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iPad Pro release reportedly on track for 2015

Monday, September 1, 2014

iPad Pro release reportedly on track for 2015 A little more iPad never hurt anybody

It's been months since we heard anything about the rumored iPad Pro, but that doesn't mean Apple's forgotten about the larger-and-in-charge tablet.

In fact the 12.9-inch iPad Pro is well on its way to a 2015 release date, according to Bloomberg.

The site got its info from those infamous "people with knowledge of the matter," who said the biggest-ever iPad will go intro production early next year.

They added the massive iPad, three inches larger than the current iPad Air, has been in the works for at least a year.

Apple already sized the iPad down and made the excellent iPad mini, so why not go the other direction?

That's what they're doing with the iPhone 6. Every report we've seen for months - including this one from Bloomberg - seems to agree the iPhone is puffing itself up.

Unsurprisingly the site's sources also said the iPad mini 3 and iPad Air 2 will be out in time for the 2014 holidays, which will no doubt help iPad sales that have reportedly been down for two quarters in a row.

Meanwhile Apple's recent partnership with IBM looks like it could be intended to pave the way for the introduction of the iPad Pro.

No doubt we'll learn more as Apple is due for some September announcements shortly.

In Depth: Rendered to perfection: here's how the iPhone 6 should look

OK, we all know the iPhone 6 is nearly here. But ever since the iPhone 5S was another yawn-fest on the design front, the rumor mill has been churning out its own renders and concepts - be them based on dummy models or just artists frustrations with current design.

Whether close to the likely reality or not they all gives us a detailed, relatively complete look at how the iPhone 6 might turn out and highlight various possible aspects of the phone in the process, reflecting the rumours of a big screen, a curved design and more.

So to keep you going in the coming days and weeks until Tim Cook takes the stage, here are the best concepts and renders for you to look through - let us know which of them you think will be most likely to show up in Cupertino, and which you wish would!

TechRadar concept

Never ones to turn down a challenge, we created our own iPhone 6 concept. As you can see from the above image we envisaged it with a true edge-to-edge, bezel-free display and a super-slim 5.5mm thick build.

While the bottom edge is blurred here, you might also notice that there's no home button, leaving the front of the phone sleek and symmetrical.

In reality we'd be very surprised if Apple ditched the home button, especially as implementing Touch ID without one could be tricky, but the rest of this concept isn't a million miles away from the rumours we've been hearing.

It's thought for example that the iPhone 6 will be slim, though not quite that slim, with whispers pointing to 7mm for the 4.7-inch model and 6.7mm for the 5.5-inch iPhone '6L'.

It's also expected that the new iPhone will have a curved design, a little like in the image above and while we're not expecting a bezel-free display it is likely that the bezels will be smaller this time around.

We'd be more than happy if this concept did come true though, as it would make the iPhone 6 the slimmest smartphone on the planet and the first to do away with bezels, leaving the competition to play catch-up.

iPhone 6 conceptCredit: Martin Hajek /iPhoneClub.nl

Martin Hajek is one of the more prolific iPhone 6 renderers around and he's put forward more than one possible design for it. The actual iPhone 6 is unlikely to look much like the concept above, which Hajek created in collaboration with iPhoneclub.nl.

Although this concept has rounded edges the overall design is rather more rectangular than the latest dummies and leaks suggest. It also lacks the two-tone rear shell that the iPhone has become known for and the screen is essentially bezel free, much like in our own concept.

But while we doubt the iPhone 6 will look like this there's no reason why it couldn't. The design doesn't seem all that out there and it's certainly stylish enough to be an Apple product - if a bit square.

conceptCredit: Michael Shanks

Here we have a somewhat less convincing image. In fact that's an understatement, we'd eat our hats if the iPhone 6 looked like this. We'd eat all the hats. And then eat hat soup with the leftovers for a while.

This concept was devised by Michael Shanks and features a wraparound screen. It's not a total fantasy, as Apple has actually filed a patent for wraparound displays but we're not expecting to see one on the iPhone 6.

We may however be in for a slightly curved screen, allowing it to arc almost imperceptibly into the chassis. If Apple did release a phone with a wraparound display that could be a real game-changer, or it could just be a gimmick, but if nothing else it might make it possible to read notifications at more angles, which is surely a good thing.

conceptCredit: Nickolay Lamm

Speaking of curved screens, here's one from Nickolay Lamm. Not only is it curved but it ditches the home button and would apparently be capable of creating an illusion of depth perception, to mimic a 3D experience in line with Apple's patent.

