Sony Xperia Z2

The Sony Xperia Z2 is the latest flagship super-phone from Sony, replacing the Xperia Z1 released last year. The new phone keeps the same aluminium-edged design, sexy glass front and back, Full HD display, quad-core processor and impressive 20.7-megapixel camera. Like its predecessor, it's completely waterproof.

You might wonder, then, exactly what is new on the Z2?

Well, it has a slightly larger 5.2-inch display, a slimmer bezel around the edge, a marginally faster 2.3GHz Qualcomm processor, the latest Android 4.4.2 KitKat software and a camera capable of capturing 4K video. Although those are only marginal upgrades, the Z1 was already a smashing piece of kit, and it might be slightly too soon for a full overhaul, given that it was only released in September last year.

It's available to preorder in the UK and wider Europe now for an eye-watering price of £600 (€700). The company is yet to confirm if it will ever get a US release, but I wouldn't get your hopes up -- the Z1 never got a proper release in the States, and the Z1S was announced at CES earlier this year as a US variant of the older phone. It's listed as "coming soon" on Sony's Asia site (with no pricing given), but there's no sign of it yet for Australia.

The Z2's glass panels do make it rather more susceptible to scratches from keys in your pocket, so if you want to keep it looking pristine -- which I imagine you will, given how much you've paid for it -- you should pop it in a case. Like its siblings, the Z2 is completely waterproof, but the waterproof rating has been slightly increased. It's IP55 and IP58 rated which basically means you can completely submerse it in up to 1.5 metres of water for up to 30 minutes at a time.

The 5.2-inch display packs the same 1,920x1,080-pixel resolution as the previous Z1. As the Z2 is marginally bigger, the screen has a slightly lower pixel density -- 423 pixels per inch against the Z1's 440 -- as the same number of pixels are being stretched over a larger area. In reality though, it's not a difference you're ever likely to notice.

The Z2 arrives running the latest version of Google's mobile operating system, Android 4.4.2 KitKat. You'd be right to expect the latest version of software on new launches, but Sony does have a habit of using older Android iterations -- the Z1 Compact launched only recently with the ageing Jelly Bean -- so it's refreshing to find the latest software on board as standard.

Around the back of the phone is the same 20.7-megapixel camera you'll find on both the Z1 and the Z1 Compact. It's an impressive amount of megapixels, but it doesn't necessarily guarantee better pictures. 

The Z2 has a trick up its sleeve in the form of 4K video capture -- that's considerably more than the resolution previously available. I put it against the S5, which can also shoot 4K, and watched the footage back on a 65-inch Panasonic 4K TV.

How to get iPhone6 Easily without wasting your time

If you haven't pre-ordered an iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus and still want to be among the first to own the device, there's a good chance you'll be facing a long line at the Apple Store today or this weekend.

Most Apple stores get pretty big shipments of new iPhones; that's the obvious choice, but not the only one. In fact, you can get the iPhone 6 (16GB) for below the recommended price at Walmart ($179, instead of $199), and you'll probably have to wait less, too.Now, on to other options: Retailers like Best Buy, Walmart and Staples have a healthy supply of devices. Best Buy is among the more popular retail spots to pick up an iPhone, so in some cases, be prepared to wait on line for awhile too.Best Buy has a ticketing process to help the lines run smoothly, but it only offers one ticket for each customer, so if you want to upgrade your whole family, they will all need to be present. (Note: Apple lets each person in line buy two phones).

line in front of apple store at the time of iPhone5

Not all Best Buy stores were packed this morning, though. According to a Best Buy employee in a message posted to Reddit, the store was practically empty for the launch. The user didn't disclose the location, but included a picture of the "crowd."

Walmart is another option that people might not consider for picking up an iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus, and the company is giving customers a nice incentive to choose them over others by discounting the devices. In addition to an iPhone 6 price cut (with a two-year Verizon, AT&T or Sprint contract), the iPhone 6 Plus is priced at $279 ($20 cheaper than what you'll find at the Apple store).an addition to select retailers, you'll of course be able to find some at the carrier stores, too. Be choosy about which store location you go to — for example, the AT&T location in Union Square in New York City had a line halfway down the block before doors opened at 9:00 a.m. on Friday. But uptown, a location on East 86th Street had just about 15 people queued up — which sure beats the hundreds of people waiting at the Apple Store just 30 blocks south. Meanwhile, the T-Mobile store (also in Union Square) had no line at all.

Google launched its Android One initiative in New Delhi, India.

Android One, one Android

While Android has a dominant grasp of the market, one knock competitors like Apple always mention is that the software's ecosystem is fragmented. Because it's an open platform, meaning anyone can use and adapt it, hardware partners like Samsung have modified it to fit their needs, leaving users and software developers to wade through Android's many iterations.

But the very name Android One -- and Google's rule that hardware partners run stock Android -- seems to suggest the company wants to home in on a more consistent experience. Onstage at I/O, Pichai emphasized that all the software on Android One comes from Google.

GOOGLE LAUNCHED ANDROID ONE IN NEW DELHI TODAY

"Google has been quietly clamping down on OEMs [or hardware manufacturers] from making things too custom," said Melissa Chau, an analyst at IDC, who covers the smartphone market in Asia.Google's main play here, though, is reeling in manufacturers who are using Android, but are not certified for Google Mobile Services, or Google apps like Maps or Search, said Chau. "They want to make sure, if you're buying a $100 phone, you're actually using Google services," she said. "They're trying to clean out all that super fragmented stuff."

The company has also been aiming toward more uniformity with other Android projects. For Android Wear -- a modified version of the operating system tailor-made for wearable devices like smartwatches -- software updates come more directly from Google, instead of first having to be tested by carriers. That's because smartwatches typically must be connected to smartphones, so carriers are not involved. (Though an exception is Samsung's Gear S watch, which has a built-in modem.)

Invites for MYSTERY EVENT Oct.8 :HTC

The theme of the invite -- "Double Exposure" -- and the fact that HTC asks invitees to submit a selfie with their RSVP suggests a camera or photo-centric event.

HTC EVENT WILL BE HELD ON OCT. 8

HTC has emphasized camera performance and features on its devices in recent years. The company ditched traditional megapixels with the original HTC One smartphone and instead opted for a custom image sensor it marketed asUltrapixels.On the flagship HTC One M8, a second depth of field sensor was added to the camera for greater customization of images.

HTC had launched the Desire 820 at its pre-IFA 2014 event, with a 64-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 processor and 4G LTE Cat. 4 connectivity. HTC had announced the smartphone will be available worldwide beginning late-September. The dual-SIM (Nano-SIM) HTC Desire 820 runs Android 4.4 KitKat with HTC Sense UI skinned on top. The smartphone is the successor to HTC Desire 816. It features a 5.5-inch HD (720x1280 pixels) display. The Desire 820 packs a 13-megapixel (with f/2.2 lens) rear facing camera with LED flash and BSI sensor, apart from an 8-megapixel secondary front-facing camera.
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