Surface 3: what we want to see as consumer

What do we want to see on the Surface 3? Many of the qualities we would expect from a new Surface tablet - namely slimmer dimensions, a lighter chassis and longer battery life - arrived on Microsoft's capable Surface Pro 3, making it a little harder for any potential new tablet to stand out from the crowd.

Until recently, details of a successor to the Surface 2 have been thin on the ground. The quiet was shattered by a DigiTimes report that claims a new 10.6-inch Surface is gearing up to enter production in August ahead of an October release.

According to that report, the new device will be thinner and lighter than the 12-inch Surface Pro 3 and will possess more sales and performance clout than competing devices released in 2014.

The question is: being a Surface device, will it once again run Microsoft's much-maligned Windows RT 8.1, or could it be the first to feature full-fatWindows 8.1? And with Microsoft having axed the Surface Mini, is a smaller Surface out of the question?

As we ponder the possibilities, here are some of the features we would like to see on the Surface 3.

A pixel-packing, roomy display

Lenovo's sharp-screened ThinkPad 8

The Surface Pro 3's display made the switch from the Surface Pro 2's 16:9 aspect ratio to 3:2, which did wonders for productivity by ramping up screen real-estate. For that reason, whatever size the Surface 3 arrives in, we hope it follows suit.

A high-resolution display would only sweeten the deal. The Surface Pro 3's 216-ppi display dazzles, and even though you could say that 16:9 is the preferred option for viewing movies, playing games and viewing other multimedia, some find 3:2 is better suited for handling both tablet and desktop-oriented tasks.

Should the Surface 3 feature a display smaller than nine inches, it would have the opportunity to join a very short list of small Windows 8.1 tablets with high-pixel-density displays. Lenovo's ThinkPad 8 (with a display resolution of 1920 x 1200 pixels) stands out for being the only one, with most 8-inch slates featuring a comparatively lacklustre 1200 x 800 pixel-resolution.

Full-fat Windows 8

Windows 8.1 with Bing could make an appearance

Windows RT's concept was sound: as an alternative to full Windows 8, it would be driven by touch-sensitive Windows 8 apps (Office aside) and run on ARM-based hardware, allowing devices to be thinner and cheaper while offering longer battery life.

Unfortunately for Microsoft, RT's inability to run legacy Windows programs and confusion around the platform have seen it shunned by many. Moreover, thinner, lighter and cheaper Intel-powered devices running full-fat Windows 8.1 have arrived on the scene toting near all-day battery life, meaning that it simply doesn't make sense for anybody to put up with Windows RT's limitations any more.

Should the Surface 3 turn out to be nine inches or under, it's likely that Microsoft will offer it with Windows 8.1 with Bing, a tailored version of full-fat Windows 8.1 that's being offered to its hardware partners at a reduced cost. Which brings us onto...

Specs to suit a wallet-friendly price point

Up and Atom

Although the entry-level Surface Pro 3 comes in at a lower price point than previous Surface Pro devices, it's still seen as a premium device, topping out at $1,949 for the Core i7 model with 8GB and a 512GB SSD.

Microsoft's Surface RT-powered tablets have always come in at a lower price point than those in its Pro range, and we're hoping that, with the introduction of Windows 8.1 with Bing, the Surface 3 will be the first to feature Windows 8.1 while remaining affordable. As such, we reckon it'll have to pack an Intel Atom processor to keep the costs down while providing enough beef to run both Windows 8 apps and legacy desktop programs without a wheeze.

So, how cheap is cheap? We'd like to see the Surface 3 come in at under £200 (around US$337, or AU$361) to differentiate from the Surface Pro 3 and give it a real chance in the market.

4K phone screens, crazy or what?

In the last few years, as smartphone design has basically settled on rectangular slabs of glass, we've seen manufacturers take the competition over who produces the best gear to a new battle ground: the specs war.

Nowhere is this clearer and more easily visible than smartphone displays, the resolutions of which have been on a steadily upwards trend for the last couple of generations of flagship phones.

Historically, smartphone screens have got that little bit better every season. The HTC One X had a 720p HD screen; theGalaxy S4 and HTC One both stepped up to 1080p Full HD displays, and we're now seeing 2K displays pop up on the likes of the LG G3.

