First look: #Microsoft Surface Pro 3

To appreciate Microsoft's latest tablet computer, you need to accept the notion that one device can do it all. 

The Surface Pro 3 works as a tablet when you want to watch video or read e-books. It works as a laptop when you need to get serious work done. The Surface delivers on both, though it falls short of meeting Microsoft's claim to do so without compromising on either. 

The Pro 3 runs a full version of Microsoft's Windows 8 system, the same as you get on a traditional desktop or laptop computer. That means that, unlike other tablets, it can run just about any program designed for Windows: Microsoft Office, Photoshop and more. 

The Surface has a touch screen like other tablets, but it also has an optional cover that opens to reveal a physical keyboard and touchpad. It has a USB port and one for external displays, both of which are rare on tablets. 

It also matches laptops in price. Although the new Surface starts at $799, the keyboard cover is $130 extra. As a laptop replacement, you'll want a faster processor and more memory. Configurations run up to $1,949, or $2,079 with the keyboard. A comparable MacBook Air laptop costs $1,749 — though buying a separate tablet will run you a few hundred dollars more. 

The mid-range configuration comes out June 20, with the rest coming out later this summer. Microsoft began taking orders Wednesday. I've had about a day with the Surface since Tuesday's announcement. 

I wrote this story with my feet on my desk and the Surface on my lap. The previous model had a kickstand that rests in two positions - one for the desk and one for the lap. The new one gives you a range of angles, akin to adjusting a laptop screen on its hinge to any position. I was able to adjust the angle to reduce glare from overhead lights. 

Of course, the MacBook also does all that, while allowing me to hold it in one hand. When I try to do that with the Surface, the keyboard or screen moves back and forth like a swing. 

Then again, the MacBook isn't convenient to open on a crowded subway or bus, and it isn't comfortable for watching video in bed. The Surface, without the keyboard, is ideal for those situations. 

Apple's iPad is good for that, too, and it has a greater range of tablet-specific apps unavailable for Windows or even Android. 

The Surface and other Windows tablets have the benefit of being able to run multiple apps side by side, something I long for in the iPad when I want to check e-mail or Facebook while watching video. The Surface also has a bigger screen, at 12 inches diagonally, compared with the iPad's 9.7 inches. 

The Surface comes with a stylus that feels like a real pen. Clicking on it takes you to Microsoft's OneNote app, where you can start handwriting or doodling, just as you would on a pad of legal paper. The screen is sensitive enough to tell whether you're pressing lightly or hard, and what appears adjusts accordingly, just like real paper. 

One potential annoyance: The pen doesn't have a rechargeable battery. You need a AAAA battery (the first time I've heard of that size) plus two wristwatch-type coin-cell batteries. And you need a small screwdriver, not included, to replace the coin-cell batteries. 

The new Surface departs from most other tablets, including previous Surface models, in adopting a screen ratio of 3:2. Most tablets use 16:9 for widescreen television. The iPad uses 4:3, which is common for older TV shows and standard digital photographs. 

That means you'll get wasted space whether you watch 16:9 or 4:3 video. It tends to be one or the other on other tablets, though the amount of wasted space is larger when you do have it. Microsoft says the 3:2 ratio is the "sweet spot" that covers both types of content. It's also good for photos from single-lens reflex, or SLR, cameras. 

A bigger consideration than the screen ratio is whether you need a single device that does all things. 

There are plenty of professions that don't involve sitting at desks all day: health care, retail and teaching, to name a few. A hybrid might make sense in those cases. 

But I'm not one of those people. 

When I'm reading e-books on a train or a bus, I prefer a smaller tablet or dedicated e-reader. When I'm editing photos or writing, I prefer a laptop with a larger screen. When I'm watching video, I prefer a streaming device attached to a big-screen TV. 

The Surface is good for those who want just one device, but there are trade-offs, notwithstanding Microsoft's insistence otherwise.

