The Samsung Galaxy S5 is an upcoming Androidsmartphone produced by Samsung Electronics, that serves as the immediate successor to 2013's Galaxy S4. Unveiled on February 24, 2014 at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, it is expected to be generally released on April 11, 2014.[1]
As with the S4, the S5 is an evolution of the prior year's model,
placing a particular emphasis on an improved build quality, dust and
water resistance, a more refined user experience, new security features
such as a fingerprint reader, and an updated camera.
The design of the S5 evolves upon the design of the S4, with a rounded, polycarbonatechassis
carrying a "modern glam" look, faux metal trim, and a removable rear
cover. Unlike past models, the S5's rear cover uses a higher quality
soft plastic, and is dimpled to improve grip. The S5 is IP67
certified for dust resistance, and for water resistance in up to 1
metre (3.3 ft) of water for up to 30 minutes; as such, the S5's Micro-USB3.0
port now uses a removable cover. The S5 will be available in black,
blue, gold, and white color finishes. The S5's screen is a 5.1-inch
(130 mm) 1080pSuper AMOLED panel, which is slightly larger than that of the S4, and allows for automatic brightness and gamut
adjustments. Below the screen are three buttons; consisting of a
physical "Home" button in the centre which contains a swipe-based fingerprint reader,
alongside capacitive "Recent apps" and "Back" buttons; in accordance
with Android 4.0 human interface guidelines, the S5 no longer uses a
"Menu" key like its predecessors, although its button layout is still
reversed in comparison to other Android devices with the S5's button
layout (such as the HTC One X and Galaxy Nexus, whose "Back" buttons are to the left of "Home").[2] The S5 includes a 16 megapixel rear-facing camera, which offers 4K video recording, phase detection autofocus (which can focus in around 0.3 seconds),[3] real-time HDR photos and video, and an image sensor
with Samsung's "Isocell" technology, which isolates the individual
pixels inside the sensor to improve its ability to capture light. Next
to the camera's flash on the rear of the device is a heart rate sensor which can be used as part of the S Health software.[4][5][6][7][3]
The S5 is powered by a 2.5 GHz quad-core Snapdragon 801 system-on-chip with 2 GB of RAM. Although not mentioned during the keynote presentation, a variant with a octo-core Exynos 5422 system-on-chip will also be released in unspecified markets.[8] For connectivity, it supports 802.11acMIMOWi-Fi and LTE.
The S5 contains a 2800 mAH battery; its software also contains an
"Ultra Power Saving" mode to further extend battery life; when enabled,
all non-essential processes are disabled, and the screen switches to
only rendering in white on black. Samsung claims that with Ultra Power
Saving on, an S5 with 10% charge remaining can last for an additional 24
hours in standby mode.[4][9][10]
Software
The S5 ships with Android 4.4.2 "KitKat" and Samsung's TouchWiz
software. Unlike TouchWiz on the S4, the S5's TouchWiz has been given a
more refined interface, although certain aspects of the changes were
influenced by a recent patent licensing deal with Google, which requires that Samsung make fewer "radical" changes to the Android interface in TouchWiz. The S5 adds the Galaxy Note 3's
"My Magazine" feature to the leftmost page on the home screen, the
Settings menu was updated with a new grid-based layout, a Kids' Mode was
added, the "Download Booster" tool allows large downloads to be split
across LTE and Wi-Fi to improve speed, while the S Health app was given
expanded functionality, integrating with the new heart rate sensor on
the device, along with the new Gear 2smartwatch and Gear Fitactivity tracker.[11][12][3][7]
The Galaxy S5 contains a number of new security features, many of
which integrate with the fingerprint scanner inside its home button. It
can be used to unlock the phone, and in partnership with PayPal,
authenticate online purchases. The S5 also adds "Private Mode", which
allows users to maintain hidden apps and file folders that cannot be
accessed without additional authentication.[3][7]
The camera app was updated with a new "Shot & More" menu allows
users to make edits to photos after they are taken, and also adds a new
selective focus mode.[13]
The Samsung Galaxy Gear is an Android-based smartwatch produced by Samsung Electronics. Unveiled during a Samsung Unpacked event in Berlin, Germany on September 4, 2013, the device serves as a companion for all Samsung Galaxysmartphones and tablets which run Android 4.3; on launch, this included the Galaxy Note 3 and Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 Edition.