The trend would suggest, therefore, that 4K displays will be commonplace within the next two or so generations of flagship phone.

Does the world need more than the G3's QHD display?

To understand why a 4K screen on a phone might (or might not!) be a good idea, you first have to understand exactly what 4K means.

At a basic level, all screens have a resolution, which is expressed as the number of horizontal pixels times vertical pixels – for example, 1280 x 720, meaning that there's 1280 rows of pixels horizontally, and 720 vertically.

In theory, the higher the resolution, the crisper and less blurry the image. The resolution is often abbreviated to a snappier name – for example, the 'HD' logo that's slapped on most TVs these days. High Definition means a resolution of at least 720 pixels vertically, and 'Full HD' is a minimum of 1080.

However, there are several levels above mere 'HD'. 2K video has to be at least 2,000 pixels wide horizontally (Full HD (1080p) is generally 1980 pixels horizontally). QHD (Quad HD) has a horizontal resolution a little higher, at 2,560 pixels, meaning that there's four times as many actual pixels than in 1080p, hence Quad-HD.

The LG G3's QHD is stunning - but 4K will push quality further

But the gold standard of ultra hi-res is currently 4K, which offers a display resolution normally of 3840 x 2160.

It's a standard that's starting to creep into high-end TVs and computer monitors, and even more common services like YouTube and GoPro are starting to record or playback 4K footage.

iPhone 4: the original Retina display

The allure of higher-res screens is simple: more pixels should, in theory, mean a sharper, clearer, more detailed image – the effect Apple had with the iPhone 4 when it introduced the first 'Retina Screen'.

But improvement isn't just as simple as sticking a higher-res screen in each new generation of phone: after a while, people will stop noticing the difference.

This is because of one crucial factor: pixel density. This is a measure of how many pixels are packed into a physical area, normally measured in pixels per inch (PPI, not to be confused with the insurance you maybe owed money for, according to those irritating phone calls and adverts).

Apple believes the human eye can only see 326ppi

Because smartphone screens are so physically tiny compared to TVs, the PPI is incredibly high – up to 530 on phones like the LG G3.

Although that might sound like improvement, the human eye stops being able to make out a screen's individual pixels after a certain point – and after that point, increasing the resolution further won't really do anything of benefit.

According to Apple, that cut-off is 326 PPI for a smartphone. (Your eye's 'max' PPI depends on how far away the device is – hold press your face right up to a 4K TV, and you could probably see the individual pixels, but not so for a smartphone.)

Experts, such as DisplayMate's Raymond Soniera, peg that number a little higher – up to 600PPI for people with freakishly good vision.

Cool gadget that must have in 2014

Phones and tablets

Best mobile phones

Which one should you buy?

We've played with nearly every device on the market and have found the ten best you can spend your money on. It needs to be good, after all, given it will reside in your pocket for the next two years. Our ranking of the best mobile phones available in the UK today celebrates the brilliance of the smartphone: we love handsets that add in functionality to enrich our lives in so many different ways. We also partially take into account the price of the phone too - meaning a low-price handset doesn't always need to have high-spec functions to be in our top 10.

Best Android phones

Comparing the best Google phones

There's one key way in which Android is massively different from its Apple-branded smartphone competition - the number of phones out there running Google's hot mobile OS. So here they are - the best Android phones money can buy today. For many, many different reasons.

Best Windows Phones

Which Windows Phone 8 handset is for you?

The recently launched Windows Phone 8.1 replicates the popular features of Android and iOS whilst combining the comfort of home computing with the convenience of mobile. We've looked at the Windows Phone devices on offer and picked out the best ones around to guarantee you get the best bang for your buck. Nokia still dominates the list but as a Microsoft entity, that's no surprise. 

Best cheap phones

Testing all the best budget blowers!

With the mobile marketplace teeming with a multitude of highly priced smartphones, one might wonder whether cheap phones still have a place in the mobile infrastructure. With massive innovation in both hardware and operating systems, phones now do a lot more than just let you talk and text, with handsets like the Samsung Galaxy S4, HTC Oneand iPhone 5S stealing headlines around the world these days. Sadly all this innovation isn't cheap – and most of it is reserved for high-end contract handsets. So, is there such a thing as the 'best phone on a budget'?

