Sony PlayStation 4 review – Free with mobile phone contracts

Sony may have announced the PlayStation 4 a few months before Microsoft got around to revealing the Xbox One, but it was not until E3 2013 that fans actually got to see this Japanese firm’s next-gen console in the flesh.

While the PS3 started out as a bulky, curvaceous device and gradually slimmed down, the PS4 takes a more slender, angular approach from the start, which is definitely reminiscent of the towering obelisk that was the PS2.

Of course exterior design is just a tiny part of the console package and many will be gagging to find out about what tricks Sony has built in under the exoskeleton. Here is a thorough rundown of everything you can expect from the new PlayStation, which will of course be available as a free gift with mobile phone contract deals upon its release later in the year.

 

PS4 Hardware

In a direct comparison of the PS4 vs Xbox One it is fairly difficult to separate them because they are using components which look very similar, at least on paper.

Both consoles feature off the shelf PC components rather than relying on proprietary chips as has been the case with past console generations. Each will have an eight core CPU, 8GB of RAM and a graphics solution from AMD.

The PS4 and Xbox One will also come with 500GB of hard drive space as standard, although you can expect this to alter as the generation progresses.

Of course how the consoles actually harness this power will be different, because while the PS4 has its 8GB of RAM allocated in a unified fashion, the Xbox One gives just 5GB of its total memory to games and uses the rest for managing other processes.

In real terms gamers will find that cross-platform titles like Call of Duty and FIFA will behave almost identically, since this has been true in the current generation in spite of the different hardware specs of the PS3 and Xbox 360.

 

New Sony Controller

The PS4′s controller was the only bit of physical kit to make an appearance back at the February launch event and it remains an important asset of the new console.

While it looks superficially similar to previous DualShock models, it has nice touches such as indented analogue sticks, concave shoulder triggers, a light bar for motion-based functionality and also a touch pad which is front and centre for tactile interactivity.

The Share button on the controller has been earning a lot of attention since it promises to deliver impressive social features which will allow gamers to share clips from their games instantly online with their friends or an audience of fans.

Game streaming has increased in popularity over the last few years, so it is good to see Sony embracing this in the console space. Hopefully this is something that the speedrunning community will also embrace.

 

PlayStation 4 Price

The PlayStation 4 price has been the subject of much debate, mostly because it is significantly lower than that of the Xbox One. In the UK it will be priced at £349, which outshines the £429 cost of Microsoft’s console.

The reason for this discrepancy comes down to the fact that every Xbox One comes with the Kinect camera peripheral in the box and requires this device to function, while the PS4′s own camera is not mandatory and will be sold separately.

Of course you will be able to secure a free PlayStation 4 if you sign up for a mobile phone contract, which could be a way of getting involved in the next generation of gaming without having to smash your piggy bank or raid your savings account.

 

PS4 Release date

Sony has not committed to a release date for the PS4 just yet, although it has said that the console will be on sale in the UK and Europe before the end of the year, so you can expect there to be a bit of a rush to adopt this Christmas.

Plenty of critics are already convinced that Sony has got this console generation wrapped up with the PS4, not only because it’s cheaper than the Xbox One but also because of the furore surrounding used games sales.

Sony confirmed that users will be able to share, swap and sell disc-based games for the PS4 as long as the publishers allow it, while Microsoft is being a little more restrictive and saying that you can effectively only pass on used games to friends.

This is a muddy issue and it all comes down to software rather than hardware, so the PS4 might not have the upper hand indefinitely. However, it is good to see Sony back in the fray and putting gamers first. Would you choose a PS4 as a free gift with your next mobile phone contract?

Source: e2save community

“Impossibly thin” Huawei Ascend P6 launches, looks suspiciously iPhone-like

The Huawei Ascend P6 is certainly in the running for the worst kept secret in the gadget industry and after leak after leak, Huawei has revealed the super slim phone in a more official manner today in London.

Dubbed as being “impossibly thin” by the budget phone manufacturer, the P6 has hopes of taking on the likes of Apple, Samsung, Sony and HTC as a top of the range product. At 6.18mm thick (or thin, as Huawei would rather we put it) the P6 is up there with the thinnest smartphones in the world and certainly outdoes the Galaxy S4, iPhone 5 and HTC One S in terms of thickness. A slender body isn’t its only selling point, however, and there’s plenty of high tech inside.

The phone is also very light, weighing 120g, and comes in white, pink and black finishes. Speaking of the finish, it’s rather nice – a brushed metal effect adorns the back panel whilst the front is nice and glossy.

