A Foxconn Employee at one of Apple’s production plants in China has revealed that the iPhone 5 is starting to get into production. Last year the iPhone 4S didn’t go into production until April in time for an October release. If the rumour is true then seeing the iPhone 5 production start now would fit in with previous years where Apple has released its new handset in the Summer.

It is also thought that there are a few sample handsets out in the wild for testing at the moment. Apparently each one is unique and slightly different which I’m guessing is Apple’s way of protecting its product in case it leaks again like the iPhone 4/Gizmodo hoo har a couple years back. However each sample handset is said to have a 4 inch display and a completely different design and form factor than the iPhone 4S.

What is interesting is it was the same employee that told us the iPhone 4S would launch last year and not the iPhone 5 as rumoured. So the source does have some previous credibility in what they say.

So it does seem that the iPhone 5 will be making an appearance at WWDC this year. I’m going to be taking this rumour with a huge pinch of salt though, when it comes to hype and PR no one does it better than Apple. I will only be publishing rumours that have substance them against them such as leaked images, spec sheets or prototype instead the usual general rumour and second hand gossip that surrounds every iPhone launch.

What do you think? Will Apple launch the iPhone 5 this summer? If they do what features would you like to see on the new handset, how could it be better than the iPhone 4S? I guess we are going to have to sit tight to find out.

Are Apple Preparing A Summer Launch For The iPhone 5? was originally posted on the Sim-Mobile.co.uk Mobile Phone blog.

So how can Samsung raise the bar with the Galaxy S3? In October the first Samsung Galaxy S3 details leaked including a dual core 1.8GHz CPU with 2GB of RAM.

Now we might have just caught a glimpse of the Galaxy S3 for the first time in one of Samsungs promotional videos that was in use at CES. Samsung used the video throughout their press conference which shows an unknown mobile device.

You can see the unidentified device in the image above, and there are some rather noticeable differences between this and the Galaxy S2. The first thing that jumps out is how narrow the bezel is around the edge of the screen. It is not far from been completely surface to surface which is supported by rumours that Samsung have developed an all new Super AMOLED display specifically for the Galaxy S3.

Now this doesn’t mean that the unknown handset is even a real product. It could be just a mock model purely used for promotional purposes when filming the video. Although you have to ask yourself why they would build a working prototype for something that is only featured in the video for a couple of seconds. The only thing that does look a little bit off is how the corners of the screen are slightly rounded which is something you don’t usually see. This could suggest that a dummy model was used and the screen you use was pasted over the top in post production.

Here is the video from the Samsung CES 2012 conference that the screenshot above was taken from, take a look for yourself and let me know what you think in the comments below.

Did Samsung Give Us A Sneaky Peak At The Galaxy S3? was originally posted on the Sim-Mobile.co.uk Mobile Phone blog.

PocketGuitar

Turn your iPhone in to a super cool guitar with the PocketGuitrar app. Listen to the realistic guitar tunes that you pick and strum on your screen.  Choose from an electric, acoustic, classical and bass guitar depending on what kind of mood you are in. There are a number of tuning options and capo emulations, adjustable string sizes and distortion effects for you to enjoy. Overall it is a fun guitar app that has obviously been created by a guitarist. It is great for virtual musicians of all ages and abilities.

MixMeister Scratch

Bring out your inner DJ with this cool iPhone scratch app. Scratching is a popular DJ technique that has now turned in to something of an art form.  It turns your iPhone in to a portable turntable with preloaded music samples for you to practise on. You simply use your finger to move the vinyl record that appears on your screen. It is extremely responsive and you will soon get the hang of it. Once you have mastered the controls you can import your own tracks from your music library for more variation. There are a number of different scratch sounds that you can mess around with as well as an adjustable volume control. It is a great app that easily becomes very addictive.

Beat Maker

This is a high end beat app with amazing capabilities. There are a whole host of sounds for you to choose from including over 15 drum beats. You can either use the sounds as they come or edit them to fit your purposes. You can also alter the pitch and the tune of certain beats and sounds to really create something special.  Once you have done this you can then add some effects and make it really come to life. When you are happy you can then upload it to your computer and use it in your samples or other productions. Some of the features on this app rival those of some pieces of proper DJ equipment. Overall an extremely usable app that even the most experienced DJs will enjoy.

Rock Out With These Music Related iPhone Apps was originally posted on the Sim-Mobile.co.uk Mobile Phone blog.

It’s Friday the 14th of October, and in case you didn’t know it’s the official release date for the iPhone 4S across the world! Pricing is set at £499 for the 16GB version, £599 for the 32GB and £699 for the 64GB.