Best phablets

They're big, bad mobile machines

Our hands might not be getting any bigger but our phones certainly are. As flagships like the LG G3 andOnePlus One creep up to 5.5 inches, phablets are starting to resemble small tablets, arguably filling the roles of both a smartphone and a slate. If you think that one device is better than two, or just have really big hands, then there is a growing selection of phones to suit and these are the ten best.

Best tablets

All the top tablets compared

Tablets are taking the world by storm. Just a few years ago they were an unknown for many people, but nowadays you've got more choice than you can shake a mildly agitated badger at. And with choice comes decisions - difficult decisions. Do you eschew Apple's high prices, join the Android brigade and find the best iPad alternative? Or jump on board Cupertino's lovetrain, and use one of the most popular tablets on the planet? We've made it easy for you and pulled together the top 10 tablets of the moment available.

Best cheap tablets

Spend a little, don't spend a lot

Tablets are fast replacing laptops as the must-have computing item, and the good news is that you don't have to spend a lot of money to get one. While the iPads of this world will always be out of many people's budgets, there are plenty of tablets out there available at much lower prices. We wouldn't recommend spending less than £100 on one - you'd regret it - but here's a round-up of our favourite tablets under £250!

Home Entertainment

TV Buying Guide 2014

Choose the right size, screen tech and price

There has never been a better time to buy a new TV. Gone are the days when 32-inch TVs weighed 16 tonnes and cost £1,500. These days you can pick up a 50-inch LCD TV for closer to £300. LCD panel technology has well and truly matured, and while brands like Sony and Panasonic push the boundaries of performance, you'll also find names like Toshiba doing very exciting things in the budget TV sector. The practical upshot of this is that no matter what you're after, how big you want to go or how large your budget is, there's a perfect TV out there for you. So which one is right for you, your family and your living space? In this buying guide, we will walk you through everything you need to know about being a new TV.

Best 32-inch TVs

The perfect size for bedroom TVs or sets for smaller rooms

Most living rooms can't physically take a TV much bigger than 32-inch, making this size by far the best for a lot of people in the UK. But within this size division, there's plenty of choice. A basic HD-ready set can be found for less than £300 is you search hard, though it's just as easy to spend over £2k on the best ones. There's only one certainty at this size – your new TV will be a LCD TV. If you're lucky it could have LED backlighting, but it won't be a plasma; LG used to make plasmas at this size, but there's not one on sale currently. 

Best 40 and 42-inch TVs

The sweet spot for plasma TVs offers lots of bang for your buck

Once known simply as 'plasma screens' in the collective consciousness, the 40-42-inch size is where the flatscreen dream started in the late 1990s - and where it's still at its most innovative and best. Now a lot more varied, with plasmas rubbing shoulders with (and quickly being outnumbered by) LCD TVs and their ultra-modern LED TV makeover, 40-42 inches is still the sweetspot for anyone not overly concerned with ruining the interior design of their living room.

Best 46 and 47-inch TVs

Offering the pinnacle of performance, this is where it gets serious

There was a time when plasma screens reigned supreme in the 46-inch TV market. But in much the same way as a meteor strike killed off the dinosaurs, the second coming of the LCD TV is the invasive species that has done for plasma. We're still huge advocates of plasma on TechRadar, don't get us wrong, but the tech is dying out at this size. Old-school CCFL tech has been replaced by LED backlight scanning and technical wizardry to make LCD tech viable in large sizes. 

Best 50 and 55-inch TVs

Where the home cinema experience begins

The size where a home cinema turns from dream to reality, it's also at this 50-55-inch TV screen size that 3D starts to become immersive enough to convince and impress. This size, last year dominated by full HD models, is now being overrun by Ultra HD 4K models. While LED tech has gone a long way towards condemning plasma to a role on the outskirts of the TV industry, at 50-inches and above, plasma really comes into its own if you can find one. Most home cinema buffs still swear by plasma, with its cinematic colours and deep blacks making for a real movie-watcher's paradise. But 2014 sees the first batch of 50-inch LED-backlit panels off the production line, a development that further marginalises plasma technology at one of the sizes it previously dominated. If you're looking for a dream movie-watching experience, check out these home cinema beauties.