Ref - TOI

#Moto E vs #Nokia X vs #Lumia 520: Which one to buy

Moto E has become a runaway success in the Indian market, giving buyers a viable option against the multitude of low-cost but barely functioning smartphones from the likes of Micromax, Lava, Samsung, Sony etc.

While there is no doubt that Moto E is the best ultra-cheap Android smartphone, many still believe that Microsoft's Nokia Lumia 520 — despite being over a year old — is still THE phone to beat in the entry-level segment. Adding to the options is the recognition for Nokia X, the company's cheapest Android phone, albeit with a lot of Microsoft flavour and sans Google Play Store.

We take an in-depth look at the three to decide which among the three — Moto E, Lumia 520 and Nokia X — is the best entry-level smartphone in India.

READ ALSO: Moto E review
READ ALSO: Nokia X review
READ ALSO: Nokia Lumia 520 review

Design


Moto E sports the curved design that was introduced with Moto X and feels very ergonomic. With the rounded edges, it is easy to grip in one hand and feels pretty solid. The back cover features matte finish that feels good to hold. 

Moto E is, however, the heaviest of the lot at 142gram, especially considering its overall size and despite lack of any hardware keys in front. Motorola has used a nano-coating to protect the smartphone from damage if it gets a little water. 

In contrast to Moto E's rounded edges, Lumia 520 has sharp edges on corners. Thankfully, the back panel has a slight curve to it at the sides so that it can be wielded pretty comfortably in a way that you don't feel the sharp edges. 

On the other hand, Nokia X is all edges and no curves. It has a pretty boxy look to it and appears quite similar to the cheaper Asha phones. Nevertheless, it also feels pretty solid and can be held in one hand comfortably. Both Nokia phones also feature matte finish on the back, but it doesn't feel as good when compared to Moto E. 

Verdict: Riding high on the back of an ergonomic design and (limited) water resistance, Moto E wins this round with ease.

Display
Moto E comes with a 4.3-inch screen, offering display resolution of 960x540, something that India's entry-level segment has not seen yet. The colours appear punchy and sunlight legibility is pretty good. However, Moto E's viewing angles are a bit dodgy and you would not be able to enjoy videos from an off-centre position as it loses colours then. The screen of Moto E is topped with Gorilla Glass 3 so that it is better protected against scratches. 

Both Nokia X and Lumia 520 feature a 4-inch display with 800x480p resolution and have better viewing angles than Moto E. In comparison to Moto E, the display quality is not as great, even though there is only a small difference in the pixel density of the three (256ppi for Moto E vs 233ppi for the Nokia phones). 

Lumia 520 and Nokia X's colour reproduction capabilities are similar to that of Moto E, but the Motorola phone gets the edge in sunlight visibility. 

Verdict: Moto E is the winner here, trumping the rivals with a bigger screen, Gorilla Glass 3 protection and better overall quality.

Hardware



Moto E runs on a dual-core 1.2GHz Snapdragon 200 with 1GB RAM. It is the only smartphone in Motorola's international portfolio that supports microSD cards (up to 32GB) and comes with 4GB in-built storage. The dual-sim device has a 5MP rear camera, 1,980mAh battery, 2G, 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0 and microUSB 2.0. 

Lumia 520 is powered by a dual-core 1GHz Snapdragon S4 processor, backed by 512MB RAM. This single sim phone comes with a much higher 8GB internal storage, supports 32GB microSD cards, 5MP rear camera and a lesser 1,430mAh battery. Its connectivity features are same as that of Moto E. 

Nokia X too packs a dual-core 1GHz Snapdragon S4 Play chipset, with 512MB RAM. This smartphone supports dual sim cards, has 4GB internal storage, supports storage expansion via microSD cards (up to 32GB) but features only a 3MP rear camera and 1,500mAh battery. It comes with Bluetooth 3.0, but the rest of the connectivity options are same as that of Moto E and Lumia 520. 