That’s a pretty big price tag, but luckily most networks are offering the handset free of charge with a contract which is the easiest and cheapest way to pick up the new iPhone.

The Cheapest Way To Get An iPhone 4S

Use our deals table below to compare iPhone 4S deals and get the best deal for you.

The Apple store in Covent Garden London opened its doors at 8am this morning to crowds of people that had queued up for days to get their hands on a brand new iPhone 4S.

Personally I don’t see why people don’t just order one online and avoid standing out in the cold and rain all night, but whatever floats your boat!

The iPhone 4S sold over 1 million units in one day (Friday 7th October) when it was first made available for pre-order. That’s a staggering amount when you consider the iPhone 4 did 600,000 in its first day. Since then the handset has gone on to sell a total of 3 million units worldwide and that’s before its official launch.

If you want to get an iPhone 4S but haven’t ordered one yet I suggest you get things in gear! Apple are expecting to sell a few million more handsets over the weekend and you can pretty much guarantee demand is going to out strip supply with ease. Hopefully Apple is on top of this though and the pre-order backlog doesn’t get to hectic especially with the build up to Christmas.

If you missed the original announcement, then check out our iPhone 4S deals page which features a full review of the handset.

The Cheapest Way To Get An iPhone 4S Today! was originally posted on the Sim-Mobile.co.uk Mobile Phone blog.

Even though this is a tough phone, Motorola have been busy tinkering away with the insides as well. The Defy+ has seen a number of improvements over the original Defy handset. It is now 25% quicker thanks to upgrades to the CPU and 512MB of RAM. You will also find a 5 megapixel camera (that work’s under water) with a flash, zoom and auto focus.

The Defy+ also has a huge 1700 mAh capacity battery which is one of the biggest capacities to be seen in a smartphone. This will put out 8 hours of talk time or 400 hours of standby time. It’s about time manufacturers started developing higher capacity batteries, having to charge your phone everyday is annoying.

If you need a phone that can deal with the knocks and bumps of everyday life, or because your really clumsy then the Motorola Defy+ is ideal. Read a full review of the handset on our dedicated Motorola Defy+ deals page.

The Motorola Defy+ Is Available Now was originally posted on the Sim-Mobile.co.uk Mobile Phone blog.

The HTC Sensation XL is the latest and greatest Android handset to be released by HTC. The uniquely styled handset is beautiful to look at and packs a powerful punch in the hardware department and it’s huge screen will really draw your eye. The handset also makes sure of the new Beats Audio technology, more on that later.

First of all lets look at some of the best offers and deals that are available for the handset at the moment. Without a doubt the best option is to look online as it is very easy to compare all of the best deals in seconds. Make sure you get a contract deal that meets all of your personal needs and requirements in terms of allowances.

HTC Sensation XL Contract Deals

Head Turning Design

The Sensation XL really does stand out from the smartphone crowd. Dressed in white with a silver backing and red highlights, there is no way you could get it confused with any other handset. I welcome design innovation like this from handset manufacturers as phones have started to look very similar to each other in recent years. Design is what used to sell a phone, now its hardware specification so I’m happy to see HTC making a push back into the design realm.

The Sensation XL like its name suggests, carries an extra large screen. It measures 4.7 inches and is capable of displaying a resolution of 480 x 800 which will provide some very crisp images. That large screen does make the phone quite big at 132.5mm x 70.7mm x 9.9 mm and weighs 162.5 grams with the battery.

In terms of size and specification this is the Google Android version of the HTC Titan.

The Android Titan

Delving deep inside the handset will find a Qualcomm MSM8255 1.5GHz processor at the heart of the Sensation XL with 768MB of RAM. Although it is only a single core processor unlike the dual core CPU in the HTC Sensation XE, there is more than enough power to keep Android running smoothly.

The camera has received a lot of love from HTC as well. The new upgraded camera is stupidly quick, focuses instantly and delivers some really great shots. This is because unlike cameras on other handset, this camera operates at F2.2 with a BSI sensor and a dual LED flash.

All of this helps the camera to be quick and responsive while delivering very sharp and crisp images even in low light conditions. All of this is sat on top of the 8 megapixel sensor. It’s good to see that manufacturers are now focusing on the quality of image instead of just how many megapixels they can cram in. There is also a front facing 1.3 megapixel camera for you video callers and self portrait lovers.

