Apple iPhone with a 4 inch screen as same size as the iPhone 4S

We’re going to see the Galaxy S3 introduced quite a while before the next iPhone, but that hasn’t slowed down the iPhone rumors any. Hot on the wish-list are a quad-core A6 CPU, LTE, and perhaps most intriguingly a 4” screen.

A 4” screen might seem like a no brainer, but it presents problems of its own. Apple has long said that they like the form factor of the iPhone, and they have steadfastly refused to increase the size of the iPhone even as American’s shifted in preference to 4.3” devices. Another reason Apple has resisted increasing screen size is that it would create imaging problems – do they keep the same resolution and just add pixels (forcing developers to revamp all of their apps) or would they simply reduce the pixel density to make it easier on developers (at the expense of image quality)?

A new mockup shows that this may not have to be an either-or proposition. A programmer named Will Hains has mocked up an idea that would allow the next iPhone to retain the same size despite its 4” screen, while also solving the dual problems of resolution and app compatibility. The solution would be for Apple to change the aspect ratio of the screen, adopting a taller screen while preserving the same width.

The resulting screen would be 1152 x 640 pixels, and could actually fit within the current iPhone size, although the home button would have to either shrink or change size. The result would be one more row of icons on the home screen, although it would open up quite a lot more room for watching movies or playing games. The aspect ratio wouldn't quite match up with the 16:9 format that many movies and most HD TV programs adopt, but it would be very close - much closer than the current iPhone screen.

It would also allow the UIs of most apps to stay the same in terms of pixel density; perhaps by default and app could float above the four bottom buttons with no change at all until a developer made the minor changes to allow for a longer full-screen app experience.

Is this what Apple will do? Time will tell, but we have to admit that this feels like a very “Appley” solution to the problem. We have no idea whether or not the mockup’s styling has any bearing on the final product – and really that isn’t important here; the key is that all the rumors pointing to a 4” screen on the next iPhone may not require a radical overhaul of existing apps, nor a change in size of the phone itself.

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Manufacturer Meizu officially announced the Meizu MX quad core smartphone

Chinese smartphone manufacturer Meizu officially announced the Meizu MX quad-core smartphone, which they say will be the world debut of Samsung’s quad-core A9 Exynos CPU. The A9 has undergone a die-shrink to 32nm, allowing the CPU to be faster and use less battery life.

The Meizu MX has been rumored since late 2011, and it sure looks like a sweet piece of kit – the screen resolution comes in at a very decent 292 PPI – a bit below the iPhone 4/4S and the Galaxy Nexus, but still a very respectable number. It also promises an 8 megapixel BSI camera with an f/2.2 lens aperture that excels in low-light conditions, and Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. And if the marketing material is anything to go by, it looks like it will launch in a wide array of pastel colors.

Sadly the phone will only retail in China, but it tells us something about the Galaxy SIII – assuming the Meizu is correct, when their phone launches in June it will be the first phone to rock Samsung’s new line of quad-core CPUs…the same CPUs expected to launch in Samsung’s upcoming flagship. So while we expect the Galaxy SIII to be announced in early May, it appears the handset may not launch until sometime in June.

Also, we have to say that Meizu appears to be fully capable of making some very sexy smartphones.

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Next Week Google Drive launching for desktop, Android and iOS

The fabled Google Drive has been known to exist for a while, and it was rumored to launch at the beginning of April, but now it seems like it will actually happen next week. The Next Web apparently has gotten its hands on a draft release of Google Drive from one of Google's partners. So, this information is a more official version of the accidental leak that came from Lucidchart last week.

The details are all staying the same though. The service is expected to launch for free (of course), and offer 5 GB of storage to start, with upgrades to more storage available for an annual fee. There are expected to be apps for Mac and PC, which will work "in desktop folders" much like Dropbox does now. And as we had heard before, GDrive will have apps for both Android and iOS, which will allow for mobile editing of documents.

All of this points to what we've expected for a long time now: Google Drive is nothing new. Google Drive is simply Google Docs with desktop apps for syncing files locally rather than having a cloud-only option. This means that the question of whether Google Drive can compete with Dropbox is actually quite silly, because aside from the desktop syncing apps, Google Docs already has far more functionality than Dropbox. If you just want cloud storage and syncing, Dropbox will still be a fine choice, but if you'd like the option to edit apps online or on mobile, or stream any media that you've uploaded, Google Docs can already do that, so it would seem very likely that Google Drive will have all of that extra functionality as well.

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Samsung Galaxy S III rumors: More colors, casing, processor and the Olympics

The new rumors are more about the outside of the device and the release ties. The complete details are up in the air, but it has been widely rumored that the device will have at least a partially ceramic case, with either glass or metal accents. Now, it seems as though there will be multiple colors as well. The phone will reportedly come in either a blue and black color option or a white option, which seems like a pretty reasonable piece of info as many other Samsung devices have had both black or white options. According to a "trusted source" of BGR, the SGS3 will also feature the physical home button that we saw before, and will not have on-screen function buttons that are available in Ice Cream Sandwich. 

Also, it seems as though the Galaxy S III will be the official device of the 2012 London Olympics. We had seen before that Acer would be releasing branded Olympic devices, but this would be an official marketing push between Samsung and the Olympics. This makes sense for a couple reasons. First, the announcement event that we just heard would be coming on May 3rd is taking place in London. Also, Samsung has already teamed up with the London Olympics to offer the official NFC payment option: payWave, so it would make sense that Samsung have a brand new flagship device to push this system as well.

