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Is It true? iPhone 5S leaked production shots point to IGZO display, NFC, more

iPhone 5S rumors are beginning to swell up as news that production is starting this month has been making the rounds. Unconfirmed leaked shots of iPhone 5S components have made their way online, as has the specs of the new device. Essentially, the phone won’t look any different from the iPhone 5 from what we see of the leaked photos, but there’s going to be quite a bit of new features in the new phone.

It’s said that the iPhone 5S will be rocking a 4-inch 1136×640 IGZO display, made by either Sharp or LG. The phone will also be equipped with NFC and a fingerprint scanner for security and privacy purposes. We also may be seeing a 12-megapixel rear camera on the iPhone 5S, complete with a dual LED flash. As for the performance hardware, it’s rumored that we’ll see the same A6 chip that is in the iPhone 5, but at a higher clock with improved quad-core technology, as well as improved LTE. There’s also said to be 2GB of RAM and a larger battery this time around. Hopefully the power-savings of the IGZO display and the larger battery will give users a much longer battery life than the previous generation. None of this sounds too far-fetched (except maybe for the fingerprint scanner), but we’re taking all this with a grain of salt. Of course, we would love to see the iPhone 5S come with these upgrades, and from what we’ve heard, the iPhone 5S will be the biggest jump taken with an iPhone that has an “S” on the end, so it seems there’s a lot to look forward to. It was rumored earlier this week that production of the iPhone 5S is starting this month, with an official launch coming later in the fall in either September or October. This wouldn’t be too surprising if true, but the prediction comes from Jefferies & Co. analyst Peter Misek, who hasn’t been too accurate with his predictions in the past. VIA: 9to5Mac Story Timeline iPhone 5S LTE-A tipped as SK Telecom reportedly pushes Apple for speed iPhone 5S specifications may hinge on local voice dictation iPhone 5S frame and "budget" iPhone shells reportedly leak again iPhone 5S details expand with Slow Motion Video Recording tip iPhone 5S leaked production shots point to IGZO display, NFC, more is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear. © 2005 - 2013, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Is It true? New Google Maps official: Dedicated tablet UI, traffic details, more

Google has officially released a new version of Google Maps for Android and, soon, iPhone and iPad, complete with a new design and the retirement of Latitude among other changes. The new app, which already began rolling out as v.7 to Android users a few hours ago, includes dedicated tablet designs for Android and iPad for the first time, but users may end up confused by the missing “offline maps” feature which is now no longer accessed in the same way.

Instead, to access maps offline, users must enter “OK Maps” into the search box when the area they wish to later see without a data connection is on-screen. It’s an odd decision for the company, and arguably will see offline use decline. My Maps support is also missing from the new apps, though Google says it will be added in later. Meanwhile, Latitude and check-ins have been retired from the app, and Google says they’ll disappear from older versions on August 9. Location sharing will instead be handled through Google+, though currently only the Android version supports that. It’s the new navigation features that many users will be pleased to see, however. The Google Maps app can now show not only current traffic conditions, but pull up exact incident details; during navigation, Google will also notify users if there’s a faster route available, and refresh the directions accordingly. Again, it’s an Android-only feature to begin with, though iOS will get it in time. Explore has been boosted in the new app, too, with search results in Google Now-style cards as you type. Locations for food, hotels, and shopping will all pop up, Google says, and there’s a new rating system that works alongside the Zagat reviews. Offers, from stores like Macy’s and Toys “R” Us, are also embedded straight into the maps too. Google Maps for Android is already out, working with Ice Cream Sandwich and above. Google Maps for iPhone and iPad will require iOS 6 or above when it’s released. New Google Maps official: Dedicated tablet UI, traffic details, more is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear. © 2005 - 2013, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Is It true? HTC One Android 4.2.2 update fixing Zoe flood, Menu key, more

HTC has begun rolling out its Android 4.2.2 update for the HTC One, with owners in Europe, Taiwan, and other locations receiving the much-anticipated firmware upgrade. The software, which takes Android to 4.2.2 but also makes significant changes to HTC’s own Sense interface, in particular addresses one of our lingering issues with the One: the ugly triple-dot “Menu” softkey which robs users of all-important screen real-estate.

That, happily, is gone, replaced with the option to trigger the context menu with a long-press of the touch-sensitive Home key, HTCSource reports. As that would usually summon Google Now, that has been remapped to the more common swipe-up from Home, as Google uses on the Nexus 4. The menu option isn’t the only space-stealing change to the UI. HTC has shifted the “Power Saving” mode checkbox from the drop-down notification pane, freeing up more space for alerts, and there are new quick-settings toggles for easily controlling wireless and other features. Other changes include the addition of lockscreen widgets and Daydream mode, which puts photo slideshows, news headlines, or other content on the One’s lockscreen when it’s not in use. HTC BlinkFeed can now pull in Instagram photos, and HTC has also enhanced its Zoe camera feature. There are six new Highlight video themes to choose from – though still not the option to create your own – with a carousel of icons to flip between them, rather than the previous drop-down menu. A much-needed tweak to the camera is how the One presents its Zoe media clusters. Previously, as we complained about in the past, you’d get all twenty of the stills along with the 3.6s video clip showing up in the gallery and, as a result, synchronizing online with services like Dropbox and Google+ Instant Upload. Now, though, you see just one photo and the video clip; the rest of the stills can be optionally pulled out of the video footage, but they’re not saved separately as standard. Software update 2.24.709.1 for the HTC One is rolling out progressively now; it’s a 465.24MB update, so best to download it over WiFi rather than your cellular data connection. VIA Android Community HTC One Android 4.2.2 update fixing Zoe flood, Menu key, more is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear. © 2005 - 2013, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Is It true? EE DoubleSpeed LTE goes live July 4; LTE router, Mobile Payments, more

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