Apple just announced iOS 7 today. It's for iPhone 4, iPad 2, iPod Touch 4 and iPad Mini or newer. Sorry 3Gs and iPad 1 users. Here are my first impressions of iOS 7 on my iPhone 5:

The new look is a big pretty change but overall they've done a good job with it. So far with regards to the user interface it all feels pretty polished.

Apple has replaced the signal bars with dots (or are they nipples). Anyways, I don't like it but I guess I've already gotten used to it. Maybe it's time to update the HoFo logo with those idiotic dots:

"AT&T: More dots in more places"

"I have full dots of reception" ...

Today Samsung is having their Samsung Mobile Unpacked event tonight at 7PM. They're going to have a stream of the event here.

They're expected to announce the Galaxy S IV. There are lots of rumors surrounding the device including a 4.99" 1920x1080 (because 5" is too big), a crazy 8 core processor which is actually has 4 fast cores and 4 slow, low-power cores, 2GB RAM, probably 16 or 32 or even maybe 64GB of RAM.

Specs are great but they're only part of the story. Anyone can release a phone with awesome specs. Great hardware needs compelling software in order to connect with consumers.

Starting with the original Galaxy S Samsung became a leader in Android with each new version grabbing more market share Let's look back at what made each one great.

Galaxy S:

Back when the Galaxy S came out Samsung wasn't the leader in Android it is today. HTC had the first notable Android devices like the Dream (T-Mo G1) and Magic. They were also the first to release an overlay for Android which was very raw back then.

The Galaxy S had a 4" 800x480 display which used Samsung's Super AMOLED technology. OLED displays had been around for a year or 2 before the S launched but this one had higher resolution and deeper blacks which really made it pop. The rest of the specs were similar to other high end phones at the time. 1Ghz processor, 512MB RAM, 16GB RAM and a 5 Megapixel camera (but no flash unlike most other phones).

On the software side, Samsung included their TouchWiz custom overlay and Social Hub. It launched with Android 2.1 and received 2.2 and 2.3 from Samsung.

When the Galaxy S came out it was kind of infamous because both the design and software were very similar to the iPhone. It's notable competitors included the Apple iPhone 3Gs (came out before), iPhone 4 (came out after), Google Nexus One (before), HTC Desire (before), Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 (before) and Blackberry 9700 (before).

Galaxy S II:

By now, Samsung was really beginning to set themselves apart from other Android OEM's. The GS2 kept the original S' resolution but now the screen measured 4.3" and had a less grainy non-PenTILE Super AMOLED PLUS display. Other hardware was beefed up including a dual-core 1.2Ghz processor, RAM was doubled to 2GB the camera now captured 8MP along with a flash and 1080P video recording. Later versions added LTE and or NFC and or bigger displays with bigger batteries.

On the software side, Samsung added a newer version of TouchWiz which took the Hub idea further and added a Reader, Music and Gamer Hubs. Samsung shipped it with Android 2.3 and it is currently on Android 4.1.

Competitors included the Apple iPhone 4 (before), Apple iPhone 4s (after), Galaxy Nexus (after), HTC Raider/Vivid (after), HTC Sensation (about the same time), HTC Amaze (after), Motorola RAZR and the Blackberry Torch.

The Galaxy S II also formed the basis for the original Samsung Note.

Most of the Galaxy S II line was the focus of Apple's lawsuit against Samsung.

Galaxy S III:

Now Samsung is firmly in the driver seat. Not only are they the defacto leader in Android but they are also duking it out with Apple. Again hardware was beefed up. Some versions came with a quad-core processor while others had a dual-core which featured more efficient processor cores. RAM on some versions was upped to 2GB, with some getting LTE. The battery got a big boost, weighing in at 2300mAh

The display now has 2.5x the resolution going from 800x480 to 1280x720 and measures 4.8". Samsung is back to using a PenTILE matrix display but the resolution is so high it's almost a moot point.

Design wise the Galaxy S III has a much more organic shape compared with previous versions which while attractive, weren't particularly interesting looking.

Somewhere between GS2 and GS3 Google finally got their act together and started offering stuff in Android Play so software-wise Samsung put less emphasis on their hubs. Instead, the latest version of TouchWiz has more usability focused improvements like using the front-facing camera to check if you're looking at the screen before it turns it off.

Competitors include the Apple iPhone 4s (before), iPhone 5 (after), Galaxy Nexus (before), HTC One X (slightly before), HTC One X+ (after), LG Optimus G (after), Sony Xperia T (after) and Motorola RAZR HD LTE (after).

The Galaxy S III is going to be tough act to follow. Samsung is really going to have to dig deep to find new features to grab consumer's attention. That said, they've built up enough of a brand that even if the GSIV is a dud, people will still flock to buy it. ...

I was thinking about the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S4 when I decided to throw together a 2013 Hardware guide. While some of 2013’s Android flagships have already been announced I thought it would be fun to discuss upcoming features plus make a wish list for them. Anyone have any features they'd like to see on the upcoming offerings from Samsung, LG, Motorola?

Like all phones, they all have to play the hardware game, so spec-wise, they’re all going to be similar.

So far phones like the Huawei D2, Sony Xperia Z, etc have:

• 5" 1920x1080
• water resistance
• quad-core processors
• 2GB RAM
• 2500-3000mAh batteries
• 13MP camera

To me, the most important new features will be the bigger batteries and water resistance. The Note II has a 3000mAh+ battery which makes it one of the only 'full day' phones I've tried.