The phone has 16GB of internal memory to store your music, video and photos and a range of sensors including a Gyro sensor, G-Sensor, Digital compass, Proximity sensor and Ambient light sensor. You will also find Bluetooth 3.0, GPS and Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n support built in.

Beats Audio

If you have ever tried to listen to music via your Android phone, it’s likely you weren’t that impressed with the stock music player and the tinny flat sound it outputs. HTC have been working hard to improve the mobile audio experience and The Sensation XL is one of the first phones to feature the Beats Audio technology by Dr. Dre.

This is essentially a series of audio profiles that are tailored specifically to the Beats Solos ear buds (included with the phone) and YourBeats headphones (included in limited edition packs). This will allow the handset to deliver the music just like the artist intended and provide a quality listening experience.

The included headphones are actually very impressive. I have personally always been a bit fussy with headphones, you can really tell the difference between a £10 set and a £100 set and owning a quality set of headphones just makes music that much better. The included Beats Solos and YourBeats (limited edition) headphones are certainly of premium quality. They are very similar to the Dr. Dre ear buds that retail for £100 at the time of writing.

The headphones provide really good clarity and depth of sound, and if you’re a bass head you will fall in love! You can tell these are premium headphones within seconds of throwing on your favourite track.

HTC Sensation XL Specifications

HTC Sensation XL Video

The HTC Sensation XL is a remarkable handset; it has a fresh design and a solid hardware specification. If you prefer handsets with a bigger screen then you can’t go wrong with picking up the handset free of charge with most HTC Sensation XL contract deals.

If you prefer a smaller screen then you might want to check out these HTC Sensation XE deals instead.

HTC Sensation XL Contract Deals Compared was originally posted on the Sim-Mobile.co.uk Mobile Phone blog.

The image was sent to Phandroid anonymously and it does look like the type of internal presentation slide that gets produced for networks and distributors.

Looking at the image it looks like the Samsung Galaxy S3 is going to feature a dual core 1.8 GHz Exynos 4212 processor with 2GB of RAM. That will certainly put some pressure on HTC’s dual core 1.5 GHz processor in the HTC Sensation XE.

The design has also significantly changed which could be a reaction to the loss in Apple’s recent legal battles over patents and design. However it will be thinner than the Galaxy S2 which is incredible to say the least.

There will also be a 12 megapixel camera and a 4.6″ Super AMOLED Plus HD display providing the perfect stage for Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. The HD resolution of the display alone could be a game changer for Samsung.

Although the leaked image could be a hoax and there are a couple of minor errors (common in slides like this anyway) it does some plausible that Samsung will be stepping their game up in response to the iPhone 4S. Although the Galaxy S2 did just win the phone of the year award.

Samsung Galaxy S3 Specifications

• Dual Core 1.8 GHz CPU
• 2GB RAM
• 12 Megapixel Camera
• 4.6″ Super AMOLED Plus HD Display
• Google Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich

We’ll be posting more details as soon as we get them, join the email list below to get instant updates!

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Samsung Galaxy S3 Specifications And Pictures Leak was originally posted on the Sim-Mobile.co.uk Mobile Phone blog.

It’s not really surprising to see a handset that has sold many units take the tops spot for phone of the year. Although let’s face it, looking at the handsets it was up against it was pretty obvious which one was going to win.

The Galaxy S2 was released in May and the only real competitor amongst the bunch was the iPhone 4 released a year earlier than the Galaxy S2. It would be interesting to see how the Galaxy S2 stacked up against the HTC Sensation XE and iPhone 4S.

To be honest there would be no competition; it would be between the Sensation XE thanks to its dual core 1.5 GHz processor or the iPhone 4S because of its amazing graphics performance.

Either way, the Samsung Galaxy S2 is a fantastic handset and is beautiful to use. The dual core 1.2 Ghz processor and 1GB of RAM keep the handset chugging along very smoothly, and it’s just drop dead gorgeous to look at!

A quick rundown of some of the other awards include-

• Gaming Gadget Of The Year – Xbox Kinect
• Retailer Of The Year – Amazon
• Work Gadget Of The Year – Blackberry Bold 9780
• Tech Brand Of The Year – Google
• Tablet Of The Year – iPad 2

Compare deals and save money with the Samsung Galaxy S2 contract page which also includes a full review of the phone of the year. You can read the full list on the dedicated awards site.

Which handset do you think should have won?

Samsung Galaxy S2 Wins Phone Of The Year was originally posted on the Sim-Mobile.co.uk Mobile Phone blog.