Vedict: Spec sheets don't tell the real story. Sure, Moto E has the best hardware of the three at first look, but Lumia 520 does not need as much RAM and as big a battery to deliver similar performance. In the Performance section below, you will read in detail how Lumia 520 is able to match Moto E despite less powerful hardware.

Software
Moto E comes with the pure, unadulterated version of KitKat, the latest version of Android. There is a reason why Android is so popular: You get the best of apps without paying a bomb. That's where Moto E scores. On the other hand, Windows Phone is still getting there and has a fair bit of catching up to do. Motorola has also promised an upgrade to the next version of Android for its latest phone. 

Nokia Lumia 520 runs on Windows Phone 8 operating system, and will get the WP8.1 update once it starts rolling out globally only later this year. But the Windows Phone app store is pretty limited even though it is over three years old. You will get most of the popular apps on this platform, but major updates come last to Microsoft's OS. 

Nokia X is the most interesting case here. While the other two phones run on stock versions of their respective platforms, Nokia X is powered by Android, but with heavy customization such that it does not feel like an Android phone at all. The default software is overlaid with a tile-based skin that is reminiscent of Windows Phone, and a swipe to the left or right will bring you to the Fastlane multitasking system that was introduced with the Asha range. 

But the custom skin comes with problems of its own. It trades Android's default Google suite of services for Microsoft's, making common apps like Gmail, Search, Maps etc inaccessible to most users. You can, however, sideload them by installing a third-party app marketplace. 

The problem with this approach is that many, if not most, users who buy Nokia X as their first smartphone may not be aware of how to add an extra app store. Therefore, they will be stuck with Windows Store for apps. 

Verdict: Moto E wins this round hands-down as it gives access to the best apps and the best version od stock Android for an overall well-rounded operating system, and a great multitasking experience at the lowest price. 

Performance



The user interface is pretty fluid and there is no lag when you open multiple apps in quick succession. Web pages and apps open swiftly, giving a pretty good user experience despite the low price tag. 

While there is nothing remarkable about the hardware of Moto E, but the integration of the hardware and software makes it a winner. There were a couple of times when the phone slowed down under heavy usage, but there was never an instance of the handset freezing completely. 

Moto E can teach even top-end phones a thing or two about battery life. Its processor is not resource-consuming, so the battery life was expected to be good. But what's surprising is that it consistently delivers battery life of over a day once the battery is fully charged. 

Lumia 520 matches the performance of Moto E, giving a smooth performance. The well-optimized Windows Phone 8 OS does not consume too many resources either, so you do not have any instances of freezing. But compared to Moto E, apps and web pages load a tad slower. 

The difference is not much, but you would want the most responsive phone, not just one that works well. You can leave home with Lumia 520's battery fully charged and there would still be some left when you get back home after a standard work-day. 

Nokia X comes a distant third in the performance race, giving a relatively slow performance from the word go. Web pages on the browser load fast enough, but opening the browser itself takes a lot of time (compared to the other two phones). 

Apps are slow to start and multitasking is not as easy. Each time you want to switch between apps, you need to exit the app you are using and then head to Fastlane in order to open a previously used app. The battery life of Nokia X is dismal; it lasts just over half a day even with moderate use. 

Verdict: Moto E notches up another win, with a stellar performance and excellent battery life that puts even some Rs 10,000 smartphones to shame.

Multimedia and gaming
When it comes to multimedia and gaming, Moto E is a pretty good performer. Not only can it play popular games like Temple Run 2 and Subway Surfer with ease, it can also handle graphics-intensive games like Dead Trigger 2 and Real Racing 3. We use the word "handle" here because you will notice some lag while playing these games, even though the game remains playable. 

Moto E can play 720p videos, but our reference 1080p videos were a no-go. For those who play music a lot, the front-facing speaker of Moto E is a treat. The mono speaker is pretty loud, but you can notice some cracking at high volume. 