As for water resistance you no longer to worry about using your phone in the rain. You can send Tweets from the shower (Taking a shower! #clean #dropped the soap), post Facebook status updates (Howard is cleaning his junk), take pictures underwater when you're on vacation. Need I say more? ...

With another year almost past I thought I’d reflect on what has been in the mobile industry.

iOS:

On the iOS front what stuck out was how Apple began diversifying their iPad lineup. At the beginning of the year we just had the iPad 2. A few months in we got the 3rd generation iPad with quadruple the resolution which was surprisingly replaced just a few months later with a 4th generation model which has the same resolution as the 3rd gen but with a faster processor.

More importantly, Apple released the iPad Mini. Basically it’s an iPad 2 in a smaller package with a better camera and a lower price tag. While Apple really had a chance to strike at Android with the iPad Mini they basically maintained the status quo with the Mini’s $329 price tag.

Regardless, there’s still room for a ton of competition in the tablet market. ...

Our very own Sabesh just finished his review of the Motorola DEFY PRO:

The Motorola Defy Pro brings an interesting set of features to the party: Moderately water, dust & shock-proof and good QWERTY keyboard. It runs Android 2.3 with Motorola's MotoBlur overlay.

It's keyboard rivals that of the Blackberry Bold 9900 and is a pleasure to use. They keys are even shaped in a similar fashion. The keys don't "click" as much as the 9900, but do have a good feedback. The physical keyboard even supports Auto complete! One caveat though: The centre pad is a directional button, not a scroll pad like that of the Bold 9900. ...

Windows Phone 8 just launched yesterday. Here's what you need to know.

While Microsoft has been previewing Windows Phone 8 for a while now, they announced a few new features yesterday. Besides the resizeable live tiles and camera lenses Windows Phone 8 now allows Live Apps which can display information on the lock screen. The Skype app is now able to run in the background.

Other new features include Data Sense. It helps you use less data by compressing webpages before they're sent to the phone (like Blackberry, Hiptop, etc), helping you find hotspots, showing you how much data each app uses (like Android) and by reducing the amount of data used when you're close to your bandwidth allocation.

Kid's Corner is a really cool looking kid mode for Windows Phone 8. You choose which apps you want your kids to use and then launch Kid's corner. In Kid's corner they'll be able to use any of the apps you approve but won't see any of the ones you don't want them to.

Finally, the People Hub allows you to organize your contacts into rooms. It will allow you to group message them, share calendars, that sort of thing.

While the new changes are welcome - I can't wait to try Kid's corner myself - to me the real story is new Windows Phone hardware which was sorely due for an update.

There was an HTC 8X, Samsung ATIV-S and Nokia 920 to play with. Of the 3 I thought the 8X felt the nicest in my hand. It's solid and is easier to hold. I can't wait to try the Nokia 920's image stabilized camera - should be perfect for taking pictures of my kids.

While the ATIV-S feels like a Galaxy S III it didn't really speak to me (and yes, a GS3 is one of the phones I carry around). I don't know if it's the vulgar metal-looking plastic or what. Then again, maybe it will grow on my after I use it for a while.

The other big story is having the same UI across phone, tablet and computer. If you buy into the new Windows ecosystem you'll get a relatively seamless interface.

I tried the Surface RT and some touch-screen Windows Phones yesterday and it's a pretty cool experience.

Who's excited for Windows Phone 8?

My summary of yesterday's webcast follows: ...

Just got an LG Optimus G. Here are my quick thoughts on it.

Both the front and back are covered with Gorilla Glass. Apparently the back is polarized so it has an interesting pattern on it. Some how in my hand the finish makes it feel like plastic - maybe the sides have too much laquer on them or something. Still, it's a very solid phone.

The screen looks amazing. It's 4.7" 1280x720 display with amazing viewing angles. I just got it tonight so I haven't had a chance to use it outdoors in the sun yet.

The speaker on the back isn't very loud.

There are going to be 2 versions for the Canadian market. They differ in terms of LTE support. The Rogers one has 2600Mhz LTE only while the TELUS and Bell ones have AWS LTE (and probably other bands though I'm just speculating here). ...

Since our resident Apple Affectionado Ray finished his write up about Android from the eyes of an Apple user, he got an iPhone 4s. Since he was going from a 4 to a 4s I thought it was a good time for him to compare it with a Samsung Galaxy S III. An iPhone 5 comparo will come at a later date when my nano SIM card adapters show up.

In case you didn't read the first article Ray is a huge Apple fan, Apple stickers, all Apple products, at home, that sort of thing. It's not that Ray doesn't like non-Apple products, it's just that he's always used Apple products and been happy with them. That said, Ray is not a non-Apple hater. Let's see what he thinks about the Galaxy S III

...

Today Apple announced 2 new iPads. The iPad with Retina display and the iPad mini. Let’s check out the effect the mini will have on the Tablet market.

Whether you love or hate Apple, you’ve got to admit that they’ve done a great job of managing their brand. In the 3 categories where Apple is strongest; that would be computers, phones and tablets, their devices are seen as premium products and generally command the highest prices. Take tablets for example. Until the announcement of the iPad mini, at $429, the iPad 2 was Apple’s cheapest tablet. Looking around, there aren’t a lot of 10” Android tablets that cost more than $429. Most of the 10” Android tablet action happens around $349.

A year ago, I was having a conversation about Android tablets and said that Apple could destroy the market for Android tablets by lowering the the price of the iPad. In order to compete Android makers have to make tablets with similar hardware yet with lower price points. The problem is that each Android tablets maker can’t sell their tablets in the same numbers of iPads so they can’t get the same economies of scale. ...