How to move from iPhone to Android

Thursday, April 4th, 2013

For the past three years – since the launch of the iPhone 3GS – I’ve been firmly in the iOS camp. For the past week, however, I’ve been testing the HTC One (you can read my verdict on the device in our HTC One review).

Making the move from iOS to Android was a damned-sight less painful than I anticipated. Within a matter of minutes, I had all of my contacts, music and other data transferred or accessible from the HTC One.

If you’re thinking about making the move from iPhone to Android, here’s how to make the transition as easy as possible.

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Is Apple rattled by Samsung? Let’s hope so

Monday, March 18th, 2013

Defensive, prickly and occasionally flat-out disingenuous, Apple’s attempt to swing undecided buyers to the iPhone is great news. For Android users, it confirms that the long wait for an alternative mobile platform that you can bring home to your parents is almost over. Apple’s anti-Android potshots are an indication that Android has finally come of age for consumers.

That’s good news for everyone. If Apple now sees Android as a real threat, it will have to find ways to stop users drifting away. In the long run, Apple on the back foot should mean nicer, better-value products. In the short term it means snippy, linkbait anti-Android marketing barely worth the HTML it’s written on – but still, Apple’s rattled. That can only be a good thing.

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Samsung just cut Google out of Android

Friday, March 15th, 2013

In this month’s PC Pro, our Talking Point asks whether Samsung’s Galaxy brand is now bigger than Google? Had we written that after last night’s launch of the Samsung Galaxy S4, I suspect the conclusions would have been rather different.

Make no mistake: Samsung just shafted Google. The company spent about 10% of last night’s launch event talking about the new hardware, and the remainder of “the show” unveiling a phalanx of new services, many of which fall into direct competition with Google’s own. Android has effectively become a piece of open-source firmware on Samsung’s latest handset, not the money-generating gateway to services that Google intended it to be.

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Greatest Hits of MWC 2013

Sunday, February 24th, 2013

With the world’s largest mobile technology show about to take place in the sunny environs of Barcelona. it’s time to kick off something new for our coverage of the show this year: PC Pro’s Greatest Hits of MWC 2013. It’s our pick of the best products and technologies on show at the event. Nine products will walk away with a Greatest Hits award, and as ever we’re looking for our readers’ help in picking the winners.

If you see a product you think deserves to be considered, then make a comment on this blog by midnight Tuesday 5 February (UK time). In addition to five products earning the Greatest Hits accolade, we’re giving away four awards in the following specific categories:

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HTC One review: first look

Wednesday, February 20th, 2013

HTC hasn’t made a ground-breaking handset in a few years, but first impressions suggest the HTC One is a welcome return to form.

We’ve been hands-on with the new phone, and the One makes a superb first impression. Its body is constructed entirely from aluminium, with two diamond-cut bands that contain the aerials. The good looks are matched with excellent build quality – the 143g device feels as sturdy as anything Apple or Samsung can muster. (more…)

Lenovo IdeaPhone K900 not-review: hands off

Thursday, January 10th, 2013

Lenovo was showing off six new Android phones at CES 2013, but the most enticing of them all is the IdeaPhone K900. So enticing that it was protected from prying fingers by a screwed-down glass cabinet.

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Polaroid iM1836 Interchangeable Lens Android Camera review: first look

Wednesday, January 9th, 2013

The Polaroid’s iM1836 Interchangeable Lens Android Camera follows the lead of Samsung’s Galaxy Camera by running Android on a touchscreen-backed camera, giving the ability to edit and share photos instantly. The camera runs Jelly Bean, which was unveiled here at CES 2013, and will be upgradeable to newer versions of the mobile OS.

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Sony Xperia Z review: first look

Tuesday, January 8th, 2013

If you’re sick of all phones looking the same, then Sony’s Xperia Z – the first phone from Sony’s design team, as opposed to Sony Ericsson’s – is well worth a look, a feel and the occasional coo of appreciation.

The first thing you’ll notice may well be the colour, with Sony opting for a striking purple design to accompany the standard black and white. (more…)

The techs to watch in 2013

Monday, December 31st, 2012

With the January sales looming, you might be wondering whether it’s time to grab a bargain, or whether you should  hold out a little longer and see what technologies the new year brings. I’ve been closely watching the industry in 2012, and keeping track of announcements for the coming year – and below you’ll find my predictions of what’s going to happen in various areas of technology in 2013.

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Four ways to get PC Pro every month

Friday, November 9th, 2012

At the risk of sounding like a Stephen Fry voice-over, it’s never been easier to get your hands on PC Pro every month. We now have four different ways to pick up the magazine in either print or digital form, and to help you decide which suits you best, I’m going to run through the options here.

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