A lot of people were disappointed when Apple announced iPhone 3GS as everyone was expecting a completely new look and design. Instead Apple chose to keep the same design as the original iPhone 3G but fully redesigned the inner workings of the handset to add new features and make it that much more powerful.

In fact, the S in 3GS stands for speed as Apple have focused on making the handset run quicker and smoother. This is one of the first things you notice when you start to use the handset if you have been using either of the older iPhone models.

The Best iPhone 3GS Contract Deals

Same Old Design

The physical design of the iPhone 3GS is pretty much identical to the original iPhone 3G. They both have a similar shape and the same external controls, it’s actually quite difficult to tell the two apart!

Although it has the same dimensions as the iPhone 3G at 115.5 x 62.1 x 12.3 mm it is a couple of grams heavier weighing in at 135 grams. The extra couple of grams is a small price to pay for the new and improved hardware that can be found inside.

Enhanced Performance

Apple are keen to point out the iPhone 3GS provides ‘faster performance’ but they have been a bit shy as to telling us exactly what that means. Digging down into the technical specification you can see that the iPhone 3GS now features a 600 MHz processor compared to the 412 MHz found in the original iPhone 3G. They have also doubled the available RAM from 128MB to 256MB with the iPhone 3GS.

You can really tell the difference with new the processor and memory upgrades, launching Apps is much quicker and the handset is generally more responsive. Even simple things like browsing the internet is a lot better, there is very little lag when loading pages or zooming in and out of them.

More Megapixels

Apple has paid some attention to the camera as well with the 3GS. First of all they have upgraded it to a 3 megapixel sensor from the 2 megapixels we saw in the original iPhone 3G. They have also introduced video recording as well, which has taken them long enough given that should have been a standard feature of the original iPhone.

When using the camera you can either allow the phone to auto focus shots, or you can tap on the screen where you want it to focus. This allows you to take some really nice shots, focusing on your subjects while blurring the backgrounds and such. It also has much better performance in low light conditions as well, and although it’s not quite as good as a dedicated point and shoot camera it is ideal for carrying around in your pocket!

The new camera also has image stabilization to help make sure your shots are always sharp and crisp.

Is It Worth The Upgrade?

A lot of people are wondering if they already have the iPhone 3G, is it worth upgrading to the iPhone 3GS? After using the phone for a while, personally I can see the benefit in upgrading.

The 3GS is much quicker and snappier when you are using it, and everything flows very fluidly without any lag. The upgraded camera is also worth noting which is an important upgrade for me personally.

Apple iPhone 3GS Specifications

Apple iPhone 3GS Video

The iPhone 3GS is certainly a great handset and the best iPhone 3GS contract deals are actually quite cheap now. You can get the handset free of charge without any upfront cost which is an absolute bargain by all accounts!

The Best iPhone 3GS Contract Deals was originally posted on the Sim-Mobile.co.uk Mobile Phone blog.

There is no doubt that the iPhone 4 is one of the most powerful and best looking handsets available. The handset was released in the UK on the 24th of June 2010 and had consumers literally camping outside Apple shops to be one of the first owners of the new handset. So was the iPhone 4 worth all the hype? We take a closer look at the handsets new features to decide.

Since it was launched the prices of iPhone 4 deals have been falling steadily. It is now possible to get the iPhone 4 free of charge on any of the popular UK networks such as Three, O2, Vodafone, Orange and T-Mobile. Three definitely have the best value offers by quite a long way but it is still certainly worth looking at the other merchants below as deals are changing constantly. Make sure you get enough free minutes and texts to cover your usage with the contract as well, or you could end up with a big phone bill.

The Best iPhone 4 Contract Deals

All New Design

When the iPhone 3GS launched, a lot of people felt let down that Apple hadn’t changed anything about the look and feel of the phone.

This has changed with the iPhone 4 which has undergone a radical redesign. The handset is now more compact, much slimmer and lighter than before. The unit measures at 115.2 x 58.6 x 9.3 mm and weighs in at just 137 grams.

Retina Display

One of the biggest upgrades for the iPhone 4 is its new Retina display. Measuring 3.5 inches across, the display can produce an amazing 960 x 640 resolution which is up to 4x as many pixels as other devices. This ensures that images are bright, crisp and clean while using the handset. The display has also been covered in a fingerprint resistant oleophobic coating.

More Processing Power

The iPhone 4 is powered by the well renowned Apple A4 processor which is actually manufactured by Samsung. The Apple A4 provides the handset with 1 GHz of processing power, as well as the PowerVR SGX GPU to help with 3D graphics and that type of stuff. There is also 512MB of eDRAM to help support the processing and increase performance.