The Galaxy Gear was released to a generally negative reception; it
was criticized for the lackluster design of its interface, the
inadequate implementation of some of its software, the few apps
available, its poor battery life, and its dependency on Samsung Galaxy
phones and tablets.
The Gear's successor was revealed on February 23, 2014, it is called the Gear 2.
The development of the Galaxy Gear came in the midst of a push towards the growing smartwatch market; Samsung's main competitor Apple had been the subject of rumors suggesting an upcoming watch product, while the Kickstarter-backed Pebble
(which reached mass market availability in July 2013) has been credited
with creating mainstream interest in the concept. Lee Young-hee, vice
president of Samsung's mobile business, revealed in July 2013 that the
company had been working on a watch for a long time, and referred to it
as a "product for the future".[1][2] In August 2013, Bloomberg
reported that "two people familiar with the matter" claimed Samsung
would introduce a smartwatch, tentatively known as the "Galaxy Gear", on
September 4, 2013 during a Samsung Unpacked event prior to the IFAconsumer electronicstrade show in Berlin. Samsung was also expected to unveil the Galaxy Note 3phablet during the event as well.[3][4]
In an interview with the Korea Times
published on August 27, 2013, Lee Young-hee stated that the Galaxy Gear
would "enhance and enrich the current smart mobile experience in many
ways", would "lead a new trend in smart mobile communications", and "add
meaningful momentum to the mobile industry.[5]
Release
As had been previously rumored, Samsung officially unveiled the
Galaxy Gear on September 4, 2013, with a release date set for September
25, 2013 (although its release in the United States and Japan would be
delayed into October). Some wireless service providers, as an incentive,
have also offered the Galaxy Gear as part of a bundle with the Galaxy
Note 3.[6][7]
To promote the Galaxy Gear, Samsung released two television
advertisements, "Evolution" and "A Long Time Coming". Both ads showcased
historical depictions of smartwatch-like devices in popular culture
(including those seen in Dick Tracy, Star Trek, The Jetsons, Predator, and Inspector Gadget), with the tagline "After all these years, it's finally real."[8][9]
Specifications
Hardware
The Galaxy Gear is powered by a single-core 800 MHz Exynossystem-on-chip, and contains a 320 pixel-wide square-shaped Super AMOLEDtouchscreen display with a pixel density of 277 PPI. Its band contains a 1.9 megapixel camera with a Back-illuminated sensor, auto-focus, and 720p
video recording, along with a speaker and two noise-cancelling
microphones. The Galaxy Gear also includes 4 GB of internal memory,
512 MB of RAM, an accelerometer, and a gyroscope. The device contains a
315 mAh battery; the device itself does not contain a charging port and
must be placed inside a special Micro USB-equipped charging case, which also contains an NFC tag that is used for the initial setup of the device.[10][11] The Galaxy Gear is designed to IP55 specifications with dust resistance and protection from short-term exposure to water jets.[12]
To communicate with a host device, the Galaxy Gear uses Bluetoothlow energy. As only Android 4.3 and later offer native support for Bluetooth LE, only the Galaxy Note 3 and Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 Edition,
the first Samsung devices to ship with 4.3, were supported by the
Galaxy Gear on launch. Shortly after the release of the Galaxy Gear,
Samsung began rolling out Android 4.3 updates for its other recent
devices, such as the Galaxy S III, S4 and Note 2, to ensure Galaxy Gear compatibility.[10][13]
Software
A Galaxy Gear in its USB charging cradle, displaying a digital clock
The Galaxy Gear uses an Android-based operating system with a
minimalistic interface and gesture-based navigation. To pair the watch
with a smartphone or tablet as its host device, the user must first
install the Gear Manager app. An NFC tag located inside the charging
case is used to download the app. Gear Manager uses Bluetooth to
coordinate the pairing process and further communication with the
device. It can also be used to configure the device's settings (such as
the clock display's color and appearance), and to manage and install
apps via Samsung Apps.[14][15]
Notifications can be synced from the host device and displayed on the
Gear's screen when received; a preview of a notification's content is
displayed on the watch itself, while the Smart Relay feature allows
users to open content displayed on Gear on their smartphone or tablet. S Voice
can be used for basic voice commands and voice dictation for certain
apps. Phone calls can also be answered and placed from the watch (the
dialer is launched by swiping up on the clock display), while the "Find
My Device" tool can be used to locate the watch with a phone or tablet,
or vice versa.[14][15]
The camera app can take photos, or record videos up to 15 seconds in
length. Photos and videos can be stored to the device's internal
storage, or immediately transferred to the user's phone or tablet. Users
can also record up to 5 minutes worth of voice memos. A media
controller for music or video being played by the phone or tablet is
also provided.[16][17][14][15][18]
While it is possible to sideload other Android apps on the device over Android Debug Bridge (ADB), their usability is impaired by the small screen, and an inability to access the internet directly.[19]
Reception
The Galaxy Gear received generally negative comments from critics.
