The Xperia Z3 may have just been revealed at IFA 2014, but Sony's speedy release schedule means we have already began getting excited for its next flagship device hitting us in 2015. Recent speculation has suggested that Sony is ditching its two flagships per-year approach (sadly it hasn't appeared to do its smartphones sales much good) but it looks like Xperia Z4 might just pack enough punch to carry us through to 2016. Update: Leaked images of what we believe is the Z4's LCD digitizer has given us an idea of the display dimensions and front-facing design. Head to the new Xperia Z4 display section for more details.
The original Sony Xperia Z was released in February of 2013, with the Xperia Z2 following a year later in March 2014. Sony had previously stated that it wanted to beat the yearly release cycle that most manufacturers have set for their flagship handsets and instead release them on a bi-annual basis, which is why the Xperia Z3 landed in the Autumn. This idea appears to have been abandoned now, and we think that the Xperia Z4 will be the only flagship released by Sony next year, so here's hoping it produces more than a just a modest upgrade over the Xperia Z3.
What all of this means for the Xperia Z4 release date is that it may materialize around April next year, but maybe even as soon as March to coincide with the 2015 Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, which takes place between the 2nd and 5th of that month.
Let’s be real. The Sony Xperia Z range is known for premium materials and hardware. The Z3 features a glass and aluminium housing, 20 MP camera, quad-core Snapdragon 801 processor, 5.2-inch full-HD display and 2 GB RAM. Oh, and it’s waterproof. The Z4 will be at least as powerful, so you can expect to pay top-dollar when it does come around.
The Xperia Z3 is available for pre-order in the UK for 549 GBP off-contract (or 515 GBP on Clove), and the 6-month old Z2 currently goes for 399 GBP (down from the 549 GBP RRP). The Verizon-based Z3v will start at 199 USD on a two-year contract. We expect similar sort of prices for the next generation.
Sony Xperia Z4 Display
Update: A blog going by the name of futuresupplier.com has leaked what it claims is the Xperia Z4 LCD digitizer. What a "digitizer" is, for those who aren't aware, is the glass sheet that covers a smartphones display and translates your swipes and presses into digital information (i.e. it tells your phone when and how you have touched the screen). From this we can get an impression of how the front of the device will look.
As you can see from the pictures, the Z4 looks to have a similar screen-size as the Z3; whether this is up 0.3 inches from the 5.2-inch screen of the Z3 to the suspected 5.5-inch screen of the Z4 is difficult to tell. The top speaker has been moved from the top-centre to the top-right of the handset, while the camera flash and proximity sensor have swapped sides. The speaker at the bottom of the screen is also not apparent on the Z4 digitizer, so we presume this will be making its way to the underside of the device, if the rumor pans out to be true. Check out the image below.
While Sony has previously claimed that it doesn't believe in QHD technology due to the battery life trade-off, the latest leak from Android Origin includes a 5.5-inch QHD (2560 x 1440) display for the Xperia Z4. The rest of the specs revealed include a 64-bit compatible quad-core Snapdragon 810 (not even the 808), 4 GB of RAM, and 32 GB as the base model for internal storage.
Category 6 LTE (up to 300 Mbps download speeds) and Bluetooth 4.1 are a given, but one of the most exciting tidbits is that the Xperia Z4 might be getting amplifiers for its speakers, creating an audio experience like HTC's BoomSound. We'll just wait and see how much of this pans out, but if all this works out as leaked, then the ''minor upgrade to fit the six-month update cycle'' problem may be a thing of the past, because the Z4 looks to be shaping up as seriously next-gen if it appears on schedule.
Courtesy of sonyalpharumors.com, it looks like Sony is advancing smartphone camera quality to a substantial degree, producing the world's first active pixel color sampling sensor (APCS) in 2015. A leaked document reveals that Sony is producing a 1.5 inch sensor with 4.8 million pixels, which doesn't seem so impressive until you consider that each individual pixel is said to be capable of carrying full RGBG information thanks to Sony's new technology. (This basically means 1 pixel created by this camera sensor can perform the job of 4 regular pixels)
What does this mean to the end-user? It means higher-dynamic range, faster processing, lower-noise, no need for anti-aliasing, an electronic global shutter, and 2K video recording at 16,000 FPS. Oh and a mega-pixel count which stretches far beyond the current 20 MP smartphone cap. Whether or not this camera will make its way to the Xperia Z4, we aren't sure, but it certainly seems to be in the pipeline. And if Sony is only producing one flagship next year, this would certainly be a way to sell it.
