iPad Mini 2 vs Samsung Galaxy Note 3: Which is Your Expect?

Recently we have seen so many smart phones and tablets being announced and/or launched by giants like Samsung, Nokia, Sony and HTC. It is now time for Apple devices like iPad Mini 2, iPad 5 and the iPhone 5S to get the spotlight. However, Apple always keeps silent when it comes to reveling its iDevices' specs. A direct consequence of Apple's silence is a plethora of rumors appearing as people try to guesstimate the specs of Apple's upcoming iDevices.

Samsung is at the other side of the spectrum as they never shy away from offering details about their upcoming products, even though they are not really official yet. Thanks to the rumors and the numerous reports about the 2 most stunning devices of 2013: the iPad Mini 2 and the Samsung Galaxy Note 3, now I have enough to make a direct comparison between the 2 giant mobile devices.

• Release Date 

According to a few rumors from some time ago, Apple was said to release the iPad Mini 2 during this May. Those rumors were recently proved wrong when Tim Cook mentioned a fall launch for the company's iPad Mini 2. A September release seems likely.

There are no rumors regarding the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 release date, so we have to speculate. Samsung likewise may opt for a fall release for the next generation Galaxy Note, so our guesstimate for the release date of Samsung Galaxy Note 3 is September on 2013 IFA.

• Processor 

Apple's A7 system on a chip (SoC) is supposed to launch this Summer, in June or July. It is a faster SoC than the Apple A6X used in the iPad 4 and I think that it will be used in the iPad Mini 2.

The Exynos 5 Octa SoC will be available in the second quarter of 2013 and it is the fastest SoC available at the moment for any mobile device. It will also power the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 so that is a good news for those looking for performance.

• Battery 

Apple will probably make sure that its next iPad Mini tablet will have a battery that would assure a usage of about ten hours.

For the Galaxy Note 2, Samsung used a very powerful battery of 3100 mAh. The Galaxy Note 3 will probably use an even more powerful battery, necessary given an extra power that the Exynos 5 Octa SoC will bring. It is said that the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 will feature a 4000 mAh battery, making it superior to many other smartphones on the market. 

• Display 

When it comes to the iPad Mini 2's display, rumors mention a 7.9-inch screen running at a 2048 x 1536 screen resolution which is four times higher than the iPad Mini's resolution. The iPad Mini 2 is also rumored to be equipped with an IGZO display made by Sharp, a display that would make the tablet even slimmer than the actual iPad Mini.

So with the release of Samsung Galaxy Mega smartphones Galaxy Mega 5.8 and Galaxy Mega 6.3, many speculate that Samsung Galaxy Note 3’s screen will measure somewhere in the void between the 5.8 and 6.3 inch Mega smartphones. (If you are interested in Galaxy Mega 5.8 and 6.3, few days ago I have taken a full comparison between Galaxy Mega 5.8 and 6.3. You can make reference to it.)

• Camera 

Regarding the iPad Mini 2 cameras, there isn't much information available. However, we are pretty sure that the iPad Mini 2's cameras will have the following functions: iSight, FaceTime and Full HD video recording.

Samsung always equipped its devices with high quality cameras and the Galaxy Note 3 won't make an exception. The Galaxy Note 3 will probably come equipped with a high quality 13MP camera.

• Price 

It's probably safe to assume that Apple will follow its standard pricing patterns so that the iPad Mini 2 will most likely have the same price as the first iPad Mini.

The price for the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Note 3 is rumored to be up to somewhere around $800.

Okay, above 2 can be said to the most stunning mobile devices in the second half of 2013. So which is your expect? Welcome to share your thoughts!

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Google's Nexus 5 Superphone Leaked: Buy Samsung's Galaxy S4 or Wait for Next Nexus?

Of late Samsung has taken wraps off its newest flagship Galaxy S4 at a NYC launch event. Indeed this mobile wowed us with its new-age hardware and innovative software features, attempting us to get hold of it soon. But just wait, have you heard of the rumored Google Nexus 5 – the follow-up of hugely success Nexus 4? Alleged photo and features of the upcoming Nexus 5 hit the web this weekend that fire up the rumor mill of the device, and it is said that it will be launched in October. Will this phone bring new surprises and take the tech world by storm? Will it beat the Galaxy S4 and win the No.1 smartphone crown finally? Let us check out the leaked features. 