Lumia 520 delivers a similar performance here. Most high-end games on Windows Phone platform are inaccessible to this smartphone because of the limited RAM, but you can still go for Jetpack Joyride and Rail Rush, which play without even a hint of lag. 

Audio output of Lumia 520 is pretty decent but the speaker not as loud as that of Moto E. It was able to play some of our 1080p videos but there was noticeable choppiness, so you are basically limited to 720p here as well. 

Nokia X comes with 512MB RAM, making it ill-equipped to play games like Asphalt 8 and Real Racing 3. Even Temple Run 2 saw a lot of frame drops, but playing Angry Birds was a breeze. Speaker output here is good as well, but again not as great as that of Moto E. Playing 720p videos on the phone is smooth, but 1080p is a problem here too. 

Verdict: The race between Moto E and Lumia 520 is pretty tight here, as the winner will depend on what you like. If you are not much of a gamer, then Lumia 520 should suffice, but Moto E definitely does a better job at gaming and audio output. Our pick? Moto E. 

Camera



Moto E and Lumia 520 feature 5MP rear cameras, while Nokia X has a 3MP camera on the back. None of them comes with LED flash or front camera and the rear cameras are of the fixed focus variety. 

In a bid to keep costs to a minimum, Motorola has put the camera right at the end of its priority list, which is evident from the images this phone clicks. Photos are noisy and don't show much detail at full zoom. Colours are pretty accurate, but we noticed that some photos tend to blur despite a very steady capture. 

Lumia 520 comes with a host of Nokia Lenses (as the company calls its shooting modes) in the default camera app. This gives users much more choice while taking photos. Images taken with Lumia 520 offer great detail, much better than what Moto E can manage. Colours, however, don't appear as warm, but the contrast level gets a big thumbs-up. 

Nokia X is also poor in the camera department. Noise is a problem here too, but colours are warmer compared to Lumia 520. Contrast level is okay at best. 

Verdict: Lumia 520 wins the race in the imaging arena by a big margin. Moto E and Nokia X simply cannot compete with this smartphone here. 

Price
Moto E costs Rs 6,999 and is available via online retailer Flipkart only. Lumia 520 is available at best price of Rs 7,499 on e-commerce sites in India, but its average price is around Rs 8,000. Nokia X is the cheapest of the lot at Rs 6,499 (via online retailers), but average price stands around Rs 7,000. Both Nokia phones cost a little more if bought from brick-and-mortar stores. 

Conclusion
Moto E ticks the most boxes in this comparison, delivers consistently good performance on all parameters, except camera. It is no surprise therefore that it is best smartphone available under Rs 10,000. Lumia 520, albeit much older, is a close second, delivering pretty good performance that can (almost) rival Moto E's. 

However, it is the subtle differences in performance that puts Lumia 520 behind. Nokia X, on the other hand, stands last and does not offer much value for money.

Ref - TOI

#Apple to unveil #iPhone 6 in August, earlier than expected

Apple will unveil the next incarnation of its popular iPhone series in August, one month earlier than industry watchers were generally expecting, Taiwanese media reported on Friday citing unidentified supply-chain sources.

A 4.7-inch screen version of the iPhone 6 will reach stores in August, the Economic Daily News reported without specifying which markets would receive the phone first.

A 5.5-inch or 5.6-inch model will be released in September, the newspaper said, as the iPhone 5 series was previously.

People involved in the supply chain had earlier confirmed to Reuters that there will be a 4.7-inch version of the iPhone 6 and a 5.5-inch version.

Together, the Economic Daily News said 80 million iPhone 6 handsets would be produced this year.

Industry watchers have said increasing the iPhone's screen size from 4 inches would help Apple regain market share from competitors such as Samsung Electronics, who they say have responded to consumer desire for more screen size.

Representatives for Apple could not be reached for comment.

Representatives for Taiwanese iPhone contract manufacturer Hon Hai Precision Industry and smartphone camera lens maker Largan Precision, both mentioned in the Economic Daily News report, had no comment.