Best 60-inch TVs and above

If you want the best, you'll need to pay the best

If you're feeling extravagant or want to furnish your big living room with a similarly big TV, 60 inches or more of television will certainly make a statement. There are some truly massive TVs available these days, withUltra HD-toting 84-inch screens such as the LG 84LM960V, Toshiba 84L9300, Sony KD-84X9005A and Samsung UE85S9ST. But for most of us, 65 inches of screen space is luxurious enough, while still being manageable. So what's the best 60-65-inch TV for you?

Best 4K Ultra HD TVs

The latest big thing in big screens

Everyone wants an Ultra HD 4K TV! Yes, okay, we all know there isn't much 4K source material to properly showcase the stunning picture quality, but Netflix has at least started to offer 4K content. There could also still be a 4K Blu-ray format later this year, and before you know it there'll be test transmissions and perhaps even a 4K TV channel from Sky or the BBC. It's all about future-proofing, though there's slightly more to it than that; some of the first batch of Ultra HD TVs pump out best-ever Blu-ray images, thanks to some wonderfully adept upscaling tech. The birth of 4K could also lead to the re-birth of 3D – it just looks so much better at this higher resolution. The big stumbling block – as always – is money, but already there are relative bargains to be had and, better still, some sumptuous designs stuffed with new innovations. The race for 3840x2160 pixels is on.

Best Blu-ray players

From cheap BDPs to UHD players

When big and bulky Blu-ray players first appeared on the shelves nearly 10 years ago they were all about high definition. Back then, simply getting HD content into your HD-ready TV was the hottest ticket in town - and it came at a high price. Those first-gen players are buried in the distant past now, leaving us with super-slim machines with loading times in single figure seconds, 3D Blu-ray playback, 2D-to-3D conversion, apps, streaming to and from smartphones and tablets, home networking, and upscaling to Ultra HD 4K resolutions even before Ultra HD TVs are common. Here are 12 of the best Blu-ray players to help you make your buying decision!

Computing and Laptops

Laptop Buying Guide 2014

Choose the best type of laptop for your needs

With Windows 8.1 here and Windows 9on the way, Ultrabooks taking off in popularity and laptop-tablet hybrids seeing more releases, choosing the right laptop is even more confusing than ever. Cheap laptops, like Chromebooks, are more powerful and capable than ever, while high-end devices are often perfectly good replacements for your desktop computer, able to cope with more intensive programs. Those after a fast boot up time and a lightweight machine to carry might drool over an Ultrabook. While there are lots of options for gamers too. With this guide, you'll find not only that, but which is the absolute best. 

Best Ultrabooks

The most premium computing experiences around with the price tags to match

Ultrabooks tend to be made with design in mind, so they come in more expensive than most mid-range home laptops. They tend to start from around $999 (about £584, AU$1,063) in the lower end, going to nearly $2,000 (around £1,169, AU$2,129) at the very high end. You're likely to ultimately spend between $899 and $1,500 for a newer model, though you can get some older models for even lower prices.

Best Chromebooks

Google's Chrome-packed computers make for an unbeatable budget buy

Chromebooks focus on what computing has been all about since the late '90s, the web browser, through Google's Chrome operating system. What should you look out for in a Chromebook? The majority of these Google laptops use either the same or similar low-power components. This is largely what is behind the unquestionable affordability of these mobile rigs – most of which start under $300 (about £175, AU$319).

Best gaming laptops

These machines excel in pixel-pushing performance with panache

Focused on real-time, 3D image rendering for the latest games, these laptops almost always come with a premium attached. If you want (at least something close to) the PC gaming experience with the flexibility to move around the house, the asking price generally starts at $1,300 (about £760, AU$1,384) at the low end and maxes out at around $3,000 (around £1,753, AU$ 3,194). 

Best 2-in-1 laptops

Business up front, party in the back – the mullets of the computing world

Otherwise known as hybrid laptops, these devices generally sit in the same price range as Ultrabooks, given their mission to serve as two devices in one. That generally gets you a Windows 8 touchscreen device that either flips around its hinge to become a tablet or detaches from its included keyboard accessory (which hopefully doubles as an extra battery). 