Sony Xperia Z4 features
It's safe to assume that Android 5.0 will be running on any device released next year, so you can bet the Z4 will come with Android 5.0 Lollipop out of the box, along with all of the benefits it brings.
That's basically what we think we know about the Xperia Z4. We'll update this page with more information as we get it, until then, you might want to check out how the Z3 compares to another modern flagship in our Xperia Z3 vs LG G3 comparison.
Are you excited about the Xperia Z4? Do you think the leaked specs can be done in time?
Android 5.0 Lollipop is here and we really, really like it. It improves upon its predecessor in a number of key areas, and the overall experience is a lot more fluid. But it's not perfect. There are a few aspects and features of Lollipop that are just a little sticky; they aren't exactly gelling with us. Actually, they're driving us crazy. Here are the 5 worst things about Android 5.0 Lollipop.
Android 5.0 Lollipop displays the most recently opened apps in the form of a card stack. We understand that this design can be practical, and it feels kind of nice to swipe through the stack. However, there are reports that users have experienced a system slow-down if too many cards are open, even if its working fine for us.
Sure, you can still swipe them away manually, but Google has clearly designed it so that the cards will remain: they aren't even deleted after you restart the device. What this means is that, in a worst case scenario, this view will display as many cards as you have apps installed on your phone - potentially hundreds of cards occupying system memory. It not only makes navigating through the page laborious, but it could also reduce performance.
The other added side-effect is that it's sometimes just quicker to find a recently used app on the home screen or in the app drawer, because in the deck it is hidden amongst dozens of others. In the end, the recent apps stack can make life more difficult, rather than easier.
This one is pretty great, as far as failures go. It relates to the Chrome Browser and Lollipop's use of cards. By default, tabs in Chrome will appear alongside recent apps in the card stack. It can still be used in the traditional manner, with tabs being managed by the button in the upper right corner of the browser itself, but this is an optional setting (go to your Chrome browser settings and switch "merge tabs and apps" off if you want to use it like this).
Google makes it clear when starting the browser for the first time that it wants you to manage your tabs in the recent apps deck in the future. But why? When I'm in the browser, I want to see my tabs at a glance, I don't want to see them jumbled in with recent apps and whatever else I've been looking at on my device (because Chrome tabs are not clustered together in the recent apps list). This idea just seems ridiculous and makes navigating to recent tabs unnecessarily time-consuming.
Have you ever tried to turn your phone on silent mode just by pressing the volume down key? It was quick and easy and wonderful, right? So why the hell can't we do it anymore! Now we have an admittedly personalized, but undoubtedly more convoluted system, involving going through several screens into your notification settings to silence your device.
The classic silent mode is gone, and while the device can still be made completely silent, this also removes the functionality of the notification LED! What's worse, the notifications aren't even displayed once you unlock the phone. In our tests, we had to go to open the relevant apps to find recent notifications (please correct us if we are wrong here) and it's totally impractical.
In Lollipop you can now pull down the quick-settings menu from within the notification menu. Cool right? Nope. Whereas you were once required to slide the menu down, then tap on the quick-settings icon, now you can swipe the menu down, then swipe it down again, to do exactly the same thing. This is not merely a solution to a non-existent problem, it brings its own annoyances too.
Google actually teases you, yes, teases you with the prospect of a completely accessible quick-settings menu in a one finger gesture! Watch as you drag down the notifications menu how the quick-settings will come partially in view, but always just out of reach.
Of course, we can still access the Quick Settings using a less intuitive two-finger swipe, but would it have been technically unfeasible for the system to recognize whether notifications are there or not? So if there's no notifications present, a one-finger swipe would take your straight to the quick-settings?
Google has removed the airplane mode from the menu that appears when you hold down the power button. As it can still be accessed in the quick settings, it's not such a big deal, but we find it unfortunate that Google has not taken the opportunity to expand the possibilities of the power button.
Some manufacturers of custom ROMs (like Cyanogen Inc, for example) give the option to reboot, adjust volume settings, even take a screenshot from there. We aren't entirely sure why Google has gone in the opposite direction and this seems like a step backwards. I mean, I know it's called a power button, but did Google have to take it so literally?
These are just the things that have bothered us after our first look at Lollipop, but, just to be clear, overall we are huge fans of it. Still, we would be very interested to know what your thoughts are on the subject, so let us know in the comments below.