This is a big step up from the iPhone 3GS as the iPhone 4 will be much more responsive and able to deal with everything you throw at it!

Improved Camera

The camera on the iPhone 3GS left a lot to be desired and a lot of people were very disappointed with it, especially after spending so much money on the phone. Apple has addressed this issue with the iPhone 4 and has upgraded it with a 5 megapixel sensor. They have also included an LED flash and offer some more advanced features such as geotagging, HD 720P video recording at 30 frames per second and 5x digital zoom.

If your one of those rare few that take advantage of video calling, then you will be glad to know that there is a front facing VGA camera as well!

Bells And Whistles

The iPhone 4 also includes the usual bells and whistles you expect to find on a modern smartphone. This includes 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 2.1 with streaming support. There s also a GPS and digital compass to assist in location find applications such as satellite navigation.

There are also a range of digital sensors such as a three axis gyro accelerometer, proximity sensor and ambient light sensor which help with some of the phones advanced functions.

The lithium ion battery is capable of producing upto 14 hours talk time and 300 hours standby time which should mean you won’t have to stop and charge the handset everyday.

Apple iPhone 4 Specifications

iPhone 4 Video

The iPhone 4 is a ground breaking handset, it is clear that Apple have put a lot of love, care and attention into the iPhone 4.

It has recieved a number of significant upgrades over the iPhone 3GS and includes a new design and completly new and upgraded hardware on the inside.

Bearing in mind that the best iPhone 4 contract deals now let you get the handset completly free of charge, you really can’t go wrong with getting an iPhone 4 of your own!

The Best iPhone 4 Contract Deals was originally posted on the Sim-Mobile.co.uk Mobile Phone blog.

As you can see in the table below, there are a range of deals that allow you to get the iPhone 4 free of charge for as little as £30.00 per month with 300 minutes and unlimited text. That’s an absolute bargain, let’s not forget the iPhone 4 is still one of the best handsets on the market by quite a margin and its a steal at that price. The iPhone 4S looks very expensive in comparison!

Free iPhone 4 Contract Deals

The deals above get updated every morning, so if you can’t find one that is quite right for you at the moment then please check back. I wouldn’t expect prices to drop any further now until after Christmas though and stocks tend to be limited over the build up to Christmas. Most retailers currently have the iPhone 4 in stock and ready for immediate dispatch.

If you can’t quite stretch to the cost of the iPhone 4S then you really can’t go wrong with an iPhone 4 at this price. The handset will be supported for the foreseeable future and is due to get the iOS5 update sometime next week. The iPhone 4 is available in black and white and in 16GB or 32GB capacities.

For those that missed all of the iPhone 4S news this week, then have a read of our in-depth review of the new handset on our iPhone 4S deals page and feel free to post a comment and let us know what you think of Apple’s new super phone!

Get A Free iPhone 4 With These Fantastic Deals was originally posted on the Sim-Mobile.co.uk Mobile Phone blog.

The rumoured specifications of the handset are said to be a dual core 1.5 GHz processor, with a dual core GPU which is likely to be the PowerVR SGX543MP2 which is found in the iPad 2.

It will also have an 8 megapixel camera capable of shooting 1080P HD video and an improved sensor to take better photos in low light conditions. The battery will be upgraded to a stagger 2050mAh capacity which should allow for a couple of days between charges at least!

The most impressive feature is the 4.65 inch display which will display 1280×720. Yes that’s true 720P HD resolution right there in your hand, I cannot wait to see what that looks like in the flesh!

The handset was due to be announced October the 11th but Google and Samsung have now decided to cancel the event in light of Steve Jobs recent passing. A new date has yet to be announced, but I’m sure we will get more details soon.

As you can probably see, a couple of images of the upcoming device have already leaked as well as a full blown video showing off the device. Sign up below to get instant updates and news about the phone.

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Google Nexus Prime Images, Video and Specs Leak was originally posted on the Sim-Mobile.co.uk Mobile Phone blog.

Like the Sensation XE the Sensation XL will feature the Beats by Dr. Dre audio technology. However the Sensation XL is the first handset to be built working with the Beats audio engineers from the ground up. The Beats technology was just added onto the Sensation XE, I don’t think it makes a difference really but thought I would make that clear. Let’s not forget those mean looking headphones that come with the phone.

Other specifications include a huge 4.7 inch super LCD screen running at 480×800 pixels which should make for some incredible crisp details. Threes also a 1.5 GHz processor (single core) and 16GB of internal storage to hand.