The shape seems like it would be a little unwieldy, especially when held to your ear, but we like the idea of there being nothing but screen on the front and the curves allow for a larger screen without increasing the phone's footprint.

Could you hold it? Probably not. Who wants to do that though?

iPhone 6 conceptCredit: Martin Hajek

The image above is another concept by Martin Hajek, or rather two concepts, as the handset on the left is an iPhone 6 while the one on the right is an iPhone 6C.

We're not expecting an iPhone 6C, though that hasn't stopped one store from advertising screen protectors for it and fundamentally this doesn't look a million miles from the iPhone 5C, just less chunky and with a relocated home button and smaller bezels to accommodate a larger screen.

The iPhone 6 concept isn't vastly different from Hajek's other concept that we discussed above, albeit this time it has a slightly more rounded design, more in line with what we're expecting to see.

renderCredit: mornray886

This render from mornray886 was briefly believed to be an actual iPhone 6 photo, before it was revealed to be a render.

It's no wonder people were fooled (the screen smudges are a nice touch), but looking purely at the design it's certainly close to what we've seen in actual leaks, with a slim, curved build.

conceptCredit: thinkbym

Here's an interesting one. The cut-out corners look nothing like anything we've seen from Apple and this concept doesn't appear to be based on any iPhone 6 rumours, so much as just an intriguing idea designer thinkbym had for the handset.

It's intriguing because those odd corners serve a purpose, with each one being home to a touch sensor for volume, home and power, so there's no need for buttons at all. It's a nice idea and sensors in place of buttons could definitely be a change for the better, but we're not entirely convinced by the retro-futuristic shape.

concpetCredit: Schoolpost

There's been talk of transparent displays coming to phones for a while, so it's no wonder that a transparent iPhone 6 concept has been created, in this case by Schoolpost.

There are any number of potential advantages to a transparent screen, such as the possibility of having one app open on one side and then flipping it over and having another displayed on the other.

But there are any number of obstacles preventing them appearing too, not least the fact that components are currently hidden behind the screen, so these would need to be shrunk dramatically for it to be practical.

The iPhone 6 won't have a transparent display and nor will any other mainstream handset in the near future, but the first company to really crack it (in a usable way) is likely to be onto a very big thing.

iPhone 6 conceptCredit: Lewi Hussey

Thanks to LG and Samsung, curved phones like the one in the render above from Lewi Hussey are a reality. The LG G Flex and Samsung Galaxy Round have curved screens and not only do they look good but they allow for a bigger display while minimising the amount of space taken up.

But as yet they haven't caught on and we're not convinced that they're much more than a gimmick, so we can't see Apple going down this road. If it did though it's one of very few companies which might actually be able to make them popular - but could even Cook's Crew convince the world that it's a good idea? We're not sure.

renderCredit: Mark Pellin

We'll finish with a convincing one. This render from Mark Pellin and shared by 9to5Mac is pretty much how we expect the iPhone 6 to look, based as it is on the dummy units that we've been seeing.

It mirrors the most prevalent rumours and leaks, with a slim, curved design, the power button on the side and an overall look that's pretty much identical to what we've seen in leaks.

So take a good look, because we wouldn't be at all surprised if this, essentially, is the iPhone 6.

It's not as imaginative and innovative as some of the other concepts we've looked at, but it's stylish without being showy and looks like an Apple product, but one with a new design and more curved ethos, which is exactly what the iPhone 6 needs to be.


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Check out Intel's tiny 3G modem that will make IoT ubiquitous

Check out Intel's tiny 3G modem that will make IoT ubiquitous The Intel XMM 6255 modem (credit: Intel)

Intel has released a new dua;-band HSPA modem called the XMM6255, one which is aimed at IoT, 3G smartphones, M2M as well as what it calls unconventional client devices,

The modem combines the X-Gold 625 baseband processor, an integrated power management unit as well as Intel's Smarti UE2p, a transceiver with a 3G power amplifier.

The total board area occupied by the components is about 300 mm^2, that's even smaller than the US one-cent (or one penny) coin at 362.90 mm^2 and Intel claims that it is the smallest standalone 3G modem.