As you've probably heard by now, Android 5.0 Lollipop has brought along a built-in battery saving mode called, drumroll please: Battery Saver. It's super easy to turn on, but if you didn't know it was there, you might not know where to find i. So we're going to show you how to enable battery saving mode in Android 5.0.
Not surprisingly, the switch is contained in the Battery section of the Settings. So hit the Settings on your device, open up the Battery section and look for the action overflow menu in the top right hand corner. It's the three little stacked dots. You'll see the magical battery Saver listed there. Go ahead and tap it. You know you want to. The following screenshots are from a Nexus 5 running stock Android, so things may be slightly different on your device, but it shouldn't be too hard to find.
In the Battery Saver section you'll see a few things. First up there's a switch to enable battery saving mode on your device. When you flip the switch you'll see that your status and navigation bars (the top and bottom of the screen) turn orange. This lets you know instantly that the mode is enabled (but not necessarily engaged).
Underneath the switch is a section that lets you determine when Battery Saver comes on: never, at 5% battery or at 15% battery remaining. If you're the kind of person to let your battery die completely then you might want to opt for 15% so you get longer out of each and every charge. If you're never all that far away from a charging point then having that last 5% optimized will scrape you through until you can plug in and juice up. When you are charging Battery Saver is automatically disengaged.
Now, in case you have no clue what the Battery Saver mode even does, it's pretty simple: it limits all the extraneous stuff your phone does. You'll lose haptic feedback and vibrations, background data will be disabled, syncing will be turned off and device performance will be throttled. It's feasible that in future this list will be expanded to include optional settings like we've seen in some flagship devices this year. But between Lollipop optimizations and Battery Saver, you can expect to start getting at least an additional 90 minutes of battery life out of your phone.
What do you think of a stock battery saving mode? Just how much battery life is enough?
Facebook gets a lot wrong in many people's eyes, and the decision to force users to send messages through the dedicated Facebook Messenger app was one such thing. Now it seems that Facebook has reinstated in-app messaging so there is no need to have the separate Facebook Messenger app installed. This is great news for anyone who is running low on storage, but it will also be welcomed by Facebook users who want to take care of everything with a single app and avoid the battery drain associated with Facebook Messenger.
When you next launch the Facebook app, you may be prompted to sign back into your account, but you'll then be able to conduct chats without switching apps – although you will encounter a nag screen encouraging you to install Facebook Messenger again. A lot of people have had luck using this method but there is a workaround if you try it and run into problems.
Android 5.0 Lollipop is rolling out like nobody's business, from Motorolas and Nexuses to LG G3s. But, if my ears don't deceive me, not everyone is thrilled about the Android 5.0 update and I even got asked today how to downgrade a Nexus 5 back to Android 4.4.4 KitKat. I love Lollipop, but I totally get the fear of the new, especially when we're talking about potentially bug-ridden new Android firmware, so if you're feeling stuck with the Lollipop update, here's how to downgrade to Android KitKat on a Nexus.
It's pretty simple really. It's basically the reverse of what you do if you're impatient and can't wait for an update to arrive: you force it manually. While some devices, like Samsungs running Knox, don't let you easily downgrade, Nexus devices are different: you're free to do whatever you choose whenever you like. So how do you do it?
First up, you need the factory image for the Android version you want. In this case we're going to use Android 4.4.4 KitKat for the Nexus 5 – but you can substitute any Nexus device and any Android version you like. If you want to downgrade a Nexus 4 to Android 4.3 Jelly Bean you can do that too. As you can probably guess, this process will wipe the contents of your phone clean, so make sure you have a backup of your apps and data before proceeding.
1. Once you've got the factory image on your PC, you want to download ADB Tools (if you don't already have it) to your PC as well.
2. Move the factory image file into the ADB Tools folder and unpack it.
3. Make sure USB Debugging is enabled on your Nexus. If it isn't, go to Settings > Developer Options and check the box next to USB Debugging. If you don't see the Developer Options section, go to About Phone and repeatedly tap the Build Number until you see the notification pop up. Then back up to Settings and you'll see it at the bottom. Now, check USB Debugging.
8. If you've got stock recovery, when you see the Android chilling out on its back, press the Power button and quickly press the Volume Up button to enter Recovery. From Recovery Mode you navigate with the volume buttons and confirm with the Power button.
10. Scroll to wipe date/factory reset and hit Power to confirm.
11. Now, connect your Nexus 5 to your PC with a USB cable.
12. Open up the ADB Tools folder and find the flash-all.bat file and double click it. Once it has done its thing your Nexus will reboot with whatever version of Android you just flashed on it.. Proceed through setup and restore your apps and data to enjoy the KitKat fun once again.
