int)         110038
HTC One X ( AT&T)  102640
SGS2                          101869
Iphone4S                        87481
Iphone4                          51701
HTC Sensation 4G         39864

Vellamo (Browser)

HTC One X (AT&T)  2330
SGS3                         2071
HTC One X Int          1668
SGS2                         1258
HTC sensation 4G        857

GL Benchmark Pro 2.1- offscreen  -FPS

(GPU)

SGS3                                 130
Iphone4S                             123.1
HTC One S                       95
HTC One X (AT&T)        94.9
SGS2                                 86.5
Iphone4                              15.3


As you can see the SGS3 is kind of the beast leading the pack at the moment, with the HTC One X coming close. No doubt, these records are meant to be broken, and new challengers will arise.
Please share your benchmark scores if you are keen.


Checkout the benchmark improvements after ICS upgrade


Benchmark score sources below- plus a few other random sites, plus personal tests.

http://www.anandtech.com/show/5810/samsung-galaxy-s-iii-performance-preview
http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/03/gsiii-benchmarks/

iPad3Ply

Art by Tim






March 9, 2012
Apple today revealed the latest product of the iPad series, the iPad3Ply.
Why settle for the iPad2 when you can have iPad3Ply?
Feel the silky smoothness of the alluminosilicate coated iPad3Ply.
Now, it's illustrated in high definition glory, so your toilet visit is never a boring one.

The new iPad 3ply is 4G compatible -  we talk to our resident expert Dr Chang to discuss what this means.
"In medical terms, if u get a tummy bug , we call that gastroenteritis.
There are 4 different grades of severity for gastroenteritis.
Stage 4 gastroenteritis, aka 4G is the most severe form of gastroenteritis.
We found that normal 2 ply toilet paper is unable to withstand the shear explosiveness and brutality of a 4g storm.
Hence our labs have come up with the iPad3ply. Guaranteed to withstand any abdominal storm that a human can produce. It's true, we tested it in our labs.
My colleague, Dr Ling, said thinner is better, but obviously he's never suffered a 4G level diarrhea attack"

There is still a reason to buy the iPad 2 however. With the introduction of the iPad 3ply, Apple has reduced the price of the iPad 2 by NZD200. I personally wouldn't risk being not 4G ready though.

iContinencePad Concept

Introducing the new concept iContinencePad


Technology so advanced, you’ll forget it’s even there.

When you wear the iContinencePad, it becomes an extension of you. That’s the idea behind its innovative design. It’s just 0.34 inch thin and weighs as little as 1.33 pounds, so it feels completely comfortable on your bottom. And it makes peeing in your pants so natural, you’ll wonder why you ever did it any other way.


Absorbant life keeps on going. So you can, too.

Even with such a thin, light design, iContinencePad has an incredible 10 L capacity. That’s enough juice for one flight across the ocean, or one movie-watching all-nighter, or a drive cross country.




Concept art by Tim H

The iContinencePad
Thin. Light. Except when fully loaded.


Ps: Please don't steal my concept or I will sue you!

The time I considered buying an Apple iMac

People who know me may think that I am anti-apple. (is it true?- I might talk about this another time..)
But believe it or not, I did once consider buying an apple iMac. And it wasn't even that long ago.
Just last year!





I was looking for a new desktop to replace my old flailing one. Actually, I just needed to upgrade to play Starcraft 2. My old desktop was > 7 years old ( which is about 700 y.o by computer age ) and ran Athlon Xp 1700. ( If' you're asking how I survived, I do have a laptop with is just a bit faster).


Anyway, I stepped in Dick Smith to see what they had to offer.. they sometime have good offers. Mostly I was checking out the CPUs and the specs.
Then I saw the iMacs.. hmm.. they look nice, and they wont take up too much space( No CPU case) .
Then I though to myself.. why not? Hmm.. wonder why I didn't consider them before?
As I browsed the iMacs, I remembered why I never bought a Mac.
The ones on display had much inferior specs to what I was looking for but cost a lot more!
All I could say to Apple then was " you  %$#^&^ " 

So, that was the end of my "fling" with the iMac, it lasted about 3 minutes.

I can't remember the exact specs that I saw but I do remember the anger I felt.
Anyway, I had a look at current prices of 2 similar spec machine, I used Dell Vs iMac.
( current to 3 Jan 2012)

 The font looks a bit odd, but I cut and pasted it from the respective websites..

Package 1

 DELL XPS8300

NZ $1899.00

 

PROCESSOR	2nd Generation Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-2320 Processor (3.0GHz, 6MB cache)
OPERATING SYSTEM	Genuine Windows(R) 7 Home Premium SP1 64 bit (English)
WARRANTY & SERVICE	1 Year In-Home Service with Premium Phone Support
SECURITY SOFTWARE	McAfee® SecurityCenter™ (Multi-Language) - 15 Months
MONITOR	Dell ST2320L 23''W Full HD Monitor with LED
MEMORY	8GB (4X2GB) DDR3 SDRAM 1333MHz Memory
HARD DRIVE	2TB (1TBx2) SATA RAID 0 (Data Striping)
OPTICAL DRIVE	Single Drive:16X DVD+/-RW with Dual Layer Write
VIDEO CARD	1GB GDDR5 AMD Radeon™ HD 6770
SOUND CARD	Integrated high definition 7.1 channel audio
Accessorise My Dell
SOFTWARE	Microsoft® Office Starter 2010: reduced-functionality Word & Excel w/ads. No PowerPoint or Outlook.
KEYBOARD	Dell™ Studio™ Multimedia Keyboard Black
MOUSE	Dell™ Laser Mouse

Package 2 

APPLE iMac 21.5 inch
NZ$ 3,068.99  ( what's with the 99 cents? )

 21.5 inch iMAc

2.7GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i5

8GB 1333MHz DDR3 SDRAM - 2x4GB

2TB Serial ATA Drive

AMD Radeon HD 6770M 512MB GDDR5

Apple Magic Mouse

Apple Wireless Keyboard (International English) and User Guide (English)

There are some spec differences with the above 2 machines, mostly in favour of the Dell.
You can figure out yourself.
I really didn't wanna pay  >$1000 extra for something that looks nice and saves a bit of space.

The main difference is prob Mac running OSX vs Windows 7 on the Dell.
But, seriously, Windows 7 is fine!

Yes yes..  you'll saying but it's a freaking DELL vs an APPLE!!!

True.. but no one online will care what you brand is when
" Your computer is slowing the game down " shows up..


"BUT WAIT! There is an Apple Magic Mouse!!!"

... Hmm.... I'll see you on Battlenet ..



BTW, I didn't buy a Dell  but customized a desktop from a local dealer (even lower cost!)

In this case, the Apple has managed to keep the doctor away for another day..


NB: Please don't stop buying Apple products because of my post, with your continued patronage, the chinese Apple factory line worker may one day be able to afford a Dell.