October is turning into a big month for mobile tech.
With Apple supposedly announcing the iPad Mini today at their event in San Jose, Microsoft is releasing the Surface RT and Windows 8 on the 26th and then we have Google, who’s upcoming event on the 29th is looking to be another heavy hitter designed to make us remember that this year has been a kick ass one for Android and they intend to keep it that way.
But what’s actually meant to be announced at this upcoming Google event?
Well, we at Kumulos and our mobile backend as a service crew did some looking around online and we’ve put together a short list of things that have either been leaked or unofficially confirmed.
First up we have;
The Nexus 4 made by LG
The knowledge of this phone has been in circulation for a little while now, and what we know is quite impressive.
At its heart will likely be a quad core Snapdragon S4 processor, backed up by 2Gb of RAM (does anyone remember when 2Gb of RAM was a lot in a PC? Just us..?) 1280×768 on a 4.7” display and 16Gb of internal storage.
So none of those full HD screens from LG yet but it sounds like it’s going to mop the floor with every other smartphone out there if we’re purely talking about specs and power.
As for the OS, it’ll likely be running 4.1.2 Jelly Bean on release which will mean it comes will all the JB benefits like Project Butter, Google Now and the updated Google Voice that we’re all falling in love with.
But that OS version will soon be updated to…
Android 4.2 Key Lime Pie
The next iteration of the dessert named OS, Key Lime Pie is rumoured to build on JBs attempt to make Android smooth to navigate with an attempt to make it energy efficient. Code named project RoadRunner, the people at Google are looking to make their OS much more energy efficient, allowing manufacturers to design lighter phones with smaller batteries that will still last as long as we’re used to now.
There’s also said to be a big boost to security features, a new “Quick Settings” bar that will pull down like the notifications bar, panoramic camera pictures, a Play Store Widget and multi-users support for tablets(think Window’s accounts).
Speaking of Tablets there are two announcements on that front as well…
Nexus 7 32Gb version
The Nexus 7 has sold like hotcakes since its release, but there was a general consensus that 16Gb of non-upgradable storage was a little too stingy on Google’s part. Well, lucky for all, a 32Gb version is in the wings and will likely be announced on the 29th.
Also on the tablet front we have possibly the biggest news of all:
The Nexus 10 exists, and it’s got a killer screen
Much rumoured, but nothing concrete appeared until recently where we found out that Google had been talking to Samsung to create the Nexus 10, codename Manta.
It will be running 4.2 out of the box most likely, which is cool in itself, but the big news was the resolution.
It’s said that the Nexus 10 will feature a massive 2560×1600 resolution screen (which is 16:10 aspect ratio), giving it roughly 300 ppi pixel density, which – dun dun dun – crushes even the iPad 3s much touted and currently unbeaten 2048×1536 at 264ppi.
It’s not clear what any other specs of the tablet currently are, or even what size screen it will be using, but given the name we’re going to guess a 10.1 inch to match Samsung’s Note and ASUS’s Infinity.
There is also rumoured to be an upgrade to the Play Store coming as well, but there aren’t many details about that yet so we’ll just have to wait with baited breath to see what they announce.
Yes this month is going to be very interesting for the mobile device world, and what will be even more interesting are the Q4 reports that appear after xmas where the Really Big Sales happen.
Will Microsoft gain a foothold in the market? Will Google regain some of it’s reported $20Bn loses? Will Apple maintain their dominance? Will Amazon keep expanding?
It is a good time to be involved in the mobile world, and with all these new devices, also no better time to be involved in app development. So if your appetite has been whetted by all the new shiny tech flying around and you want to get your app made as well and as quickly as possible, then why not talk to Kumulos? We aim to use our combo of a robust mobile backend as a service and awesome tech support to turbo charge your app development and get you out into the ecosystem so you can start living your dream as an app developer.
And guess what? It’s even free to sign-up and get started!