Ref - TOI

#HTC One (M8) review: Will the king's reign continue?

It won't be an exaggeration to say that HTC set the benchmark among Android smartphones with its 2013 flagship model. HTC One is a stunning smartphone and the first one to challenge Apple's dominance in the sphere of design. The phone was very well received among critics, even though it did not break records in sales.

One year later, HTC has managed to improvise on One and come up with a more powerful version of the phone - One (M8). Is it just an iterative update, or has HTC done an even better job this time? We try to find out in our review.

Build & design
There is no doubt that the original HTC One is a great looking phone with its all-metal construction giving it a premium, yet solid, feel. With HTC One (M8), HTC decided to improvise on the design, without making major alterations.

At first glance, you may not notice much difference between the One (M8) and its predecessor. On closer inspection, however, you'll notice that the new One (M8) is slightly larger and sports a bigger display.



Thanks to the use of on-screen navigation buttons, there are no hardware capacitive keys at the front. The full HD IPS LCD display of the phone is flanked by two speaker grills, a sensor and the 5MP front camera lens.

Unlike the original HTC One which features flat edges, the new One (M8) sports rounded edges. The all-aluminium chasis has chamfered edges at the front and white polycarbonate inserts at the back. It doesn't feature polycarbonate inserts at the side edges that were seen in the original One. The edges are rounded when they meet the back of the phone.

The left edge of the phone features the sim card tray while the right one is home to the volume rocker key and the microSD card tray. The volume rocker key is not flush with the edge like the original One but is a bit raised. The key offers good tactile feedback. Opening the sim card tray requires some effort.

The original HTC One did not feature an external storage slot (though the dual-sim version featured one), so it's a welcome move.

The back of One (M8) includes not one, but two camera lenses, part of the One (M8)'s Duo Camera set-up. The UltraPixel camera lens is accompanied by a dual-colour LED flash similar to iPhone 5S. Our grey coloured review unit sported a brushed metal finish that looked more polished compared to the original HTC One.



The power/ screen-lock button sits at the top edge of the phone, with the Infrared blaster (that covers the entire top edge) while the bottom edge features the micro-USB port and the 3.5mm headset jack.



The form factor of the phone makes it fit for one hand use even though it now offers a bigger display.

Display
HTC One (M8) sports a 5-inch, Full-HD display that looks bright, offers great viewing angles and vivid colours. Colour reproduction is among the best in class. Pictures and text look crisp and sharp. Although it is a bit reflective, we did not face issues while using the phone under sunlight. We'll have to say it's one of the best displays we've seen off late.

The display comes with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection to guard against minor scratches.

User Interface
HTC One (M8) comes with Android 4.4.2 KitKat, the latest version of the OS with Sense 6, the new version of HTC's custom UI, running on top. While it looks very different from stock Android, we quite like the Sense 6 interface. It doesn't look very different from that of the previous version of Sense.

It sports the on-screen navigation keys, which hide while playing games and using apps that make use of Android's new immersive mode.

HTC has not skinned the notifications tray and has sobered down the settings menu which is now devoid of coloured graphical icons. As with the previous version of Sense, the app launcher involves vertical scrolling.



The phone includes a new version of BlinkFeed, HTC's homescreen utility that brings personalized updates from the user's preferred news sources and social networks. BlinkFeed now offers automatic recommendations from the user's Google+ and Facebook networks. It also integrates information related to the user's fitness statistics from the built-in Fitbit app.

The native apps sport background colours depending on the theme applied by the user.

Transition effects are subtle and look beautiful.

HTC has also included new gestures for unlocking the screen and going directly to Blink Feed or other home screens. The phone can now be unlocked with a double tap or by swiping up. Similarly, voice dialling can be initiated by swiping down the screen when it's locked. All these gestures worked as promised.



