What to expect from Apple's iPhone 5S launch

THE unveiling of the new iPhone 5S is just days away so naturally the rumour mill has gone into overdrive.
Here's what we can expect on Wednesday's launch:

1. The fingerprint scanner

It has long been rumoured that the new iPhone would include a thumbprint scanner as a form of biosecurity. Today newly leaked images of the alleged upcoming phone depict a silver "ring" around the iPhone's black home button.

Photos of the packaging were leaked by Chinese tech site Ctechcn.com. The authenticity of the images have not been confirmed, but the design confirms an image description espoused by Fox News reporter Clayton Morris on technology podcast TWIT last month.



IPHONE 5S FINGERPRINT SCANNER CONCEPT




Designer Martin Hajek also released a "Lord of Ring" photo gallery featuring mock-ups of the iPhone 5S also including a round silver fingerprint scanner that sits along the circumference of the black "home" button.
2. A bargain-basement iPhone 5C
Apple is expected to release a low cost (or lower cost) iPhone on Wednesday. The phone will reportedly come in a number of colours and contain a plastic body, though the internals will be the same as what can be found in the current iPhone 5. The iPhone 5C is rumoured to cost about $99 subsidised (at least in the US market), and $350 if purchased off contract, Mashable reports.
Many have speculated that the 5C is designed to appeal to the Chinese market in order to compete with its other mobile phone providers, namely Samsung. The China market is essential for Apple if it is to compete with Android's market share. (Android phones currently make up 79 per cent of the smartphone market globally, according to a report from research firm, IDC).
3. A gold iPhone

Apple is reportedly adding a new colour to its mix and soon customers will be able to choose between black, white and gold iPhone 5S models. It's unclear at this point whether the gold iPhone will be part of Apple's low-cost range or if it will be a separate "premium" model.







4. New iPad Mini

Images of what is purported to be a new-look iPhone mini were leaked online bytroublemaking Aussie Apple "insider", Sonny Dickson. The new iPad will reportedly be slightly narrower than previous models, by roughly two-thirds of an inch. The current iPad mini is 18.5cm wide, whereas the new model is said to be just 17cm wide. The tech specs are almost identical to details that were leaked in a YouTube video last week.



NEW IPAD 5 PARTS LEAKED! (FIRST LOOK




However, the latest images do not have the plastic insert for radio antennas seen in previously leaked images

5. Apple TV software upgrade

No, Apple is not expected to be releasing its long-anticipated television set. For those not in the know, Apple TV is the name given to its set top box that allows customers to watch films, TV shows and a host of other media available in its iTunes store on their TV.

Video introductions of the Lumia 820 and 920 Windows Phones

Nokia has published two new videos on their Conversations blog, which run us through the new Lumia 820 and Lumia 920 Windows Phones. These two Apollo smartphones were announced today, sporting NFC, wireless charging, and more to further advance the Windows Phone experience.

The short videos show off the wireless charging accessories available, as well as the variety of features of the handsets themselves. Jason Gregory from Nokia walks viewers through how the Lumia 820 coloured shells are easily swapped, some of the specifications, and how the device can connect with (and charge on) accessories.

Soumyo Sinha from Nokia is the man behind the Lumia 920 presentation. Explaining the innovations in the device, which were also featured in the Nokia presentation today, Sinha also makes use of a key to navigate around the Lumia 920.

We can expect to see both Windows Phones in Q4 sometime. We'll be on the lookout for more details on the release of next generation hardware at the upcoming Build event. For now, be sure to check out the two videos below.

Smartphone manufacturers set to release swathe of new products in time for Christmas rush

A FRESH smartphone war is about to break out with major manufacturers poised to unleash a new wave of mobile technology to convince you to update your handset before Christmas.
With Apple due to reveal two new iPhones next week, a host of launches from big names including Samsung and Sony in Berlin last week, and Microsoft joining the game for the first time, consumers can expect to be spoiled for choice in the coming months.
The new generation of smartphones will eclipse technology we've seen before, offering faster phones with thinner and lighter bodies, much larger screens, advanced cameras, and even extras such as fingerprint scanners and accompanying smartwatches.
The new handsets will come at a time when demand for phones has never been higher.
New research from GfK reveals smartphone shipments skyrocketed 66 per cent in the first half of the year, with the majority - 59 per cent - of those mobile phones now smartphones.
GfK identified at least three trends boosting their popularity, including the new size and shape of smartphones.
"Specifically, displays are becoming larger, the casing slimmer and processing power is growing significantly," its report said.
All three trends could be seen in Berlin this week at the IFA technology tradeshow, where Samsung and Sony launched new smartphones.
The new trend for big-screen phones could be seen from both manufacturers.

A model displays the new Samsung Galaxy Gear, left, which is connected ivy Gear Watch with the new Samsung Galaxy Note 3. (AP Photo/Gero Breloer)

SAMSUNG


Samsung revealed the latest in its phablet (combined phone and tablet) series, the Galaxy Note 3, with a larger, 5.7-inch screen but a slimmer, faux leather-backed body, faster processor, more memory and new software features.
Samsung Electronics chief executive JK Shin promised the large phone would be "slimmer, lighter, larger, faster" with a longer lasting battery.

The Sony Xperia Z1 smartphone with an attachable camera. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

SONY


Sony also revealed two large-screen phones in Berlin due to arrive in Australia this month.
The Sony Xperia Z Ultra features a 6.4-inch display but, despite the huge screen, its waterproof body is just 6.5mm thin.
The company's other release, the Xperia Z1, participates in another new trend: advanced phone cameras that could compete with dedicated snappers.
Sony's Xperia Z1 features a larger image sensor with a 20.7-megapixel resolution not usually seen inside a phone.
Sony chief executive Kazou Hirai said the inclusion boost the phone's cameras "to the level of a truly premium digital camera".
The Japanese firm also debuted two cameras that look like lenses but work with phones to produce stunning images.
The innovative QX10 and QX100 lens-shaped cameras can be clipped on to the back of the Xperia Z1 phone, or used wirelessly, and both feature zoom lenses and image sensors typically found in expensive cameras.
But Sony's products will compete for users with Nokia's newly launched flagship phone.

The logo of Finnish mobile manufacturer "Nokia" and US multinational software company "Microsoft" are seen on the display of the Lumia 1020 Windows smart phone. Picture: ODD ANDERSEN

NOKIA


The Lumia 1020 features a 41-megapixel camera sensor, along with other features typically seen in dedicated cameras, such as manual controls and optical image stabilisation.
With the Finnish phone maker bought by Microsoft for $US7.2 billion this week, analysts are expecting even more innovation from the once-powerful phone company.
But the new partnership, and other incoming smartphones, will have to compete with the Apple behemoth, with two new iPhones expected in the wee hours of Wednesday morning.

Apple is expected to release a new range of iPhones and iPads within weeks. AFP

APPLE


While Apple has yet to comment on the widespread rumours and alleged photo leaks, experts are expecting to see two iPhones revealed at its Cupertino headquarters this week: a new flagship iPhone and a budget smartphone, possibly called the iPhone 5C.
The latter model is expected to arrive in a colourful, plastic case but basic features.
The top model, possibly called the iPhone 5S, is rumoured to feature a larger screen, faster processor, 12-megapixel camera, and a fingerprint scanner for added security.
The rumours about the fingerprint reader began after Apple's purchase of AuthenTec, and could be embedded in its home button.