Best laptops for students

The tech you need to help you land the career you want

Whether you're a freshman in liberals arts or an MBA looking to rock the business world, you need a laptop that will best enable you for the perfect price. While some will naturally be more expensive than others, these are the clamshells best suited for your field of study and, ultimately, your budget.

Cameras and photography

Camera Buying Guide 2014

The camera buying advice you need

When it comes to buying a camera, you're really spoiled for choice. The range is massive, stretching from cheap and cheerful compact models competing with your smartphone, right through to professional-spec SLRs that cost as much as a decent used car. In this jargon-free overview, we'll discuss the main types of camera out there, to help you make a wise buying decision. You don't want to pay top dollar for features you won't need, but you also don't want to be stuck with a frustratingly basic camera you'll soon outgrow. We're going to concentrate on three main types of camera in this overview – compact, compact system (or mirrorless) camera and SLR. 

SLR Buying Guide

Choose the best type of DSLR for your skills and needs

Ever since the arrival of the first commercially viable digital SLRs in the 1990s, there's been a steady stream of technological breakthroughs and new releases. Sales of digital SLRs remain robust, as it's this 'quality' end of the market that is most immune from the threat of ever-improving smartphones; however good smartphones are, if a pro wedding or sports photographer turned up wielding one, they'd get shown the door. There are SLR cameras suitable for every type of photographer, from novices to professionals, but which one is right for you?

SLRs for beginners

Lost of options for the wannabe photographer

If you're a beginner or less experienced photographer who's keen to develop your skills, it's a great time to be buying an SLR – there's a wide choice of keenly priced cameras competing for your custom. Makers are eager to attract beginners in the hope of building loyalty, particularly as SLR users tend to upgrade their lenses eventually, or buy flashguns and other extras. Ideally, you want an SLR that is easy to use, but one that you won't quickly outgrow as your skills and confidence develop.

SLRs for enthusiasts

You're not a pro but you still want a nice camera

While compact system (mirrorless) cameras have eaten into their market share to an extent, SLRs remain the weapon of choice for many enthusiast photographers. It's not hard to understand why; enthusiast-level SLRs offer near pro-levels of performance at an affordable price, are relatively to easy to use, and give access to a massive range of lenses and accessories. Indeed, some enthusiast SLRs rival pro-spec models, blurring the boundary between the two

SLRs for professionals

The best photographers have the best cameras

As you'd expect from a camera costing the same as a decent used car, higher-end SLRs have myriad autofocus options, impressive ISO performance and often (but not always) fast continuous shooting. They tend to be built like tanks too, since they have to meet the demands of professional press, sports and adventure photographers, who are often working in demanding, deadline-driven environments. When it comes to choosing a top-end SLR, the biggest decision is whether to go for a full-blown pro model, such as theNikon D4S, or to save money by opting for a camera that also appeals to advanced enthusiasts and semi pros. 

Best compact cameras

Get the best mini snapper for your needs

There are hundreds of digital compact cameras on the market, with advanced, superzoom and rugged camera options all being available, which makes finding the right one quite tricky. The right choice, of course, depends on what you want from your compact digital camera. Maybe you're looking for a high-end compact camera to take the place of your SLR, or perhaps you want something more basic to get a few snaps on holiday. Whichever type you are looking for, we've pulled together a selection of what we believe are the best compact cameras on the market now.

Best high-end compact cameras

The best back-ups to an SLR

The downside of even the latest and greatest DSLR bodies and weighty collections of top-quality glass is that, when a fantastic photo opportunity presents itself, your kit is fast asleep in its gadget bag back at home. In contrast, compact cameras are small and slimline enough to fit into a spare pocket, the glove box of the car, or just about anywhere else. Weighing in at 200-400g (0.4-0.9lbs), these cameras are lighter than most DSLR lenses without a camera attached, but can they really deliver in terms of image quality and creativity?