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Asus Transformer Pad Infinity release for Italy

Asus Transformer Pad Infinity, and we've finally gotten one for Italy. Still, the info may give an idea to when the tablet will be making its way across the pond to the US. We've heard that the Transformer Pad Infinity will be coming in 32 and 64 GB variants, but so far only the 64 GB model has gotten info for Italy. 

Notebook Italia has reported that the 64 GB model of the Infinity will be shipping on June 10th, and will cost €599 (~$782). The rumored pricing for the US has been put at $599 for the 32 GB model and $699 for the 64 GB, so a pricing of €599 seems on target as electronics tend to be more expensive in Europe. Unfortunately, the info from Notebook Italia is labeled for the WiFi-only model, so there's no word yet on when the LTE model will be made available.

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Galaxy S III Will Be Samsung’s Most Successful Smartphone Yet

Samsung’s last three Galaxy related smartphone launches have been grand slams and its upcoming Galaxy S III will no doubt enjoy the same successes. The original Galaxy S set records when the company announced it had sold 10 million units during 2010.  The Galaxy S II pushed those boundaries further: Samsung sold 20 million units in just 10 months. The Galaxy Note’s 5.3-inch screen may be too large for some users, but it, too, was a home run. The company announced late last month that it had sold 5 million Galaxy Note units in just 5 months. The Galaxy S III‘s road to success has already been paved.

We’ve heard that there have already been a record 10 million pre-orders from retailers and carriers for the Galaxy S III, but that’s still a rumor. In fact, all we have to go on so far are rumors and leaked images. The latest mumblings suggest Samsung’s Galaxy S III will pack a large 4.65-inch HD display, a quad-core Exynos processor, support for wireless charging, an 8-megapixel camera and much more. It’s also been said that Samsung’s latest flagship will be crafted from ceramic, something we’ve only seen before in the Pantech Vega Racer 2.

So why am I predicting success? Well, the previous sales records already speak for themselves and Samsung’s no doubt going to launch a device that it knows has to compete with the stunning HTC One X and Apple’s still unannounced iPhone 5 (or “new iPhone if it follows the same naming scheme it employed with the iPad 3). Samsung needs this phone to stick out on store shelves and it will no doubt provide carriers with a product that’s leagues better than the earlier Galaxy S products. Plus, owners of those products are no doubt drooling to hear more about Samsung’s next flagship.

The South Korea-based firm is taking the right approach to its Galaxy S III launch. Samsung was quiet at Mobile World Congress and only lifted the veil on several mid-range tablets; but that’s a good thing. Sure, it was overshadowed during the show by HTC and even smaller competitors such as Huawei, which also announced a quad-core phone. Remember, however, that this is the company that sold 300 million phones in 2011, which made it the world’s largest smartphone manufacturer ahead of Apple. Consumers will wait to see how Samsung answers.

The mobile seas are quiet right now and we probably won’t hear any majors announcements until the CTIA Wireless show in New Orleans in early May. That means Samsung’s phone will receive a ton of hype for several months, at least, and talk will continue to build until U.S. and European carriers announce availability and eventually launch the device.

Verizon Wireless sat on the sidelines for the Galaxy S II launch and instead decided to carry the first Android 4.0 ICS phone, the Galaxy Nexus. However, history tells us that Samsung’s flagship phone will likely release on at least three of the U.S.’s largest carriers, including T-Mobile, AT&T and Sprint. I don’t think Verizon Wireless will sit back this time, either, since there doesn’t appear to be a bigger and better Samsung smartphone on the horizon. Samsung will no doubt add to its national success by deploying versions of the Galaxy S III on regional carriers, such as U.S. Cellular, too.

The Galaxy S III is on a path to be Samsung’s fastest and most popular handset yet. The phone maker has already proved to its carrier partners that its Galaxy S and Galaxy S II products were capable of generating excellent sales, so it’s no question that those same partners are on deck to sell its next big flagship. Better yet, Samsung’s first two Galaxy S devices weren’t even capable of running on 4G LTE networks. While the Galaxy S II Skyrocket and Galaxy S Note are able to, both were only released on AT&T. We’re expecting to hear much more in London on May 3rd and you can bet we’ll be bringing you the news as it breaks.

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Apple iPhone 4 case can stop a 50 caliber slug from putting a hole in your phone

If you are worrying about someone shooting a hole through your Apple iPhone 4, we have some great news. For only $650 you can purchase a heavily armored case from Marudai that can stop a direct hit from a 50 caliber bullet. And just in case you think that paying that kind of money for a 1 inch thick plate of steel is a rip-off, the company will send you with your case, a 50 caliber dummy bullet.

If a sniper is aiming at the touchscreen of your pride and joy, your Apple iPhone 4 will still buy the farm because the front has minimal protection from a thin aluminum facade. After all, you need to be able to touch the display on the handset. And of course, there is a small hole on the back for the unit's camera. Although the ads mention just the Apple iPhone 4, we would imagine that it will also fit the Apple iPhone 4S.

Would anyone really take on 5 extra pounds of weight in exchange for protection from an incident that seems so far fetched? If you are the real conservative type and want to order the case, you can do so by clicking on the sourcelink.

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