The XMM6255 is rated at 7.2mbps and while it is slower than the 3G+ or 4G connectivity, it is faster tha Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) or other short range, low power technologies it competes with.

Extreme integration means that Intel's partners will be able to lower their bill of material costs while improving reliability (better heat dissipation, improved ruggedness etc).

Intel hasn't disclosed the power consumption of the XMM6255 or how much it will cost. Since the acquisition of Infineon's Wireless Solution Business four years ago, it unveiled a number of baseband solutions but none of them has made it into "halo" flagship devices or large volume products.

That remains, until now, the quasi-exclusive domain of another US semiconductor giant, Qualcomm, with its integrated SoC and its Atheros baseband range.

HTC Desire 510 will give you 4G at an affordable price

HTC Desire 510 will give you 4G at an affordable price LTE in a flavor you can afford

HTC's Desire range has never really been one to grab the headlines, but the series' latest offering, the Desire 510, arrives with a little more fanfare.

Its main seller is that it's offering LTE at an affordable price, though that will vary by region. The handset will be available in the UK from September for £149 SIM-free, which is nothing to sniff at. The phone will also be available in the US, and we're chasing up global prices right now.

As for the handset itself, expect a 4.7-inch screen with a somewhat meagre 480 x 854 resolution and 208ppi. Doing the legwork is a 1.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon 410 processor, 1GB RAM, and 8GB of internal storage - which you can push up to 128GB via the microSD slot.

Meanwhile you've got a 5MP rear camera and VGA front snapper, but there's no flash to be found. All in all, it's nothing to get too excited over, but you'll be picking this one up for the affordable 4G.

We'll let you know when we hear more specific launch dates for each region, and a price for the US.

Opinion: Standing at the Threshold of Windows productivity enhancements

Standing at the Threshold of Windows productivity enhancements The next version of Windows looks to have something for everyone

For my first TechRadar Pro article, I thought it would be appropriate to look forward, towards the future and a piece of tech that's soon to be coming down the line. Over the years I've spent a lot of time focusing on helping people with productivity. Whether it's at talks and events, in videos or through other mediums, such as this article, productivity is at the core of what we all need to get out of our PCs, and it's for this reason that the next version of Windows (codenamed Threshold) is getting me very excited.

I've written a lot about Windows over the last few years: how to get started with it, how to customise it and exploit its hidden functionality, and how to repair problems if everything goes horribly wrong. I'm in contact almost every day with people who have used Windows for work, study or play for years now, but still I encounter many who struggle to make the most productive use of their time.

Part of the problem is the complexity of an operating system the size of Windows, and more problems arise because of Windows' need to be something for everyone. Windows 8 was an interesting step in a new direction (though it didn't go without a few hiccups) and Windows 8.1 has refined the idea further.

However, with Threshold – bearing in mind we don't know the full story concerning this OS yet, by any means – it looks like Microsoft has put the entire focus on productivity, and Redmond's engineering teams are working on nothing but.

There also looks to be something for everybody, from programmers able to save valuable time by having a unified code base for Windows Phone, Modern apps, Xbox and, perhaps, even the desktop, with apps that can scale and change dynamically to fit the device you're using, to talk of major productivity enhancements for desktop Windows users (who felt a little left out last time around).

When I give talks I regularly extol the virtues of features such as Workplace Join, Work Folders and Windows To Go, just a few of the plethora of productivity features that Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 introduced. Not to mention enhanced multi-screen desktop support, Miracast, mobile tethering, Powershell 4, Wi-Fi direct and NFC pairing, InstantGo, gesture control and everything else that makes up the productivity enhancement package.

With a renewed focus on the desktop, and how we use it day to day, it's looking like Threshold will be the Windows release that I personally have been expecting for many years now.

So what do I know that's got me all excited? In truth, not a huge amount, but there are nuggets in all the right places. It's long frustrated me that so many aspects of the Windows UI date back to early versions of NT, especially the Control and Management functions. The introduction of Windows Server 2012 with its "live tile" interface shows the way forward, and what can be done with the expected overhaul of all these systems.

Without a doubt, I am very excited about the features that Threshold can deliver in terms of helping everybody from developers, through system administrators, to end users get done what they need to do in less time than it's taken before. After all, this is what progress is all about, right?

 

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