The camera has also received a bit of loving, boasting an f/2.2 28mm wide angle lens with a BSI sensor. What that means in English is that you will be able to take much higher quality and sharper images when in low light conditions. There’s also a dual LED flash to help light things up a bit as well!

All of this is packed into a handset this is only 9.9mm in thickness – 132.5mm x 70.7mm x 9.9 mm and weighs 162.5 grams with the battery. Essentially the Sensation XL is the HTC Titan except it runs on Android and has the Beats by Dr. Dre technology as well.

There is no world on pricing or release date yet, but stay tuned and we’ll keep you posted!

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HTC Sensation XL Officially Unveiled was originally posted on the Sim-Mobile.co.uk Mobile Phone blog.

Featuring a dual core 1.5 Ghz processor the HTC Sensation XE makes the Galaxy S2 look old hat. It is currently the most powerful Android device on the market and also features the well acclaimed Beats by Dr. Dre audio.

HTC have made a big push towards improving audio on their mobile devices and have teamed up with Dr. Dre to bring his Beats audio technology to mobile phones. This audio technology is a first in mobile phones and will deliver crisp sounds and rich bass.

The handset also comes with a set of premium Audio beats headphones that have been specially designed to complement the Sensation XE. If you have only ever used cheap headphones around the £30 mark, you will be amazed just how good the included premium Audio Beats headphones are that can deliver head rumbling baselines.

The HTC Sensation XE is going to be one of the biggest selling Android handsets in the coming months. It’s top class hardware specification and advancements in audio technology make this a winner! The Samsung Galaxy S2 has been kicked off the Android throne.

There have been a number of other handsets released this week as well including the Blackberry Torch 9860, Blackberry Curve 9360 and Blackberry Torch 9810. They really are spoiling us for choice at the moment!

We also have a dedicated HTC Sensation XE deals page available, and for those of you that prefer to pickup handsets sim free then you can get the best price on our HTC Sensation XE sim free page as well!

The HTC Sensation XE Is Now Available To Buy was originally posted on the Sim-Mobile.co.uk Mobile Phone blog.

The Blackberry Torch 9810 is the follow up the hugely successful Blackberry Torch 9800 which was launched last year. Although the handsets look nearly identical (they both have the same dimensions and weight) there have been a number of improvements throughout the internal hardware of the phone.

Firstly the display has been upgraded to display 640×480 pixels allowing for crisp and sharp images. Both the processor and available RAM have been upgraded as well to 1.2 GHz and 768MB RAM respectively. The Liquid Graphics engine provides dedicated graphics processing as well.

You will find a full slide out QWERTY keyboard and a 5 megapixel camera that can record HD video, along with advanced features like image stabilisation and face detection.

The handset also runs on the brand new Blackberry OS7 operating system which has proved to be very stable and easy to use, I actually prefer it over Android if I’m completely honest! Check out the video below to get a visual tour of the handset, it is now available to order across the UK and Europe for next day delivery.

Use our deals comparison about or visit the Blackberry 9810 deals page for a full review or you can pick up the Blackberry 9810 sim free if contracts aren’t your thing

The Blackberry Torch 9810 Is Now Available was originally posted on the Sim-Mobile.co.uk Mobile Phone blog.

Send it to a repair company

In a lot of cases our phone can be bought back to life by a bit of techy CPR from a specialist repair company. Many repair companies have sprung up over the last few years and you will easily be able to find one that offers iPhone repairs, Blackberry repairs and general mobile phone resuscitation. Most operate online and it is a simple case of bagging your phone up and sending it off. You can usually expect to have your mobile back as good as new within a few days for about £40. Obviously costs will vary depending on the problem.

Sell it

This is a similar concept to selling your old and unwanted gold. Find a company who trade gadgets for cash. There are a lot of sites that will offer to buy your smartphone irrespective of its condition.  You bag your phone up and send it to them to be evaluated. They will then offer you an amount of money which you can accept or decline. This is one of the best options open to you if your iPhone is beyond repair because you might as well get something for it rather than it gathering dust around the house.

Replace it

If you took out mobile phone cover when you bought your phone you need to read your policy and find out exactly what is covered. Some policies will cover a certain number of repairs per year if carried out by the network provider. Others will replace the phone for you at no charge if the damage is irreparable. One thing that is worth pointing out here is that some banks provide free mobile insurance with certain accounts. Contact them to find out if you qualify.

Smartphone Reincarnation – Can They Be Brought Back To Life? was originally posted on the Sim-Mobile.co.uk Mobile Phone blog.