The phone includes very few preloaded apps, including 7digital music store, Fitbit fitness tracking app, Polaris Office 5, Scribble (a note-taking app), Tasks and a Car mode app. The phone also has a placeholder for the upcoming Zoe app which will allow users to share montages created with their video and photo content.

Fitbit app is capable of recording steps, distance and calories burned. We found that it's not very accurate and often registers shakes as steps.

The new Sense UI also features an improved keyboard which is easier to use and more accurate in recording taps.

Camera
HTC One (M8) sports an UltraPixel Duo camera at the back. The primary camera has essentially the same 4MP lens as the original HTC One. HTC claims that it captures 300% more light compared to other phones. The second camera lens, part of the Duo camera setup, helps in detecting and separating backgrounds and foregrounds as it scans depth and adds that information to the picture. It doesn't capture images.



The feature allows users to refocus on an object after shooting a picture, similar to Nokia's Refocus app which is available on high-end Lumia phones. The Duo camera feature also allows users to create silhouettes, alter depth and add bokeh effect through the UFocus feature, in tandem with the phone's software. One can even cut and paste subjects across photos.

It also lets you shoot 3D-like pictures with the Dimension Plus effect though it will be visible only on the One (M8).



We found the Dual Camera feature a bit gimmicky with the only good use case being the UFocus feature that lets you refocus. It worked most of the times and results were good. However, we don't like how HTC has hidden the feature. It's only visible when you edit a photo. Also, the Duo Camera features don't work if the LED flash is used, or if zoom is not at the minimum level.

The phone's camera app now includes controls for granular settings, including contrast, saturation, sharpness, ISO, and White Balance for users who like to take full control of their photos. It also offers pre-shoot filters for adding effects before clicking the photo, Panorama, Burst and HDR mode in addition to a Zoe mode that lets you capture a full-HD video and convert the footage into stills, or take a sequence of pictures with brief video for use with other effects such as object removal.



The camera boasts of 1 second launch time, focus time of 0.3 seconds and 11fps burst shot mode and is one of the fastest smartphone snappers. One disappointing bit is that unlike the original One, the One(M8) doesn't feature Optical Image Stabilization that offsets distortions due to camera shake. However, the digital stabilization offered by the phone manages to mitigate the flaw to some extent.

In terms of quality, pictures taken during daylight appeared good, especially when you're not zooming in to 100%. However, at full resolution you'll notice that it misses out on detail. Also, we observed that some daytime shots looked overexposed. While the UltraPixel camera captures more light, it lags when it comes to detail. With the competition offering higher resolution sensors, we feel that HTC should have upgraded the camera.

Pictures taken indoors looked good with accurate colour reproduction and low noise. The ones shot in low-light also looked great without the use of flash.

HTC One (M8) features an iPhone 5S-like dual-colour LED flash to balance light. However, we still found that the pictures taken in low light with the flash on, did not look natural.



The phone takes good quality videos and even offers a slow motion recording mode.

HTC One (M8)'s front-camera features a 5MP sensor with f2.0 wide angle lens for taking selfies. It also includes a timer switch and touchup feature for enhanced selfies. The phone clicks good quality selfies and offers a number of options to eliminate blemishes, fix red eye and whiten skin tone.

Overall, we like the Duo Camera's UFocus effect, but other than that, the camera lens could have been upgraded for capturing more detail.

Performance
HTC One (M8) is one of the most powerful smartphones available right now. The variant available in India comes with a 2.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 quad-core processor and 2GB RAM.

Thanks to all the power under the hood, we did not notice any lag while launching and switching between apps, editing photos, browsing the web, clicking pictures, watching high definition videos or playing graphics-heavy games .

There's no doubt that HTC One (M8) offers one of the best smartphone experiences.

We were able to play videos of popular file formats barring MOV, without any hiccups. Additional file formats can be played through third party video player apps. We'll have to say that the sound delivered by the phone's front-stereo speakers is unparalleled in terms of both quality as well as loudness.

