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Tomorrow's world, today [Middle East, The](Middle East, The Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) THE RATE OF SMARTPHONE DEVELOPMENT means that exciting new technologies we were unaware we needed or wanted until we got to used to them and began to wonder how we ever managed before, regularly come on to the market. It also means we can sometimes struggle to keep up and to know just what will be the next 'must have'. The dust had only just settled on the highly successful launch of the Samsung S3 when along came its successor. The trend toward larger screens continues in the S4 as our mobile devices are increasingly used to access ever richer seams of media content. The S4's full HD Super AMOLED screen, at 5 inches, is larger than the S3S yet the chassis is no bigger, which is quite a feat of engineering design. The screen size and crisp image makes the S4 a great choice for watching movies. And if you avert your gaze the video will pause until you look back. This, combined with motion-sensing technology, which can, for instance, allow you to scroll up and down a webpage by merely tilting the device, is a clear indication of the push by mobile manufacturers to make controlling a device more intuitive. The S4, which should be available in much of the region by the time you read this, comes packed with plenty of new features. Its media hub organises your videos, images and books in one place, while its improved camera, which can delete people in the background who sneak into shots to ruin them, will please new users but will not astound. Meanwhile, those of us with greasy fingers from lunch will delight in Air Gesture, which allows the user to scroll without having to touch the screen. The Swiftkey keyboard, with its eerily accurate predictive texting, now comes as standard. Sharing is made easier, and there is now an S Health feature that monitors your immediate environment, your calorie intake and calories expended by exercise. This positions Samsung well for the anticipated demand for the wearable 'smarttech', the health industry is lining up to supply.. Another interesting device, already available across much of the region, is the Nexus 4, made for Google by LG. The American search giant, which provides the Android operating system that runs on the majority of the world's smartphones, collaborates with a manufacturer each year and the 2013 partnership with LG has produced, beneath a somewhat bland exterior, breathtaking raw speed and power, with its quad-core processor reported to leave others standing. It comes with Android 4.2 pre-installed and all the latest Google apps fully optimised for the device, and when Google eventually brings out Android 5 you'll be the first to experience it. It is unlocked, which means it can work on any network, and even if it is not the prettiest phone on the market, it brings an awful lot of capability to the palm of your hand. The Apple iPhone 5 has already been launched in the Middle East. While the reception to the device was muted elsewhere, there was extra significance attached to its release in the region as it coincided with the launch of the iTunes store there too. Smartphones are easier ways to do a lot of things. Purchasing and listening to music is one of them. But until now iPhone users in the Middle East were denied this opportunity. Films and TV shows are not yet available, but will be at a future date, making much more of the potential of the devices. The iPhone 5S and the all new iPhone 6 are also slated for release in the spring and autumn, respectively, The tech world is awash with rumours about what can be expected of the iPhone 6. Apple, of course, are giving little away, but with its competitors producing such impressive devices, they will have to come up with something special. One of those competitors is HTC with its One model, which should be available to the Middle East from April onwards. Design-wise the One is outstanding, with a 'premium' feel, which other devices, including the S4, do not quite manage. It looks attractive, if that matters to you in a phone, with its aluminium chassis and drilled speaker and mic holes. And its 4-7 inch edge-to-edge screen is more than adequate with a 468 ppi display. The marketing trend to cram more and more pixels into a camera's sensor has been misleading consumers for years. The One has just a 4 megapixel camera but the pixels are larger, allowing in more data, and making it better at low light photography than most other smartphones on the market. Its BoomSound combination of two forward facing speakers and an amp give a powerful, rich sound to play back your music via the inbuilt player. The battery life is poor, however, compared to its rivals, especially when playing back movies with the screen brightness turned up. But depending on how you wish to use the phone, it can genuinely boast to be among the best on the market today. Another serious contender for market share in the region is Sony with its beautifully designed Xperia Z. The new device is water and dust resistant resistant, say Sony, packs a fast, quad-core processor, 16GB of storage, a 5 inch HD screen with a Bravia engine and a 13MP camera. It is a little on the expensive side, but power users will appreciate the strong battery performance at high speeds. The market for mobile devices in the Middle East is clearly a lucrative one, and, according to Gartner Inc. mobile phone sales alone in the Middle East are forecast to grow by 64% to more than $32bn. Major manufacturers are not only bringing their products to that market more quickly, the services that make them so much more than just phones are now swiftly being made available. The region's consumers have a dizzying but exciting array of choice ahead of them. EXCITING NEW TECHNOLOGIES WE WERE UNAWARE WE NEEDED OR WANTED UNTIL WE GOT TO USED TO THEM, REGULARLY COME ON TO THE MARKET THE MARKET FOR MOBILE DEVICES IN THE MIDDLE EAST IS LUCRATIVE; MOBILE PHONE SALES ALONE ARE FORECAST TO GROW BY 64% TO REACH MORE THAN $32BN (c) 2013 TME Media 21 Ltd |