The design of the Gear itself was met with mixed reactions; although
considered high quality, the incorporation of components directly into
its strap was criticized for making it inflexible (and thus making the
device hard to wear comfortably). The Gear was also criticized for the
limited functionality of its apps, along with its initially inconsistent
notification system. As an example, critics pointed out that the
Android IMAP/POP3 email client was able to display full notifications with message previews on the Galaxy Gear, while Gmail was only able to display an icon and directed users to open the message on their phone instead.[17][16]
These limitations surrounding notifications were addressed in the
Galaxy Gear's first firmware update, which allows all apps to display
notifications with previews on the Galaxy Gear.[18]
On the topic, The Verge remarked that "as with industrial design,
software engineering isn’t among Samsung’s strengths, and the results
on the Gear are a painful mix of unreliability and inadequacy." The
ability to answer phone calls on the device was praised for its
convenience and good call quality (drawing comparisons to Dick Tracy), while its camera was also praised for having unexpectedly decent quality for its megapixel size.[17][16]
The device's reliance on Samsung Galaxy devices with specific versions
of Android was also criticized, along with its poor battery life, which
was considered more comparable to a smartphone than a watch.[20][14][15]
In an infographic posted in September 2013, TUAW compared the Galaxy Gear to the sixth-generation iPod Nano (which attracted unofficial watchband accessories due to its similarly square form factor)[21] considering the three year-old MP3 player
to be a "better, cheaper [smart]watch" than the Galaxy Gear because it
is not dependent on a "host" smartphone or tablet, and contained a
larger number of features than the Galaxy Gear (including the ability
to, primarily, store and play music from the device itself)[22]
Sales
The Galaxy Gear performed poorly in terms of commercial sales; in
late October 2013, it was reported that at least 30% of the Galaxy Gear
watches sold by the U.S.-based chain Best Buy were being returned by unsatisfied customers.[23] In November 2013, Reuters reported that company sources claimed that 800,000 Galaxy Gears were sold worldwide; however, the Korean news agency Yonhap disputed the report, believing that the numbers actually referred to units shipped and not units sold.[7]
Xiaomi Inc.[2] (Chinese: 小米科技; pinyin: Xiǎomĭ Kējì, literally "Xiaomi Tech") [3] is a privately owned company that designs, develops, and sells smartphones, apps, and consumer electronics.[4]
Since the release of its first smartphone in August 2011, Xiaomi has
gained market share in mainland China and has expanded into developing a
wider range of consumer electronics.[5]
The name Xiaomi means millet (literally Xiao - "little", mi - "rice").[6] In 2011, CEO Lei Jun suggested there are more meanings than just the "millet and rice."[7]
He linked the "Xiao" part to the Buddhist concept that "A single grain
of rice of a Buddhist is as great as a mountain," suggesting Xiaomi
wants to work from the little things, instead of starting by striving
for perfection,[7]
while "Mi" is an acronym for Mobile Internet and also Mission
Impossible, referring to the obstacles encountered in starting the
company.[7][8] He also stated that he thinks the name is cute.[7] In 2012 President Lin Bin said that the name is about revolution and being able to bring innovation into a new area.[9][10] Several sources have linked the latter meaning to the Communist Party of China's "millet and rifle" (小米加步枪) revolutionary idiom[11][12] during the Second Sino-Japanese War.[13][14][15][16]
History
Seven partners co-founded Xiaomi on June 6, 2010. In the first round of funding, institutional investors included Temasek, a Singaporean government-owned investment vehicle, the Chinese venture capital funds IDG Capital and Qiming Venture Partners,[17] and mobile processor developer Qualcomm.[18]
On August 16, 2010, Xiaomi officially launched its first Android based user interfaceMIUI.[19]
The MI-One phone was announced in August 2011. It was shipped with Xiaomi's MIUI user interface which is based on Android but resembles Apple's iOS. The device could also be equipped with stock Android.[20]
In August 2012 Xiaomi announced the MI2 phone. The phone was powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon S4 Pro APQ8064, a 1.5 GHz quad-core Krait chip featuring by 2 GB of RAM and the Adreno 320 GPU.[21] The company said on 24 September 2013 that the company had sold over 10 million MI2 devices over the preceding 11 months.[22] The MI-2 phone are sold by wireless phone vendor Mobicity in Europe (including UK), New Zealand and Australia.[23]