Screen: According to the tipster, the new Nexus device would have a massive 5.2-inch OLED display that spews out visuals at a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels.

Processor: Rumors also point out that Nexus 5 is powered with Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor at 2.3 GHz clock speed parried with 3GB LPDDR3 RAM.

Memory: Storage options are provided in the form of 16GB, 32GB or 64GB of internal memory.

Camera: Rumored list shows that the new device will sport a 16MP camera at back by OmniVision and a 2.1 megapixel front facing camera. The back camera features 4K video recording at 30 frames per second and 1080p video recording at 60 frames per second along with Real Time HDR, optical image stabilization and BSI 2.0. The front camera is capable to record 1080p video at 30 frames per second.

Battery: Under the hood, there will be a 3300mAh Li-polymer battery.

Software: The rumored Nexus 5 will be running the latest Android iteration out of the box. Since the Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie is expected to launch in May at Google I/O, this will be the version underpinning the new flagship smartphone.

Price: The smartphone will bear the same affordable price as its predecessor, which is one of the selling points of LG Nexus 4.

Other features: Front positioned stereo speakers, Qualcomm RF360 (LTE 150 Mbps & HSPA+), integrated DVB-T / ATSC-antenna and gesture like controls (navigation, zoom, etc). 

On the specs front, the Nexus 5 appears to be amazing! Although it is hard to believe these so-high specs, but who knows, Galaxy S4 also gives us the fiction feeling. If the Nexus 5 finally mixes these high features, surely it is worth the wait before buying the Galaxy S4. Truth to be told, the choice between Nexus 5 and Samsung Galaxy S4 is relying on the selling price.

So one question for you: will you buy the Galaxy S4 after shipping or wait for the release of the so-called Nexus 5? Welcome to share your choice below. Further, although Google hasn't confirmed the Nexus 5 device, here I still provide you with one table for reference, regarding Galaxy S4 vs Nexus 5 specs. 

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All You Need to Know about Google’s Fire-new Nexus 10, Nexus 4 and Nexus 7

What a pity to hear the news that Google's media event for its newest products is killed by hurricane Sandy. But based on its corporate blog, we have confirmed Google had originally been intended to announce its much-expected Nexus 10 tablet, Nexus 4 mobile, upgraded Nexus 7 tablet and even the updated Android 4.2 OS. So now let us take a deep look at all latest flagship devices from Google.

Google Nexus 10 tablet

As the first 10-inch tablet come to market under Google's Nexus brand, Nexus 10 has already attracted lots of attentions. Now it is on a par with Apple's iPad 4, Amazon's Kindle Fire and even Microsoft's Windows Surface. It can be said that abovementioned items are heating up the holiday sales season.

If you always keep eyes on the latest tech news, you must find that this 10-inch tablet comes with 2560 x 1600p screen resolution, which is the highest one in current tablet market and even beats the Retina Display of iPad 3 and iPad 4. Personally, this is the only one big bragging point on Nexus 10. Besides, inside the device is a dual-core 1.7 GHz CPU with 2GB of RAM. The Nexus 10 also features a 5MP rear camera and a 1.9MP front camera for video chat. Thanks to its 9,000mAh battery power, it can be used for 9 hours of continuous video playback and 500 hours standby time is available as well. Like what you expect, this device ships with freshest Android 4.2 and some new features like gesture typing are added to Nexus 7. Well, you can also find NFC, built-in micro-HDMI port and twin stereo speakers on this tablet.

Nexus 7 will go on sale on November 13. The 16GB version starts at $400, while 32GB is at $500. People in US, UK, Australia, France, Germany, Spain, Canada and Japan are the luckiest ones to get this excellent tablet at the first time.

Google Nexus 4

As a product built with the cooperation between LG and Google, You will easily find that Nexus 4 picks up nearly all designs ideas from LG Optimus G, except for its Android 4.2 OS.

This mobile includes a 4.7-inch screen with 1280×768 resolution. What insides is a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 quad-core CPU, which is clocked at 1.5GHz and with 2GB RAM. An 8MP rear camera, 1.3MP front shooter, NFC, wireless charging can be found on Nexus 4 as well. No support for LTE, no Micro-SD card slot. It will be available in 8GB and 16GB version, which separately price at $299 and $399.