If you shop around there are some great iPhone 4S contract deals around on the web. Personally I have found the best offers are coming from Three and Vodafone. If you want to compare the offers from other networks I suggest you look at Mobiles and Carphonewarehouse below who also have some fantastic savings available. You should think about how many minutes and texts you will need before signing up to a contract, without doubt the best offer right now is from Three giving you 2000 minutes, 5000 texts and truly unlimited data for just £35 per month.

Apple iPhone 4S Contract Deals

Without a doubt Three are offering the best iPhone 4S deals at the moment but be sure to check the others out as well. If you need any advice then please leave a comment below and I will help you out.

Not Much Has Changed On The Outside

The iPhone 4S has retained all of the same design features of the original iPhone 4. Just looking at the phone it’s quite difficult to tell them apart! They are both the same size, and both feature the high resolution 3.5 inch retina display.

Although not much has changed on the outside, nearly everything on the inside has.

Much Faster Processing

One of the biggest upgrades to the iPhone 4S is the new processor. It will feature the dual core Apple A5 processor which is the same processor that powers the iPad 2. Helping to support the main processor is a dual core GPU which is dedicated to dealing with the demands of graphically intensive applications and games. This new GPU will boost graphics performance by up to 7 times which I’m sure is going to spark a new wave of 3D games.

No More Antenna Issues

When Apple released the iPhone 4, they got caught with egg on their face thanks to the famous death grip issue that would drop all signal if you held the handset in a certain way. Apple has paid particular attention to this issue with the iPhone 4s to ensure this doesn’t happen again. The antenna run down both sides of the phone, and iOS will switching to the antenna that can provide the best signal quality on the fly. This should put an end to dropped calls and the famous death grip issue.

Improved Snapper

Apple have also made significant improvements to the camera as well. It now sports an 8 megapixel sensor that can deliver 60% more pixels at a resolution of 3264 x 2448. However, the biggest improvement comes in with the sensor itself as it now uses a backside illuminated CMOS which lets in 73% more light which should make for crisp and sharp photos even in very low light conditions.

They have also integrated an IR filter which will help to produce much better colour accuracy. The lens is now capable of going all the way down to f/2.4 thanks to the five element assembly which will deliver a 30% increase in image sharpness.

But it doesn’t stop there! There is also a dedicated image signal processor that will enable features such as face detection and provide a 26% boost to white balance performance.

Apple were also keen to show off the speed of the camera, noting the time to first photo as just 1.1 seconds in comparison to the Galaxy S2 at 2 seconds and the Droid Bionic at 3.7 seconds. There was also just a 0.5 second gap between taking photos, compared to the 1.8 seconds it takes on the Galaxy S2. In fact it takes the iPhone 4S just 1.6 seconds to take 2 photos.

Video recording has received an upgrade as well, with Apple opting to deliver native 1080P video recording along with video image stabilisation and temporal noise reduction.

A Personal Assistant

The most impressive feature by far is the new Siri system. Siri is essentially your own intelligent assistant that will help you get this done just by asking. For example if you wanted to know about the weather you could ask Siri questions like- What’s the weather like today? What’s the upcoming forecast? Is the weather going to get worse today? And Siri will intelligently provide answers to your questions.

Want to set an alarm? Just tell Siri to wake you up in the morning at 8am and Siri will automatically set an alarm for you. Need to call the wife when you leave work? Just tell Siri and it will setup a geo-fence around your workplace and automatically notify you to call the wife when you leave.

You can literally control and manage the whole handset through your voice. Whether that’s replying to text messages, checking/updating your calendar, composing emails, getting stock prices, finding restaurants, getting directions or finding out how long until Christmas. The possibilities are endless and I suggest you check out the video of Siri in action to get a better understanding of exactly what it is capable of, written word just don’t do is justice.

iCloud Integration

iCloud will be a free storage system that will serve as a central storage system for all of your iOS devices. This means if you get a new iOS device, you will have instant access to all of your music, videos and photos as long as you have a data connection.

If you take a photo on your iPad, it will instantly show up on your iPhone and vice versa. The system will also backup all of your contacts and important data, and then sync them between devices. Apple have extended this functionality into Apps as well, and used the new Safari web browser as an example. Let’s say your browsing on your iPhone 4s and you see an interesting article, you will be able to mark it to read later and that will show up on every single iOS device so you can settle down with a cup of coffee and an iPad in the evening to catch up. Pretty cool stuff and I’m sure new features will be added to the iCloud service over time.

