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The year in tech: smartphones

HTC's handset assault, Apple's new iPhone, Windows 8 phones land.

By Allie Coyne on Nov 12 2012, 10:11AM

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HTC beat its rivals to the punch launching Australia’s first 4G smartphone in January this year. The phone maker teamed up with Telstra to unveil the Velocity 4G, the first handset to run on Telstra’s LTE network. The Velocity touts a 4.5 inch touchscreen, 1.5 GHz dual core processor, 8MP back and 1.3MP front-facing camera, capable of recording 1080p HD and 720p HD video respectively. The handset runs Android’s 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, and is 11.3mm thick and 163g heavy.

Intel and UK manufacturer Orange entered the smartphone fray with the announcement of the Santa Clara in February. The Santa Clara was the first device to arrive since Intel announced that smartphones were set to use its Medfield mobile chip. It packs a hefty 1.6GHz Intel Atom Z2460 processor, runs Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, with a 4in 600x1024 screen and an 8MP camera and 1080p video shooting combination. The Santa Clara did not make it to Australia.

Samsung launched an upgrade of its Galaxy S II smartphone in March allowing users to connect to Telstra's high-speed LTE network. The Galaxy S II 4G went on sale with a more powerful 1.5GHz dual-core processor compared to its predecessor’s 1.2GHz chip. The screen is also slightly larger at 4.5 inches and the 4G model comes built with an NFC chip. The smartphone was the second handset to launch in Australia with 4G capability, following HTC's launch of its Velocity 4G mobile in late January.

Samsung made its smartphone-tablet hybrid Galaxy Note available to Australian customers in March, months after the device went on sale in the US and Europe. Samsung marketed the phone as a first in a newly-created category, sitting in between a smartphone and a tablet with a large 5.3in HD screen. The phone also includes a stylus ‘S Pen’ which allows users to sketch, take notes and annotate images and files on screen. It sold for $899 outright at launch.

It's hard to know where to position Asus' Padfone. The Taiwanese hardware vendor calls it a tablet-smartphone hybrid. The all-in-one mobile Padfone combines a 4.3-inch Android smartphone with a 10.1-inch tablet. It's aimed primarily at the enterprise market. The phone slots into the back of the Asus Padfone Station dock which boasts a 10.1-inch WXGA touchscreen with a native resolution of a resolution of 1280x800 pixels. The Padfone Station automatically adjusts apps for the larger screen, allowing for a smooth transition from phone to tablet. The Padfone smartphone and tablet station are bundled together for $999. An Asus Transformer keyboard attachment is also available for the device.

Sony launched its NFC-enabled Xperia S smartphone to Australian buyers in early April. The phone was the company’s first handset to lose the “Sony Ericsson” branding after Sony paid Ericsson $US1.45 billion last October to exit the long-term joint venture. The Xperia S comes equipped with an NFC chip, 12 megapixel camera and 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera which records 720p HD video, a 1.5GHz Qualcomm dual-core processor with 1GB of RAM and either 16GB or 32GB of internal storage. The handset is 10.6mm thick with a 4.3 inch screen.

HTC's quad-core Android smartphone, the One X, launched in Australia in early April. The One X was HTC's flagship smartphone among a range of new handsets released by the phone maker at MWC. It sports a 1.5Ghz Tegra 3 quad-core processor, 4.7in 720p HD screen, 9.3mm thin polycarbonate unibody, 8MP camera and curved gorilla glass screen, running Android's 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich HTC Sense 4.

Nokia's Lumia 800 launched locally in March. It was the flagship Windows Phone offering at the time for Nokia. It packs a 33.7in 800x480 Gorilla Glass AMOLED display, 1.4Ghz processor and a 8MP Carl Zeiss camera, along with the Windows Phone 'Metro' interface.

Samsung's 'hero' Galaxy S III arrived in late May, to a jam-packed event for over 300 guests in Sydney's Capitol Theatre. The white 16GB smartphone costs $899 outright. It's powered by Samsung's 1.4GHz Exynos quad-core processor with 1GB RAM. It has a slimmer bezel than its predecessor, the Galaxy S II, boasting a 4.8in 720x1280 Super AMOLED display and a sharp 306ppi screen. The screen size is also larger than the Galaxy S II, with dimensions of 136.6 x 70.6mm. The 8.6mm thick Galaxy S III weighs 133g, and is available in 16GB, 32GB and 64GB models with microSD support up for to 64GB. It holds an 8MP sensor able to shoot 1080p video, with a front-facing 1.9MP camera boasting 720p video capability.

