In Depth: iPhone through the ages: just how much has it changed?

It was January 2007 when Steve Jobs took to the stage of the Moscone Center San Francisco to announce the arrival of the iPhone, which went on sale worldwide later that year.

If you find it difficult to remember that far back, Leona Lewis was number one in the UK with A Moment Like This and people were flocking to the cinema to get teary-eyed at Will Smith in The Pursuit Of Happyness.

While our pop music and movie choices may not have improved much, smartphones were changed forever: from that point on, touchscreens, apps and digital media were the way forward.

Launched: June 2007 (US), November 2007 (UK)

Part iPod, part phone, part Internet device: the original 2007 iPhone.

Steve Jobs introduced the iPhone as three devices in one: a touchscreen iPod, a revolutionary mobile phone, and a truly mobile web browser.

Now we take touchscreens, digital media playback and Web access for granted, but in 2007 the iPhone was unlike anything that had appeared before. Its 3.5-inch screen had a 320 x 480 pixel reoslution (one of the best displays of the time), with a 2MP camera built-in, and up to 8GB of storage.

Third-party apps were not yet allowed on "iPhone OS". In the TechRadar review, we noted that despite several shortcomings, the phone had "changed the mobile device landscape... multitouch will prove to be a model for interfaces in the future."

Launched: July 2008

The second iPhone model brought with it 3G connectivity, but was very similar to the original

High-speed connectivity was big news in 2008, which is why the second generation iPhone included 3G in its moniker (rather confusingly, as this was the second generation iPhone). It also brought with it a thinner shape, a plastic back and - crucially - support for the newly launched App Store.

The app store model worked so well you'll now find it replicated in everything from your smart TV to yourWindows 8 laptop, and the change helped Apple's phone really start to gain traction.

We said in our iPhone 3G review promised that buyers would be "amazed by the function and feel of this handset." The iPhone era had begun in earnest.

Launched: June 2009

Video recording came to the iPhone with the launch of the 3GS model.

The iPhone 3GS upgrade was viewed as disappointingly minor at the time, but look at the detail and a different picture emerges: as well as faster performance, the new handset offered a better 3.2MP camera (that could now record video as well as take photos), extra storage options and voice control (the precursor to Siri).

The display was the same 3.5-inch 320 x 480 screen, and the device's appearance remained largely unchanged from the 3G model. TechRadar's take on the unit praised the multimedia and internet capabilities while still finding niggles with the camera, call quality and battery life – this was the first of the more iterative updates to the iPhone but did enough to keep users happy.

Launched: June 2010

The iPhone 4 transformed the look and display of Apple's flagship device.

If the 3GS was a minor upgrade, the iPhone 4 was a serious step up - a new, flat design with an integrated antenna (although questions were raised about how you held the device) a high-resolution Retina display (640 x 960 pixels) that showed the rest of the world how it was done and a superior 5MP camera (featuring HD video recording) on top of internal performance improvements.

The competition was catching up, and Apple had responded in brilliant fashion. We were certainly impressed, despite some reservations about the high price, saying "it's intriguing to see record-breaking numbers queuing up to pick up this device - but after playing with it for a few days, you can see why."

View the original article here

In Depth: Pebble Time release date, news and features

The original Pebble wasn't even really a "smartwatch" when it debuted but it revolutionized wearables and set the standard for future smartwatches to come.

The Pebble Steel further cemented the company's standing as a legit smartwatch competitor by creating a sleeker model, but it didn't fully impress with usage.

Now, with Pebble Time, it seems like the public cries were heard, and most issues with the previous watches have been ironed out.

It's still a couple months away but we're excited to get our hands on the newest wearable and we're betting you are, too. In the meantime, here's everything we know about the Pebble Time.

The Pebble Time will start shipping in May to Kickstarter backers, which puts it a month behind the Apple Watch release date. So far it's unclear when Time will show up on retailer doorsteps but expect it to soon afterwards.

Pricing starts at $199 (£149, AU$199) which is the same as the Pebble Steel. However while the Kickstarter is still running you can grab the Time for $179 (about £115, AU$227).

It's far cheaper than the $250 (£200, AU$330) Moto 360 and the LG G Watch R, which costs $270 (£200, about AU$400). The iWatch will be the priciest wearable of the bunch, and starts at $349 (likely north of £223, AU$403).

The full array of specs haven't been released but a recent Reddit AMA revealed a few gems.

The Pebble Time will have 64KB of RAM on board and an ARM Cortex M4 CPU running at 100Mhz, an upgrade from the original Pebble's M3. The additional processing power is essential in supporting a new microphone feature.

Full specs will be released later on alongside the Pebble Time SDK.

Four sensors built are built into the smartwatch, including a 3 axis accelerometer, 3D compass, ambient light sensor and the aforementioned microphone.

Pebbles are known for outstanding battery life and the Time is no exception. Like the previously used e-ink displays, the new color e-paper screen helps reduce power consumption, allowing the battery to last for seven days before the next recharge.

The e-paper interface also utilizes a color palette that's limited to 64 colors, yet it looks like it will be far easier to read than the usual smartwatch displays. The company also kept the physical buttons opposed to incorporating touchscreen capabilities.

Are YOU excited?

Bluetooth is of course included in the Time package with range supposedly better than the other Pebbles, reaching up to 50 meters or more.

It's been noted the Time is similar in design to the Steel but even better. At just 9.5mm, it's 20% thinner than the original Pebble.

Similar to the Samsung Gear S, the scratch-resistant Gorilla Glass watch body will be curved, though it will be much smaller and fit more comfortably on the wrist. The bezel is made of stainless steel and will have three different watch case colors - black, red and white - with a black bezel for the former two colors and silver for the latter.

The Time will also come with a silicone watch band in the same colors above to match the watch case, but any 22mm strap can be swapped in thanks to a quick release pin.

View the original article here