Top 10 most popular news stories of 2014

31 December, 2014

Another year has passed and boy was it an eventful one! In the last moments of 2014 we take a look back at the most exciting news of the past twelve months. Time does fly by fast, especially in the tech world where is seems that the past 360 days represent a whole decade of innovation.

The Android world definitely saw a lot of action during 2014. Samsung gathered the most interest, mainly with the unveiling of the newest generation of flagship devices. A lot of rumors and speculations surrounded the Galaxy Note 4, as well as its peculiar cousin the Samsung Note Edge and the Galaxy S5.

The Korean tech giant was also busy delivering software support to its users, with a lot of Android KitKat OTA updates taking place during the past year as well as some interesting development regarding future Lollipop builds for various handsets. Sony had much the same mission on its mind and delivered a major KitKat roll out for a lot of its device lineup.

Apple also had a busy year, dominating news outlets on numerous occasions. The California company pushed into the future with its 8th iteration of smartphones, as well as the rumor marathon leading to their announcements. But perhaps the iPhone 6 was not the biggest jaw-dropper Apple had to offer. 2014 marked a historical cornerstone in its history with the iPhone 6 Plus ushering the company into the phablet market for the first time.

Microsoft also got its share of the spotlight with the official release of Widows Phone 8.1. The OS brought about numerous new features and improvements and represents another major step forward towards Microsoft's long-standing goal of uniting mobile and desktop OS versions into a fluent and uniform experience for users and developers alike.

The past year has been a wild ride and we here at GSMArena are very glad that we were able to share it with you. Here's to a great 2014 and the hope for an even greater experience next year!

Updated: Apple WWDC slides leak with iPhone 6 on them

Updated: Apple WWDC slides leak with iPhone 6 on them

Apple's WWDC hits the stage this Monday and we already know Apple is planning to unveil iOS 8 and the latest OS X 10.10 but many are also contemplating if there will be an iPhone 6 announcement taking place. Update: after causing quite a stir on the web, it turned out that the video which...


Google launches Android One in India with three new smartphones

Google launches Android One in India with three new smartphones

After announcing it first back at I/O 2014, Google today finally launched the first Android One devices in India. The first three phones to be launched are the Karbon Sparkle V, Micromax Canvas A1, and Spice Dream UNO. The Dream UNO is the cheapest at INR6,299 ($103), while the Sparkle V costs...


Entry-level Samsung Galaxy V appears in a retail listing

Entry-level Samsung Galaxy V appears in a retail listing

Another day, another entry level smartphone from Samsung! A retail listing from Vietnam reveals that the South Korean giant is gearing up to introduce a new smartphone dubbed Galaxy V to attract entry-level users. Samsung Galaxy V will come out with a 4-inch display with a resolution of 480 x...


Galaxy Note 4 spotted on Samsung Mobile site

Galaxy Note 4 spotted on Samsung Mobile site

The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 is just days away from being officially announced at the IFA trade show in Berlin, and the leaks keep piling up. The latest is in the form of a UAProf found on Samsung's mobile site, which confirms a large number of the devices' specifications. Besides the SM-N920T...


Detailed images of the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 leak

Detailed images of the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 leak

Here's what the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 may look like. While looking very similar to the front of the current Note 3 the back and sides look new. The phone appears to retain the plastic back with leather-like texture but the sides look similar to the ones on the yet-unannounced Samsung Galaxy...


Apple officially announces the iPhone 6 Plus with a 5.5

Apple officially announces the iPhone 6 Plus with a 5.5" display

The Apple iPhone 6 Plus is now official. It's built around a 5.5" IPS LCD display with an Retina HD resolution (1920 x 1080 pixels or, in other words 1080p). The pixel density is 400 ppi and iOS 8 has been tweaked to take full advantage of the larger display. The back of the iPhone 6 Plus is...


Sony rolls out Android KitKat on Xperia Z, ZL, ZR and Tablet Z

Sony rolls out Android KitKat on Xperia Z, ZL, ZR and Tablet Z

Sony has just begun seeding the Android 4.4 KitKat firmware update for its last year Xperia lineup flagships. The update is going to reach all Xperia Z, Xperia ZL, Xperia ZR and Xperia Tablet Z around the world very soon. Naturally, the roll out process is gradual, but it should be completed in a...


Five Samsung smartphones to get KitKat updates this month

Five Samsung smartphones to get KitKat updates this month

According to a leaked document purportedly originating at Samsung India, the Korean company is going to release Android 4.4 KitKat updates for five smartphones before the end of this month. The handsets in question are the Galaxy S4 Mini, the Galaxy Grand 2 Duos, the Galaxy Mega 5.8 Duos, the...


Apple unveils the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 with Retina HD screen

Apple unveils the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 with Retina HD screen

Tim Cook took the stage at the start of today's event and almost immediately announced the new iPhone 6. The Apple iPhone 6 is based on iPod touch looks and has a 4.7" screen. The screen is protected by "Ion-strengthened glass", which is curved around the edges for a more seamless experience...


Windows Phone 8.1 is official, here are the new features

Windows Phone 8.1 is official, here are the new features

Microsoft officially unveiled the latest revision of its mobile platform - Windows Phone 8.1. The new release brings a lot of new features and improvements to the OS. Most of those you already know from the numerous leaks through the pre-release SDK, but here's the full list. Cortana –...



Related

Reader comments

  • Anonymous
  • 03 Jan 2015
  • 4bc

Actually quite a dull year for phone innovations.

  • AnonD-298939
  • 02 Jan 2015
  • tDb

As I predicted it was a pretty crappy year for Android and a really good year for Apple. And I don't own an iPhone, never have. I tell it how it is.

  • AnonD-4340
  • 01 Jan 2015
  • Kg{

Dont believe it, the article just happened to be heavily and swiftly moderated.

Popular articles

More

Popular devices

Electric Vehicles

More