Some of Xiaomi products are manufactured by Foxconn, which also assembles Apple's iPhones and iPads.[24][25]
On 5 September 2013, CEO Lei Jun officially announced plans to launch an Android-based 47-inch 3D-capable Smart TV,[26] which will be assembled by Sony TV manufacturer Wistron Corporation of Taiwan.[27] The company explained the choice as to take advantage of Wistron's skill as a supplier to Sony.[28]
In September 2013, Xiaomi announced its MI3 phone, with one version powered by the Snapdragon 800 (MSM8974AB) and another by NVIDIA's Tegra 4 chipset.[29]
On 25 September 2013, Xiaomi announced plans to open its first ever retail store in Beijing.[30]
By October 2013, Xiaomi was reported as the fifth most used smartphone brand in China.[31]
Xiaomi's mascot is a bunny wearing an Ushanka (locally known as a "Lei Feng hat" in China) with a red star and a red scarf around its neck.[32][33][34][35]
In 2014, Xiaomi announces its international expansion outside of China with their first stop in Singapore.
The international headquarters will also be set-up in the city-state,
which will coordinate all activities including future product launches
in the region.[36] Xiaomi's Redmi and MI3 phone will make its debut in Singapore on February 21 and March 7 respectively.[37][38] The company plans to enter the Malaysian market in the next two months.[39]
In meanwhile,on 20 Feb 2014,[40] xiaomi had announced Xiaomi Mi3 64GB version,even some third party retailer get started to sell due to the fantastic review of MI3 [41]
Criticisms and controversies
Apple culture
The company's marketing strategy is often described as riding on the back of the "cult of Apple"[17] using a similar marketing strategy.[42] After reading a book about Steve Jobs in college,[43][44] Xiaomi's chairman and CEO, Lei Jun,[45] carefully cultivates a Steve Jobs image,[46] including jeans and dark shirts,[47] and Jobs' style of product announcements.[48] He has been categorized as a counterfeit Jobs.[49][50] The company's strategy has been categorized as counterfeiting philosophy, mindset and an icon.[51] Despite repeated comparisons to Apple Inc., Xiaomi maintains that it espouses a different set of principles.[17][52]
Xiaomi has no retail stores nor does it partner with third-party
distributors. Instead, all Xiaomi products are sold directly via the
company's website.[53] Skeptics categorize the products as non-innovative[48][54][55] low-price iPhone imitations[56][57] that have no significant hardware or software advantages,[47] and that any perception of innovation is good public relations.[58]
Others point out that while there are some similarities to Apple, the
ability to customize the software based upon user preferences sets
Xiaomi apart.[59]
State Administration of Radio, Film, and Television issue
In August 2013 the company announced that it was hiring Hugo Barra from Google where he served as vice president of product management for the Android platform, after the revelation that Google co-founder Sergey Brin was in a relationship with Barra's ex-girlfriend.[54][64][65][66][67][68][69][70]
Barra has declined to comment on the unfortunate timing of the thorny
situation regarding the Google relationships, and stated that he had
been in talks with Xiaomi for over a year prior to announcing the move.[71] He will be employed as vice president of Xiaomi Global, making Xiaomi the first company selling smartphones to poach a senior staffer from Google's Android team.[72] He will focus on helping Xiaomi to grow internationally.[73][74]
Google Contact Lens is a smart contact lens project announced by Google on 16 January 2014. The project aims to assist people with diabetes by constantly measuring the glucose levels in their tears. The project is being carried out by Google X and it is currently being tested using prototypes.[1]
The lens consists of a wireless chip and a miniaturized glucose sensor. Both of the sensors are embedded between two soft layers of lens material. Plans to add small LED
lights that could warn the wearer by lighting up when the glucose
levels have crossed above or below certain thresholds have been
mentioned to be under consideration.[1]
The prototypes being tested can generate a reading once per second.[1]
Announcement
On 16 January 2014 Google announced that, for the past 18 months,[2] they had been working on a contact lens that could help people with diabetes by making it continually check their glucose levels. Google
noted in their official announcement that scientists have long looked
into how certain body fluids can help track glucose levels easier, but
as tears
are hard to collect and study, using them was never really an option.