Call quality was excellent and the phone works well even in weak signal areas. We also observed that the phone catches even weak Wi-Fi signals.

The phone comes with GPS and A-GPS for navigation and maps and was easily able to lock a signal.

It comes with FM radio and NFC connectivity options. The phone also offers LTE 4G connectivity and HTC has promised that after a software update, the phone will support Indian 4G networks.



HTC One(M8) is backed by a 2600mAh battery with a claimed standby time of up to 496 hours and talk time of up to 20 hours.

We were satisfied with the battery backup delivered by the phone. With moderate to high usage, including about one to two hours of making calls, playing games, clicking some pictures, listening to music and browsing the web, the phone will last you a full working day, even if you put the screen brightness at the maximum level and keep 3G turned on.

The phone also comes with an Extreme power-saving mode, activating which will make the phone's battery last for 2 weeks, as per HTC. It also claims that the phone can offer 30 hours of talk time in the mode even when the battery's charge level is 10%. The mode restricts background data and offers access to Phone, Messages, Mail, Calendar, and Calculator apps.

Gaming
We were able to play games like Temple Run 2, Riptide GP2 and Asphalt 8(with Visual Quality set to High and Engine at 100%) without encountering any frame drops or freezes, on HTC One (M8). The phone tends to get a little warm after long gaming sessions.

Verdict
HTC One (M8) is among the best Android smartphones available in the market in terms of performance, build quality as well as software. The camera is not exactly the strong point of the phone and the Dual Camera feature is gimmicky, but it still does a fairly decent job.

Having said that, One (M8) doesn't bring something new to the table, which is a bit disappointing. Unlike the competition, it's not water and dust resistant, doesn't feature a heart rate sensor, 4K recording or a fingerprint scanner. The different sensors and 4K recording are more of futuristic features which will take some time to become mainstream and not everyone will find these useful.

At a price of Rs 49,900, the phone competes with the Samsung Galaxy S5. The Galaxy S5 features a plastic body, doesn't look as good as HTC One (M8) and is more expensive. Also, the Indian variant of the phone doesn't feature a Qualcomm processor and comes with Samsung's Exynos processor which does not offer the same level of performance as its Qualcomm variant sold in US and other markets.



If you're fine with a non-Android phone with a smaller display, then Apple's iPhone 5S is still a good option. The Sony Xperia Z2, which is a powerful smartphone, is also expected to debut soon.

However, if you want the most good looking smartphone and price is not a consideration, we'd highly recommend buying HTC One (M8).

Ref - TOI

#Apple poaching medical technology experts for #iWatch

Apple has been long rumoured to be working on the iWatch wearable device that will focus on health and fitness. It looks like the Cupertino giant is readying a team of senior medical technology experts who will help the company in its plans. 

According to a report by Reuters, Apple has hired at least half a dozen prominent experts in biomedicine, over the past year, as evident from LinkedIn profile changes. It also cites two people familiar with the hiring as saying that a prominent researcher joined Apple two weeks ago, and that the company is recruiting other medical professionals and hardware experts. 

It states that a major part of the hiring is in sensor technology which suggests that the device may allow monitoring everything from blood-sugar levels to nutrition. 

Apple has poached biomedical engineers from companies including Vital Connect, Masimo Corp, Sano Intelligence and O2 MedTech, as per the report. 

Perhaps Apple is working on a wider health and fitness platform. The report also cites a mobile health executive who recently sat down with an Apple executive from the iWatch team as saying, "The company has aspirations beyond wearable devices, and is considering a full health and fitness services platform modelled on its apps store." 

As per recent rumours, Apple has ordered the production of 3-4 million units of the iWatch for the second quarter and that the device will hit the market in the second half of 2014. 

Apple recently received a patent for a device that can be worn "as a wrist-watch device," sparking rumours that iWatch is coming soon. It is expected that the device will be announced alongside the iPhone 6 in September or with next-generation iPads in October.

Ref - TOI