HTC's One XL followed the launch of its flagship One X in May. The 4G smartphone is less powerful than its predecessor, with a dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor rather than the One X’s 1.5Ghz quad-core Tegra 3 chip. The One XL also carries less memory, with 16GB compared to the One X’s 32GB internal memory. Both smartphones offer a 4.7in screen, 9.3mm thin polycarbonate unibody and curved gorilla glass screen, running Android's 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich with HTC Sense 4. The One XL includes an 8MP 1080p HD video camera on the back, and 1.3MP front camera with 720p video recording.

HTC also scored the first 4G Windows Phone launch locally, launching the Titan 4G in partnership with Telstra in May. The smartphone targets business customers already familiar with Microsoft software. It runs on Windows Phone 7.5, which offers Exchange ActiveSync mobile email and Office Hub along with Microsoft’s SkyDrive online storage and file sharing service. The Titan 4G is powered by 1.5 GHz Snapdragon processor and 1GB RAM. It is on the larger side for a smartphone - measuring 132mm long including its 4.7in display. The handset boasts a 16MP camera with 720p HD video recording, as well as a 1.3MP camera on the front. It can be bought for outright purchase at $888.

Nokia's high-end Lumia 900 arrived in May for $699. It boasts a larger screen than its Lumia 800 3.7in predecessor, at 4.3in, and runs on Windows Phone 7.5 with a 1.4 GHz processor, including 512 MB of RAM and 16GB internal memory. It echoes the Lumia 800’s 8 megapixel camera but adds on a front-facing 1.3 megapixel camera.

The company also debuted its Lumia 610 in May, positioned as the most affordable in the range. The Windows Phone device runs Windows Phone 7.5 ‘Mango’, built specifically by Microsoft to run on lower-end hardware. It has a 3.7-inch 800x480 LCD screen, 256MB of RAM, and touts an MSM7x27 Qualcomm processor.

HTC took the wraps off its mid-range One S smartphone in June. It was HTC's fifth smartphone launch this year. Boasting a 4.3-inch Gorilla Glass Super AMOLED display and a 1.7GHz dual-core processor, the One S is coated in a unibody aluminium frame measuring 7.6mm. It runs Android's Ice Cream Sandwich with HTC Sense 4, with 1GB of RAM, 16GB of internal memory, Beats Audio integration and an 8MP camera. HTC partnered with Dropbox to provide costumers with 25 gigabytes of free online space for two years.

Sony introduced its Xperia P and U smartphones to the Australian market in June - marking its second handset release without the Sony Ericsson branding. The Xperia P’s main selling point is its “WhiteMagic” display – technology which allows greater visibility in direct sunlight through the addition of extra white sub-pixels to the common red, green and blue combination. The Xperia P carries an 8.1 megapixel camera on the back and a VGA front facing camera for video calls. It has 1GB of RAM and 16GB internal storage, and is equipped with NFC and SmartTag. It sells for $449 outright. Its lower-end Xperia U sister boasts entertainment credentials through additions such as 3D surround sound and Sony’s xLoud technology, which claims to enhance audio volume without distortion. It costs $299. It is smaller than its higher-end counterpart, at 3.5-inch compared to the Xperia P’s 4-inch display. It carries a five megapixel camera on the back and VGA on the front.

HTC's sixth smartphone this year was the One V, which launched in July through Optus. It was initially slated to launch in June but initial shipments were recalled. No explanation was given by Optus or HTC for the recall. The One V runs on a 1GHz processor and Android’s 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, with 4GB storage and 512MB RAM. It features a 5MP camera with 720p HD video, a 3.7in LCD 2 screen, and comes in grey with a metal unibody.

LG admitted it had dropped the ball with its local smartphone strategy and subsequently launched its L-Style series of handsets in Australia. The range included the flagship model Optimus L7, as well as the Optimus L5, Optimus L3 and Optimus L2-Dual SIM - a series which first debuted at February’s Mobile World Congress. The flagship Optimus L7 sold outright for $269.