Best compact system cameras

Get the best CSC for your budget

DSLRs have long-held the title as the most versatile cameras on the market, capable of delivering the highest quality images, robust build quality and advanced functionality, not to mention speed. With compacts and bridge models providing a set of stepping stones up to the traditional DSLR, manufacturers noticed a gap in between that was waiting to be filled: the CSC (Compact System Camera) was born. Fast forward to today and we have an ever-increasing array of CSCs available with varying levels of functionality. 

Gadgets and lifestyle

Best sat navs

Find your way from A to B with minimum fuss

Could the car sat nav boast the shortest lifespan of any technology yet? Surely our GPS-supporting phones are more than capable of handling our daily car sat nav needs? Not so fast - there's still plenty of life left in dedicated devices. Apart from offering the kind of focus that is only available from a dedicated device, true sat navs offer proper mounting systems that aren't fiddly plastic nightmares and also pack voice options that entertain and inform. That's not to say that you should leave your phone at home. Phone apps are catching up quickly, and they don't cost the earth either. In fact, some of the most interesting projects are only on phones right now.

Netflix vs Amazon

Which movie streamer is best for you and yours?

The battle of the big American movie streaming services is getting serious: the Amazon-owned LoveFilm is no more, replaced by the new and heavily-promoted Amazon Prime Instant Video. Is Amazon UK finally taking streaming seriously? CanNetflix hold on to its crown as our favourite streaming service? Let's find out.

PS4 vs Xbox One

Which next-gen console is best?

It's a little more even in the PS4 vs Xbox One debate now that E3 2014 has come and gone and we're seven months into the next-generation of video games. Sure, Sony's new console is ahead, pushing toward 8 million systems sold compared to Microsoft's 5 million "shipped to stores" number. But those are sales statistics. 

Best printers

Top inkjet and laser printers compared

In choosing the best printer your first decision is whether to go for a standard printer, or a multi-function device which includes a scanner and which can also work as a standalone copier. These aren't much larger than regular printers, but they're a whole lot more versatile, especially when you need to keep a copy of a letter, a bill or any other important document, so our first list includes the best inkjet printers and best multi-function devices. You should also think carefully about whether to invest in an inkjet or a laser. Lasers are usually associated with office environments, where they produce sharp, smudge-free printouts quickly, quietly and economically, but this can be just as useful at home or in a home office. 

Best Spotify Connect systems

Control your music wirelessly with Spotify Connect

Spotify is gradually supplanting digital downloads as the dominant way that we listen to music, with 10 million subscribers and 40 million active users across 56 countries listening to its 30 million tracks. With Spotify adding more than 20,000 new songs daily, it's definitely time for Spotify Connect, a new badge for hi-fi gear that enables effortless control of music across a phone, tablet and speakers. Allowing music to be sent direct from the Spotify app to any of these systems, Spotify Connect is a streamer's dream.

Samsung Galaxy Alpha

Apple has long argued for the merits of a smartphone you can use one-handed, that's why the iPhone 5S grew taller, but not wider. The idea of a scaled down flagship isn't alien to the big Android OEMs, but Sony is the only one so far to avoid scaling down the specs when it shrank the phone, which is why the Xperia Z1 Compact is the current king of smaller Android smartphones. But wait, what's this? A premium design in a small body with cutting edge specs? Samsung has been listening and it's trying to blow away the compact competition, including its own Galaxy S5 Mini, with the Samsung Galaxy Alpha. Does it have what it takes to be the leader in the category of mini hyperphones? Let's take a look.

Design 
Samsung is seriously excited about the design of the Galaxy Alpha. The fact that it's less than 7mm thick is impressive, but not a major surprise, what will raise eyebrows is the "high-quality metal frame and luxury look and feel." From the front it's clearly a member of the Galaxy family, but that metal frame is solid, not plastic, and the soft matte finish echoes the mottled patterning of the S5, but looks a touch classier. It measures 132.4 x 66.5 x 6.7mm and weighs just 114g. It's a tiny touch bigger than the S5 Mini which is 131.1 x 64.8 x 9.1mm and 120g, but much slimmer and slightly lighter, despite the new materials. The Xperia Z1 Compact is much heavier at 137g, probably because of the glass back, but it's smaller, if a little fatter at 127 x 64.9 x 9.5mm. The chamfered edges and metal frame are going to invite obvious comparisons with the iPhone 5S which is significantly smaller, but not quite as svelte and only a tiny bit lighter at 123.8 x 58.6 x 7.6mm and 112g.