Your Android phone is many things: one of your most precious possessions, a statement of who you are, and maybe even the place where you keep your secrets. And yet many of us don’t protect our phones properly, or we do daft things that could do serious damage to our data or our reputations. What shouldn’t you do with your smartphone?
It can be hard keeping tabs on which devices get Android updates, but it’s worth paying attention: each new version of Android is mightier than the last. Google Play Services keep the guts of your device current, but the big updates can make your phone feel brand new all over again.
Your life is on your phone. Imagine how you’d feel if you lost the device and it took all your precious photos and top secret world domination plans with it. Backing up isn’t hard, and it’s a very necessary thing to do. As our Kris puts it, “getting good backup habits is like having good dental habits. It may not be the sexiest activity, but the alternative is far worse.”
Don’t store it all online, Caroline
Kris again: “If something happens to your cloud provider, what happens to your data? When MegaUpload shut down a while back there was a whole lot of uploaded data that simply vanished into thin air.” Cloud storage is a great thing, but whether data is in your device or on a faraway server if it matters to you, you should ensure that there’s more than one copy of it in circulation.
Gorilla Glass is great, but it can only do so much: while it takes a lot to break or seriously damage a smartphone screen, it also takes a lot of money to replace one if it does get damaged. Screen protectors and cases are a kind of gadget insurance: they’re worth buying because the potential costs of not using them are enormous.
Don’t leave it in the rain, Jane
Sony Xperia Z3 users can skip this one, because their phones are dishwasher-proof, but if your phone isn’t waterproof then dampness and extreme humidity are to your phone what sunlight and stakes are to Dracula. Water damage is one of the most common kinds of smartphone damage [http://www.androidpit.com/smartphones-dropped-in-toilet-buy-xperia-z3-or-galaxy-active], and even water resistant devices can only stay submerged for so long.
The worst way to buy a cutting-edge smartphone is on a monthly contract: as we discovered with the Moto X 2014, there’s a good chance of massive discounts within a few months of launch. The combination of SIM-only contracts and a little patience pays dividends.
Don’t let them see your tracks, Jack
If you’ve been using your phone to look at things you shouldn’t, such as, er, top-secret Christmas shopping you’ve been doing, you really don’t want anybody else to see the endless pages of red hot wrapping paper and saucy kindling that you’ve been looking at. The good news is that clearing your browsing history couldn’t be easier. Here’s how to do it.
From the Nexus 5 to the Galaxy S4, there is one problem that often arises on your phone which is a real pain and that’s when you suddenly receive an error message saying "the process com.google.process.gapps has stopped" or "com.google.process.gapps has stopped unexpectedly". Regardless of which device you use, this is actually quite a simple thing to fix. Here are the most effective solutions to fix com.google.process.gapps has stopped.
If you notice that the error message pops up repeatedly when you try to launch a particular app, then chances are that it is the cause of the problem. You can go to Settings > Apps and find the app in question. From here you can clear the cache and see if the problem persists. If that still doesn't help you can clear the data for the app, but this means you will lose any app data (passwords, game progress, chats etc), so you might want to back up your app data first.
If that still doesn't help, try uninstalling and reinstalling the app. This was the solution for the com.process.gapps has stopped error when everyone made the jump to Android KitKat: it was just an issue with SwiftKey. Simply uninstalling and reinstalling SwiftKey cleared it right up.
Other than clearing the cache and the data for a particular app or even uninstalling your recently downloaded apps, there’s another quick way to get a solution, especially if you don't which app is causing the issue. First you will go into the settings of your Android smartphone or tablet. This can be reached either through the pull down notifications bar or in the app drawer.
Once in here, find and tap on Application Manager, Applications or Apps (depending on what it’s called on your device), found under the device subcategory of the main Settings page. When you land in the Applications Manager, swipe right to left to get to ‘All’ applications and then look for Download Manager and tap it to open (this is the app with the Android as a logo).
Another option would be to go to the Settings and then Applications Manager and again swipe to ‘All’ apps. This time however, you will press on the soft menu key or the on-screen menu key on the bottom left of your device (or the action overflow menu button on-screen in the top right, depending on your device). Here you will select ‘Reset app preferences’ which will bring the settings of all apps back to square one.
How often do you see this error message? Did you know how to fix it?