Perhaps you will be interested in its new feature called Photo Sphere, which supports you to take 360-degree panoramic images and upload them to Google+ and Google Maps. Just like Nexus 10, you can enjoy the Gesture Typing feature on Nexus 4 as well. This new flagship Android handset will be released on Nov. 13.

Google Nexus 7

An upgraded version for Google's best-selling product Nexus 7 comes out as well. Now, you can get 16GB Nexus 7 with a price at $199, get 32GB Wi-Fi version at $249, and get 32GB 3G version at $299.

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Upcoming Movies On October: The Top 5 Movies You Need to Focus On

Admittedly, we get a rare chance to see so many thrilling movies released in this upcoming October. They have not arrived the theaters yet, but they have become smash hits. So below, I have roundup the top 5 movies you need to pay full attention on October. Just check out!

1. Looper

Release Date: 28 September 2012

Genres: Action/ Sci-Fi/ Thriller

Directors: Rian Johnson

Main Stars: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce Willis and Emily Blunt

Apart from The Master, possibly the second most anticipated September release for me is the Looper. For the reason that it is unveiled at the end of September, I believe most of you have not seen it yet, and that is the key reason why it jumps into my October recommending list. Undoubtedly, Looper has great potential to become the top sci-fi film of the year. Written and directed by Rian Johnson, this film is an action-filled time-travel tale about a present-day mob hitman who kills people sent back in time from the future. Anyone interested in, never miss out the it!

My Rate: 8.5 points out of 10.

2. Argo 

Release Date: 12 October 2012

Genres: Drama/ riller

Directors: Ben Affleck     

Main Stars: Ben Affleck, Bryan Cranston and John Goodman

In keeping with the true events, the Argo directed BY Ben Affleck, is talking about how the CIA use a convert operation during the Iranian Hostage Crisis in the late 70’s. This movie is adopted as the opening movie on Toronto International Film Festival. It is widely consider that the Argo will not be the one that tops on the box office, but will become the unique hit of the year.

My Rate: 7.5 points out of 10.

3. The Sessions

Release Date: 19 October 2012

Genres: Drama

Directors: Ben Lewin      

Main Stars: John Hawkes, Helen Hunt and William H. Macy

The Sessions is an independent drama film written and directed by Ben Lewin. Although I am not the follower for the independent drama, I still recommend you to watch it thanks to its positive reviews from so many movie buffs.

My Rate: 7 points out of 10.

4. Cloud Atlas

Release Date: 26 October 2012

Genres: Drama/ Mystery/ Sci-Fi

Directors: Tom Tykwer, Andy Wachowski, Lana Wachowski        

Main Stars: Tom Hanks, Halle Berry and Hugh Grant

It is a common sense that David Mitchell's 2004 novel Cloud Atlas is regarded as a literary landmark. Adapted by this remarkable novel, the Cloud Atlas movie is undoubtedly the most ambitious film on the fall schedule. With so many stunning stars included like Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Hugh Grant, Jim Broadbent, Hugo Weaving, and Susan Sarandon, the Cloud Atlas will look good on big screen thanks to its ensemble cast.

My Rate: 8.5 points out of 10.

5. Taken 2

Release Date: 5 October 2012

Genres: Action/Crime/Drama

Directors: Olivier Megaton     

Main Stars: Liam Neeson, Famke Janssen and Maggie Grace

The Taken 1 is a surprise hit in the winter of 2009, which has won $226 million box office worldwide. For the big success of its predecessor, so many Taken followers are expecting that the Taken 2 will bring us more surprises. With nearly the same actors and same maker team, seemingly everything is possible, although there are so many challengers on October. 

My Rate: 8.6 points out of 10.

Alright, above mentioned movies are all the ones I highly recommend you to watch on October. Find a nice day and move to the movie theater to get fun from those wonderful movies!

The Dark Knight Rises Rolls out Blu-ray and DVD on December 4th

With hearing whispers and rumors for weeks, now a thrilling news is coming for all The Dark Knight Rises fans - the Blu-ray and DVD releases of this smash hit will hit the shelves on December 4, with the limited edition Bat Cowl packed and loads of extra features like the behind scenes included. More than likely what bothers all of us most is that the long-rumored deleted scenes can not be located on both Blu-ray and DVD versions. Well, for those who have not seen this movie before or are eager to see it again, you can purchase the film on DVD/Blu-ray and let it playable on your Home Theater System.