Very Impressive

Although some people may feel a bit let down that Apple didn’t announce the iPhone 5, the iPhone 4S is a huge step forward. The new dual core processor and graphics processing are going to allow App developers to really get their hands dirty and produce some stunning stuff!

The iPhone 4 is still one of the best handsets on the market, and it just got a whole lot better in every aspect. From the new hardware to the new features of iOS5 the iPhone 4S is going to be the biggest selling handset of the next 12 months without a doubt.

You will not be disappointed!

Availability

The iPhone 4S will be released in both black and white flavours with storage capacities of 16GB, 32GB or 64GB. It will be available for pre-order from the 7th of October and will be released in UK, France, Australia, USA and Canada on the 14th of October. I’m expecting demand to outstrip supply so if you’re looking to get one on launch date I suggest you pre-order it now!

Apple iPhone 4S Specifications

There will be some some fantastic iPhone 4s deals available at launch, don’t forget to use our price comparison tool at the top of the page to help make sure you get the best deal for you and save some money at the same time.

iPhone 4S Deals – Compare The Best UK Contract Offers Instantly And Save Some Cash Today was originally posted on the Sim-Mobile.co.uk Mobile Phone blog.

Design wise the 4S looks very similar to the original iPhone 4, but it’s what’s on the inside that counts! Apple have made huge changes to the internal hardware providing a dual core A5 CPU running alongside a brand new dual core GPU that will boost graphics performance by up to 7 times.

Apple have spent some time developing the Antenna of the 4S as well to help prevent the death grip issues that plagued the iPhone 4. The antenna run up both sides of the phone and iOS will switch between them on the fly without dropping calls to deliver the best signal quality available at all times.

The camera department has had one of the biggest upgrades though. The 8 megapixel camera includes a backside illuminated CMOS sensor which lets in 73% more light. It also has a built in IR filter to improve colour accuracy a 5 element lens that increases sharpness to 30% and it will go down to f2.4. They have also strapped in a new image signal processor which enables face detection and boosts white balance performance by 26%. It would be rude not to include 1080P video recording which is also present with video image stabilisation.

It will be available in black or white, and with 16GB, 32GB or 64GB storage. Pre-orders for the phone will start on Friday the 7th of October and the Apple iPhone 4s release date has been set as the 14th of October in the USA, Canada, Australia, the UK, France, Germany, and Japan.

We will be posting a very long and detailed breakdown of the handset shortly as well as the cheapest iPhone 4S deals, sign up for instant email notification below.

UPDATE: We have now published our iPhone 4S deals page.

If you do choose to get the new iPhone 4S, then you may want to sell iPhone 4 for the best price possible via a recycler.

Apple iPhone 4S Release Date And Pricing Announced was originally posted on the Sim-Mobile.co.uk Mobile Phone blog.

Personally I’m not a fan of full touchscreen devices (pretty much every handset these days) but most people don’t mind them! The Blackberry Torch 9860 is the first full touchscreen OS7 device to be released by RIM.

You can get the handset free with most Blackberry 9860 deals for roughly £22 a month which is very cheap for a handset of this specification. If you don’t want to take out a new contract, then the Blackberry 9860 sim free can be had for £398.50 at the time of writing. We update our comparisons every morning to ensure you always have access to the cheapest deals.

The Torch 9860 features Blackberry OS7, a 1.2 GHz processor, 768MB of RAM, 3.7 inch display, 5MP camera, HD video recording, 4GB internal memory, MicroSD card slot, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and GPS. Check out the video below which shows the handset off in more detail.

If you buy the handset, then you might also be interested in our 5 minute mobile phone unlocking guide as well.

Blackberry Torch 9860 Gets Official Release Today was originally posted on the Sim-Mobile.co.uk Mobile Phone blog.

There are some great launch deals available for the Curve 9360 at the moment; you can get the handset free of charge on a £14.63 per month contract at the time of writing. We have picked out the best 5 deals below which get updated every morning. You can use the filters to find the best deal for your personal needs using the sliders as well.

If you missed the original announcement, let me give you a quick recap on the specifications. The 9360 has an 800 MHz processor, 5 megapixel camera, GPS, NFC, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. It measures just 109 x 60 x 11 mm and is light as a feather at 99 grams. The ultra slim design gives it a very sleek and professional look.

Other Blackberry Curve 9360 Coverage

Blackberry 9360 sim free

Blackberry 9360 deals

Blackberry Curve 9360 Available Now was originally posted on the Sim-Mobile.co.uk Mobile Phone blog.