They also mentioned that the project is currently being discussed with
the FDA
while still noting that there is a lot more work left to do before the
product can be released for general usage, which is said to happen in
five years at best,[2]
and that they are looking for partners who would use the technology for
the lens by developing apps that would make the measurements available
to the wearers and their respective doctors.[1]
Moto G is an Androidsmartphone developed and manufactured by Motorola Mobility. Unveiled on November 13, 2013, the phone has been initially aimed at developing markets, while those that live in developed markets will also have it available as a lower-cost option compared to other phones in its class.
The phone features a 4.5 inch LCD screen, the Google AndroidKitkat 4.4 operating system and a QualcommSnapdragon 400 quad-core processor clocked at 1.2 GHz, and U.S. pricing of $179 with no contract for the 8 GB version.[4][5]
The phone is closely related to the Moto X
that was released three months prior, although there are some key
differences despite their similar appearances. The Moto G won't be able
to have active notifications, quick capture, and touchless control like
the Moto X due to the Moto X using a special processor that would be
cost-prohibitive for the Moto G. In addition, unlike the Moto X, the
Moto G has a removable back cover so that users can customize the phone
in whatever color they want; although the Moto X has its online
MotoMaker that also allows the user the customize their phone, the
casing on it is permanent instead of interchangeable like the Moto G.[6]
Unlike the Moto X as well as most smartphones in general in 2013, the Moto G doesn't support 4G LTE, which is thought to be more of an issue in the United States than the rest of the world due to LTE technology spreading faster there than in other markets. Evolved HSPA would provide the device's fastest mobile data speeds.[6]
Availability
The phone became first available in Brazil and parts of Europe. The phone was announced and in Canada and United States on November 22, 2013 and December 2, 2013 respectively. The remaining parts of Europe and Latin America were expected to have the phone available by the start of the Christmas holiday season.
In the United States, the Moto G is available for Verizon and Boost Mobile customers.
The Moto G was release in India on February 6, 2014 with an exclusive tie-up with Flipkart.[7]
In India, the 8GB variant of Moto G has been priced at Rs. 12,499 while
the 16GB variant has been priced at Rs. 13,999. There has been
tremendous response from online shoppers to the launch of Moto G in
Flipkart. The 16 GB variant of the Moto G went out-of-stock in just 15
minutes, while the 8 GB variant was sold out within the hour. As of
February 11, 2014 the 8 GB version is available for purchase, but the 16
GB version is still out of stock. Most official Motorola accessories,
such as back covers and flip cases are also out of stock.[8]
On February 7, AT&T prepaid subsidiary network, Aio Wireless announced that it would be offering the Moto G for $149.99 along side two other phones.[9]
Software updates
The Moto G became one of the first smartphones to get the Android 4.4 update after Nexus devices. The update was rolled out over-the-air and requires at least 200 MB of free storage on the device. The Android 4.4.2 update was rolled out worldwide by Motorola, as promised by them during the phone's launch event.[10]