Here come two images of the Blu-ray package.

The standard Blu-ray edition will be priced at $35.99, while the Bat Cowl limited Edition's price tag is $39.99. Meantime, its single DVD disc is available at $28.98. In keeping with the official announcement, the Blu-ray combo pack includes a documentary about the Batmobile, and an Ending the Knight feature that offers an in-depth look featuring about 17 featurettes at how Nolan and his production team made The Dark Knight Rises. There's also a featurette that comes with both the Blu-ray and DVD called The Journey of Bruce Wayne.

Since it aims at arriving on this holiday season, there are plenty of time left for you to buy The Dark Knight Rises as a holiday gift before the Christmas is coming. One question for all buddies, which one is your preference: standard edition or the broken cowl edition?

Top 8 Multimedia Digital Devices Deserve Your Attention in September

Without question, September will turn to be a bumper month for both smartphone industry and tablet field. In line with the past rule, loads of electronic giants have a tendency to hit their shelves with a slate of new products so as to attract customers’ eyes ahead of the Christmas shopping season. Thus, currently there are a wealth of state-of-the-art new mobile handsets and handheld tablets on the way! With their exceptional features and perfect performance for your daily communication, work and multimedia entertainment, it is really a thrilling thing to look forward to all those top-of-the range digital devices in the coming weeks.

Now let us take a look at the top 8 digital devices that are set to be released in September:

1. iPhone 5

Release Date: It is said that iPhone 5 will be kicked off on September 12 with the launching of pre-sales.

There are many rumors going the rounds about the Apple iPhone and more and more reports have claimed that is will come with a quad-core processor, 4-inch screen with 640 x 1136 pixels resolution, 4G LTE, improved Siri, iOS 6, 8MP camera and Apple’s own Maps app with turn-by-turn navigation.

iPhone 5 is Gearing Up and Starting to Pre-sales on September 12

2. Galaxy Note 2

Release Date: From the official confirmation, the Galaxy Note 2 will be launched on August 29.

The next generation flagship Galaxy Note 2 is expected to be stuffed with 5.5-inch display with 1280 x 720 pixels resolution, a 1.6GHz quad-core processor, 12MP camera and Jelly Bean OS.

Galaxy Note 2 Release Date is Around The Corner: All Rumors Roundup

3. LG Optimus Vu 2

Release Date: LG has recently announced that the Optimus Vu 2 will be available for purchase globally starting with September.

This mobile handset features a vibrant 5-inch 768 ×1024 display, 1.4Ghz quad-core quad-core chip, Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, 8MP rear-facing camera with HD 1080p video playback, a 1.3MP front-facing camera, 32GB of internal storage, 3G connectivity and a 2080mAh battery.

4. HTC Phablet

Release Date: To cope with the cut-throat competition coming from Apple, Samsung, Nokia, HTC is rumored to release a complete new phone-tablet hybrid in September.

According to the unnamed sources, the HTC’s secret weapon might sport a 5-inch display with a 1,794×1,080-pixel resolution, a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 1.5GHz processor, an ungraded camera and either Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich or Android 4.1 Jelly Bean.

5. Nokia Windows Phone 8

Release Date: Due to the release of Microsoft’s Windows 8 OS, Nokia is reportedly to announced its first Windows Phone 8 at Nokia World.

The Nokia Windows Phone 8 is rumored to rock a 4.3-inch screen with 1280 x 720 pixels HD resolution, dual-core Qualcomm processor, Windows 8 OS, LTE and NFC support and the same design as the Lumia 900.

Nokia Set to Release Windows 8 Phone on September 5: What to Expect?

6. Motorola DROID RAZR HD

Release Date: The Motorola DROID RAZR HD is anticipated to make its debut on September 5 at Motorola/ Verizon event.

Some reliable reports have suggested that the forthcoming phone from Motorola will stuff a 4.6-inch display, 1.5GHz dual-core processor, a MicroSD card slot, 8MP camera, Jelly Bean OS, 4G LTE and 2530mAh battery.

Flagship Motorola DROID RAZR HD is Scheduled to be Showed off on September 5: What’s New?