Huawei's Ascend P1 was supposed to land in Australia in May, but touched down in July. The company said it had experienced delays in finalising retail agreements with partners. The dual-core, high-end Ascend P1 represented the first high-end Huawei handset release locally. The company is traditionally known for its budget smartphones. The Ascend P1 sold for $499.

Samsung was the first to jump on the Windows Phone 8 bandwagon with its Ativ S smartphone. The smartphone is one of a range of products marketed under the Ativ banner, all optimised for Microsoft’s new operating system. The Ativ S will be available in early December through Optus exclusively, and will also be available to purchase outright from Samsung’s experience centre and major retailers for $799. The Ativ S touts a 4.8in HD Super AMOLED display with a curved design and a raised Windows button. Other specs include a 1.5Ghz dual-core processor, 1GB of onboard RAM, and an 8MP autofocus rear camera and 1.9MP front-facing camera. Storage capacities are 16GB or 32GB.

Samsung announced the local availability of a 4G version of its flagship Galaxy S III handset in September, at the same time telco Optus cut the ribbon on its consumer 4G services. It is selling through both Optus and Samsung for $899 outright, and on Optus and Telstra plans. Its arrival marked the fifth 4G smartphone entry into the Australian market, and the first for Optus and its new LTE network.

It wouldn't be incorrect to call Apple's iPhone 5 the most anticipated smartphone release of the year. Apple products generate hysteric-levels of interest and speculation and its latest iPhone was no different. The smartphone deviated in design from previous iterations and was the first iPhone to launch with 4G capability, as well as a new dock connector. It came in black and white and retailed from $799.

To make way for the iPhone 5, Apple killed off its curvy iPhone 3GS. The 3GS lost its spot in the company's line-up of iPhone products after the launch of the sixth-generation iPhone. The new line-up includes the iPhone 5, iPhone 4S and iPhone 4.

HTC was the third vendor to unveil smartphones running Microsoft's Windows Phone 8 software. It unleashed its 8X and 8S in September, pitting them directly against Nokia's Lumia models and Samsung Ativ S. The new devices were marketed as the "signature" Windows Phone 8 smartphones. Nokia also marketed its phones as the 'flagships' of the range. The HTC 8X is 4G capable and will land on Telstra’s LTE network, and will also be available through Vodafone. The 8S will be available through Telstra and Optus. HTC is yet to announce pricing.

HTC’s mid-range Desire X smartphone arrived down under in September. It sold exclusively through Optus for $299 prepaid, or on a $35 p/m plan. The handset mirrored the design of HTC’s flagship One X, but opted for a metal unibody design over the One X’s polycarbonate design. The Desire X runs on a dual-core 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 chip and the latest version of the Android mobile operating system, 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. Along with a 4in super LCD display, the smartphone boasts 5MP back and 1.3MP front cameras, with 4GB storage and 768MB RAM.

Motorola sent some 4G smartphones Australia's way, debuting the Razr HD and Razr M in early October. The pair were part of a range of Razrs, including the i and Maxx, which won't be available in Australia.

Samsumg launched a mini version of its Galaxy S III in October, but there's still no word on whether it will make it to Australia. The 4in Android 4.1 Jelly Bean smartphone sports a similar design to its bigger, flashier sister while dialling down the features and specs. The S III Mini’s 4-inch Super AMOLED screen is 800 x 480 rather than HD, its camera is 5MP rather than 8MP and there’s a 1GHz dual-core processor rather than the S III’s quad-core 1.4GHz CPU.

Nokia’s flagship Lumia 920 and 820 have a lot riding on them. The 'flagship' Windows Phone 8 smartphones arrived this month, at $829 for the 920 and $649 for the 820. The 920 will be available in black, white, red and yellow from Telstra, and also in grey from major retailers. The 820 will be available in the same four colours from Vodafone, and later Optus and major retailers in November. Both are compatible with local 4G networks, currently offered by Telstra and Optus.

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The year in tech: smartphones

HTC's handset assault, Apple's new iPhone, Windows 8 phones land.

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