Screen 
Disappointingly, we're looking at a 4.7-inch Super AMOLED display in the Alpha with a resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels. This accounts for the larger height and width than its competitors, but still isn't the Full HD you'd be expecting on a high-end phone like this. In comparison, the Z1 Compact has a 4.3-inch display, the S5 Mini has a 4.5-inch screen, and the iPhone 5S has a 4-inch area to poke at. With the same resolution as the Alpha, but a smaller screen, the S5 Mini claims a higher pixel density at 326ppi, which is identical to the pixel density in the iPhone 5S. The Xperia Z1 Compact is the clear winner here with a ppi of 342, but you're unlikely to notice much of a difference given the smaller screen size.

Power
This is where Samsung has economized in its more diminutive phones in the past; for example the S5 Mini has a 1.4GHz quad-core with 1.5GB of RAM. Not so this time, as the Alpha is going to be offered in octa-core (1.8GHz and 1.3GHz) and 2.5GHz quad-core variants with 2GB of RAM. That's enough to eclipse the 2.2GHz quad-core processor in the Z1 Compact, also backed by 2GB and it blows the 1.3GHz dual-core iPhone 5S with a paltry 1GB of RAM out of the water. We're already hearing that the Alpha beats the S5 and HTC One M8 in benchmark tests, so while the screen sharpness is a let-down, the internals certainly aren't.

Camera 
You'll find a 12MP main camera in the Galaxy Alpha and a 2.1MP front-facing camera. It also boasts a good range of photography features including real-time HD, making it close to rivalling the Galaxy S5 in terms of specs, although not quite. The S5 Mini has a less impressive 8MP and 2.1MP combo, but the Xperia Z1 Compact wins the spec race with a 20.7MP main camera supported by a 2MP front-facing camera. The iPhone 5S lags way behind on paper in this category with an 8MP main camera and a 1.2MP front-facing shooter, but that doesn't take into account the real world performance, which has seen Apple's smartphone become one of the leading cameras on planet Earth due to its simplicity of use. They all have an LED flash and a range of software enhancements. The Alpha sounds decent, but we'll need a hands-on to do a meaningful comparison for the camera.

Battery
We find something of a surprise in the battery department. The Alpha has a relatively small 1,860mAh battery when compared to the 2,100mAh battery in the S5 Mini and the 2,300mAh battery in the Z1 Compact. The iPhone 5S lags behind here too, with a 1,560mAh, but once again it's all about the real-world performance. With the biggest screen of the bunch, you could reasonably expect the Alpha to be packing a bit more power, but this could be one of the ways Samsung was able to make it so slim. Will that hurt it in the real world? Experience would suggest that it would, especially with the more powerful version of the phone. Samsung's clearly making an effort to aim this phone at those that care about design, but sadly it looks like it's at the expense of battery life.

iPad Air 2 may double up to 2GB of RAM

RAM has been the hot topic of late for next-gen iOS devices, particularly the iPhone 6. But unlike the new iPhone, the iPad Air 2 looks like it may actually walk away with more RAM than previous versions. According to supply chain sources for Taiwan's TechNews (via iPhone in Canada), the new iPad will have 2GB of RAM, up from the 1GB found in the current iPad Air. The full-size iPad has stuck with 1GB of RAM since the iPad 3, but it looks poises to double up with the forthcoming tablet. The RAM upgrade could be in preparation for a rumored split-screen feature already spotted in iOS 8.


 New iPads are typically announced in October, and while more RAM will be welcome with the new iPad, the good tidings may not extend to the iPad mini 3. Word is it will stay at 1GB, just like the current model. Continuing on this RAM jam, these same Apple supply chain sources threw in a few iWatch details for good measure. According to them, the Apple Watch will launch with 512MB RAM and 8GB on-board storage. These specs are on par with other smartwatches currently on the market, like the Samsung Gear Live and LG G Watch. However, the iWatch will be able to function sans an iPhone or iPad, the sources said. None of the above is official and we recommend heaping plenty of salt on these rumors, but they're not too far out of the realm of possibility. We'll know for sure September 9 and again come October.