7. Sony Xperia Tablet

Release Date: It is speculated that Sony will announce the Xperia Tablet during the IFA trade show in Berlin on August 31st ahead of a September release.

More definitive are reports that the Xperia Tablet will power a 9.4-inch 1280x800-pixel screen,   a quad-core NVIDIA Tegra 3 processor, an 8-megapixel rear camera and a 6,000 mAh battery that will supply roughly 10 hours of Wi-Fi browsing. The tablet is reportedly offered for $399.99 for the 16GB model, $499.99 for the 32GB model and $599.99 for the 64GB mode.

 8. Iconia Tab A110

Release Date: The Acer Iconia Tab A110 is now available on U.K. retailer site Ebuyer for preoder and the tablet will be shipped at the end of September.

As being the first third-party tablets carrying Android 4.1 Jelly Bean OS, the Iconia Tab A110 boasts a quad-core Tegra 3 processor with 1GB of RAM, a 7-inch display with 1024x600 resolution, front and rear cameras, 8GB internal memory with a MicroSD card to expand storage, a mini HDMI-out and Wi-Fi, which is the biggest rival for Google Nexus 7 currently. 

Apart from abovementioned impending devices, some other devices like Kindle Fire 2, iPad Mini will come soon as well. I do believe the next half of 2012 is surely a busy period for shopping those latest and most creative, incredible digital devices! Take care of your pocket!

Windows Surface Tablet will Land alongside Windows 8 on October 26th

"The next version of our operating system, Windows 8, will be generally available on October 26, 2012. At that time, we will begin selling the Surface, a series of Microsoft-designed and manufactured hardware devices."

                                                                                                   
                                                                                                -----From Microsoft’s annual report

As many speculate, Microsoft’s first tablet, called surface, will be officially released on Oct. 26. Within the same day, the company’s Windows 8 operating system will roll out, which applies that the software giant has jumped into the tablet arena and will never rely on others to deliver on their version for windows 8 in mobile computing.

From Microsoft’s announcement, we have got that the Surface family will join in two shapes of Windows tablets. The first is with ARM processors and Windows RT, while the other is equipped with Intel processors and a full version of Windows 8. Microsoft is hoping to take the entire market that is currently ruled by Apple and Android tablets with their new Windows 8 tablets, however, with so many top-notch tablets existing in up-to-date marketplace like newly-released Nexus 7, iPad, Samsung Galaxy Note, Kindle Fire, how can Microsoft Surface Tablets complete in this crowded market? Here let me share you the recognized specs of Windows 8 Surface Tablets.

Windows 8 Surface Tablet specs:

The Pro version:

Release Day: Oct. 26, 2012

Price: No retail prices for all Surface tablets have been revealed, but Microsoft has claimed that the tablets will being a competitive selling price.

Dimensions: 13.5 mm thick

Weight: 903g

Processor: Intel Core i5 Ivy Bridge processor

OS: Windows 8 Pro OS

Display: 10.6-inch ClearType Full HD Display and a kickstand for users to watch films conveniently

Memory: up to 128GB of memory

Battery life: 42 watt-hour battery

USB: microUSB 3.0

Other features: All devices ship with the option to attach two different physical keyboards to them to make writing tasks more comfortable.

It runs all the standard Windows desktop software like Word and Excel, as well as the Metro apps. It can even run Photoshop, and supports USB 3.0.

The RT Version:

Release Day: Oct. 26, 2012

Price: No retail prices for all Surface tablets have been revealed, but Microsoft has claimed that the tablets will being a competitive selling price.

Dimensions: 9.3 mm thick

Weight: 676g

Processor: ARM processor

OS: Windows RT OS

Display: 10.6-inch ClearType HD Display and a kickstand for users to watch films conveniently

Memory: coming with either 32GB or 64GB.

Battery life: 31.5 watt-hour battery

USB: microUSB v2.0
Other features: All devices ship with the option to attach two different physical keyboards to them to make writing tasks more comfortable.

It doesn't support standard Microsoft Office desktop apps; instead, it runs a limited functionality version of Office called "Office Home & Student" as well as Windows Explorer.

Are you interested in Microsoft’s Windows 8 Surface Tablet and planning to order one? Just let your opinions to be heard!