Under that finish, which is covered by a sheet of tough Gorilla Glass 2, is a 4.7-inch 720p HD display sporting a resolution of 1280 x 720. Powering the whole show is one of Huawei’s own processors rather than the popular Qualcomm or Nvidia options; a quad-core chip clocked at 1.5GHz. That’s paired with 2GB of RAM and 8GB of internal storage, the latter of which can be expanded upon by up to 32GB via micro SD. Interestingly, in Huawei’s home land of China there won’t be a micro SD card slot as the company is replacing it with the popular dual SIM slot.

Huawei has borrowed from its rival Sony in the camera department, adopting the same 8 megapixel f/2.0 Exmor R sensor that Sony uses in many of its own smartphones. That sensor will shoot Full HD 1080p video, has backside illumination for better low light performance and the ability to shoot sharp macro images at up to 4cm away from the subject. On the front Huawei has, for some unknown reason, gone overboard and stuck in a 5 megapixel camera. We’re sure this will please those who love to video call and take the odd ‘selfie’, as will the software options which smooth your skin and remove any unsightly blemishes. Huawei went as far as to say that the camera will ‘make your girlfriend look 10 years younger’ – perhaps it’s hoping that ladies the world over will hear this and pester their partners to buy an Ascend P6.

Unfortunately the Ascend P6 doesn’t support 4G (we’re told a 4G version will come at the end of the year) nor the increasingly popular NFC, but does offer the usual options in the form of Wi-Fi and 3G, Bluetooth and GPS. Inside there’s a sizeable 2,000 mAh battery that should provide enough juice to see you through a full day off a single charge. The latest version of Android – Jelly Bean 4.2.2 – is on board, complimented by Huawei’s own Emotion UI.

Huawei will undercut its big name rivals by offering the new model for free on contracts of around £25, with O2 and Carphone Warehouse already down to stock it from July.

Source: Gadget Helpline

Entry level HTC Desire 200 launched with Beats Audio

HTC’s portfolio of Android smartphones is still expanding, with a brand new model added today. The new HTC Desire 200 is a dinky little phone which looks to be an update to the Desire C and the HTC Explorer before it.

The diminutive and palm-friendly phone features a 3.5-inch 320 x 480 LCD screen and a Qualcomm Snapdragon S1 processor running at 1GHz. There’s 512MB of RAM couple with that processor and 4GB of internal memory, which thankfully can be expanded upon by popping in a micro SD card.

On the back of the phone is a 5 megapixel camera without an LED flash and no front facing camera, so if you’re after a phone with picture taking capabilities in mind this likely isn’t it.

The phone features 3G, albeit not the fastest at 7.2Mbps, along with Wi-Fi, GPS and Bluetooth to round up the connectivity options. There’s also Beats Audio as a boost to audio quality, and to compliment that you actually get a set of in-ear Beats headphones in the box – though the HTC website indicates you get a pair of pricier on-ear Solo headphones.

The Desire 200 is the fifth model to launch in the Desire range this year so far, joining the slightly better specced HTC Desire 600 and the Desire L, P and Q models. Most of these phones are destined for Asia and not for Europe, so we’re hoping it’s not the same case for the 200.

HTC added the phone to its website earlier today but has left out the vital information – where and when we can buy the phone and for how much. We’ll hopefully dig up pricing and availability information shortly, so stay tuned.

Source: Gadget Helpline

iPad 5 prototype leaks, resembles iPad Mini design

A single image of what we’re told is the iPad 5 has leaked online, revealing a little about the direction in which Apple is heading with its popular tablet devices.

The image, which popped up on social networks Weibo and Twitter, depicts the rear casing of the new 9.7-inch iOS tablet. The design is a familiar one and that’s because it’s essentially the iPad Mini but scaled up to a larger display. Apple looks set to follow the design it introduced late last year with the smaller tablet, including the slate and white back covers.

As with the iPad Mini there are edges that are more squared – yet still nicely rounded – along with black buttons and a glossy black Apple logo. The rear camera looks to have been moved slightly to the top left corner and we’re hearing that the module itself will be an upgraded 8 megapixel one.

Other reports suggest that Apple’s new iPad will get a processor upgrade to the Cupertino Company’s own A7 chip, though any other internal changes will be minor. The main change on the agenda for Apple’s next iPad is design, and it seems that this look will continue through the next generation of iPad and iPad Mini. It’s also very likely that the device will come with Apple’s recently revealed iOS 7.

Cases for the iPad have also started to show up from third party manufacturers, backing up the design change shown in the prototype pic. These cases show that Apple’s next iPad will be 15% lighter and thinner than the current fourth generation model with Retina display.

Apple had a habit of launching a new iPad every March but that tradition broke last year when the iPad 4 arrived in November. On that basis we’re expecting to see the iPad 5 arriving around that time again this year, after the launch of the new iPhone a few months prior.

Source: Gadget Helpline