Iphone 6 is coming to town soon

Looking for an iPhone 6 release date? Well we may just have one as September 9 is looking pretty likely at the moment. We've also seen more of how it will look - and do we even have a glimpse of it running iOS 8? The new iPhone could be one of the most pivotal devices in the Cupertino brand's history - with the iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C simple updates to previous models, there's a lot of pressure heaped on the iPhone 6. We've already been given a small sneak peak at what Apple may have in store for us on the iPhone 6 thanks to the announcement of iOS 8 at WWDC - from a bigger screen and camera to health monitoring and more storage.


 The iPhone 6 release date is virtually certain for September, which would fit in nicely with the rollout of the newly announced iOS 8. More exactly, the iPhone 6 release date momentum has now gathered pace around September 9, an idle Tuesday at the start of the month. Apple has launched the last few iPhones at a special event in September, so the smart money has always been on September 2014 for the iPhone 6's arrival - followed by a new iPad Air launch in October. Not to mention the fact that according to ifun.de Apple is restricting holidays during September for employees at German Apple Stores, which strongly suggests a new hardware launch then.
It's looking increasingly likely that we'll see more than one Apple handset this year, with a 4.7-inch iPhone 6 and a 5.5-inch phablet
- possibly dubbed the iPhone Air or the iPhone 6L
- coming alongside.
The latter was rumored to be pushed until later in the year, thanks to problems with the battery and production, but recent updates seem to say these have been solved. TechRadar's sources have also intimated that both models will launch together, so we're pretty confident that will happen. The launch could still be split - it makes sense to launch an iPhone Air and iWatch together at an event - but that would be too many in the space of a few months, so an iPhone 6 and iPhone Air dual announcement makes sense.


 There's one thing we can be sure about when it comes to the iPhone 6 - it won't be cheap. Apple's legacy is a long line of premium devices sporting premium price tags and you can expect that trend to continue with the iPhone 6. One analyst even goes as far as predicting that Apple will hike up the price of the iPhone 6, possibly by as much as $100 (around £60, AU$110). With a larger screen, new glass covering the front and possibly even a new, more impressive, material used in construction, we can see the price being hiked. We'd be surprised is the mooted 4.7-inch iPhone 6 would get such a massive price bump, as it needs to stay competitive, but the hike does make sense if Apple launches a larger, phablet sized iPhone. We have also got wind of possible pricing for the 4.7-inch model and it's reportedly starting at around £500 for a 32GB handset, which is around the same as a 16GB iPhone 5S, so if anything it might be a little cheaper, but that still leaves the 5.5-inch model open to being more expensive. Indeed the latest pricing rumors echo the £500/$858/AU$915 pricing for the 4.7-inch model, but add that the 5.5-inch handset is likely to start at around £563/$966/AU$1030 and those are based on Chinese prices, so won't account for local taxes. Interestingly the same sources claim that the 5.5-inch handset will be called the 'iPhone Air'.

Iphone 5C to drop to new low price at Walmart

As the release of the alleged Apple iPhone 6 inevitably nears, retailers are dropping the prices of the iPhone 5S and 5C. A Walmart spokesperson told CNET that starting Thursday at 9 a.m. local times, the retailer is dropping the price of the iPhone 5S to $79 and the iPhone 5C to a mere 97 cents. The iPhone 5S was previously $99 and the 5C was $29. These new prices apply to all available colors of the smartphones and can only be used with a two-year contract on AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, or US Cellular. Typically, as Apple gears up to release its new iPhone, retailers cut prices of the current phones they have in stock. Weeks before the iPhone 5S and 5C debuted last September, the price of the iPhone 5 plunged at retailers like Walmart, Best Buy, and Target. The lowered cost of the iPhone 5S and 5C isn't the only indication that the alleged iPhone 6 is forthcoming. The rumor mill has been heating up over the past couple of months with leaked images of both a 4.7-inch and a larger 5.5-inch phone with an enhanced camera and reversible USB cable. Speculation pegs the release date for September.