Samsung is definitely a veteran on the smartwatch scene, perhaps even more so than LG. The Korean giant has already done a few experiments in the field, some of which arguably quite successful, but the Gear S2 might just be the biggest one yet.
Wednesday
Upcoming Oppo A53 gets outed by TENAA
At the end of September an Oppo A33 got detailed thanks to the fact that it was certified by TENAA, China's equivalent of the FCC. And now the regulatory agency is at it again, outing yet another unannounced Oppo device - the A53. As their respective model numbers imply, the Oppo A53 is a bit higher-end than the A33, though you shouldn't expect flagship-quality specs here. In terms of looks, the A53 (which you can see below) is clearly recognizable as an Oppo handset, sporting design cues that have been seen in past offerings from the Chinese company. The Oppo A53's listing by TENAA has also thankfully revealed most of its specs. It has a 5.5-inch 720p touchscreen, a 1.5 GHz octa-core processor, 2GB of RAM, a 13 MP rear camera with LED flash, a 5 MP selfie shooter, and 16GB of expandable storage. It runs Android 5.1.1 Lollipop and has 4G LTE support. You can expect to see it launching in silver and gold color options, at least in China. It's still unclear what it will be called when it becomes official, or whether it will be sold internationally as well. Source (in Chinese) |...
BRITECELL is a new Samsung trademark, likely for the 1/2" Galaxy S7 sensor
Now that the word is out that Samsung might be going in a whole new direction for the Galaxy S7's camera, sources have dug up a patent filing that all but confirms the rumor. What could BRITECELL possibly mean, but a rather obvious word play on "bright" indicating a sensor with low light shooting capabilities, just like we'd expect from a 12MP type 1/2" imager. And we know it's a sensor that the trademark defines, because Samsung's current lineup of smartphone sensors is called ISOCELL. That, and also the fact that the patent docs contain the words "image sensor for mobile phones". Meanwhile, another source in Korea reports that the Galaxy S7 will be released in early February 2016. That rings well with previous rumors for a January launch - an announcement in late January could very well mean availability in the first weeks of February. Additionally, the same report states that the Galaxy S7 will be the first smartphone to support Cat. 12 LTE for exorbitant 600Mbps downlink speeds (theoretical, but still). We already know that the Snapdragon 820 is one chip that will be able to achieve this feat, and it seems a proper time for it to hit the market - the Snapdragon 810 premiered on the LG G Flex2 around the same time this year. Then again, the source states that the Exynos 8890, due to enter production next month, also integrates a Cat.12 modem. So, apparently, at least two of the rumored three chipset variants of the next-gen flagship will come with support for highest available cellular data speed transfers. Via 1 Via...
2016 MINI Cooper
The 2016 MINI Cooper range encompasses as many as 10 different vehicles, not only the classic “Hardtop 2-Door” but also a new “Hardtop 4-Door” introduced last year. There’s also a Convertible model, which is just being switched over from last year's old version to the new design and will go on sale in March 2016. The...2016 Ford Expedition
Back in the days of $4 gas and deep recession, pundits predicted the end of full-size SUVs. Again. Imagine their surprise at vehicles like the Ford Expedition, which is posting some of its best sales numbers in a decade, thanks to a better economy and to a light revamp last year. That revamp gave it a host of mechanical upgrades. The Expedition...Vivo teases X6 today, instead of the Xplay 3S successor
Vivo was expected to unveil the successor to the Xplay 3S today, instead the company offered a teaser - an image of a gift box with X6 on its lid. There's not much else about this new device, except that it will focus on four things: stability, speed, battery life and durability. This more or less lines up with what we've been hearing about the Xplay 3S, it may just turn out to be a case of mistaken identity. The rumor mill paints an impressive picture, though don't trust it fully. If the rumors are correct, the Vivo X6 will somehow fit a big 4,000mAh battery inside a 4mm chassis. The phone is expected to have a Nexus 6-like 6" QHD AMOLED display with Force Touch. Vivo X6 teaser image As for speed it will allegedly come with MediaTek's 10-core Helio X20 chipset and 1GB of dedicated video RAM. All current split one pool of RAM between the CPU and GPU, so the X6 could be a pioneer. A 21MP main camera and 12MP selfie camera are also in the cards. Vivo will reveal more info about the Vivo X6 to its Weibo followers in the coming days, seemingly culminating in a November 9 announcement. The fate of the Xplay 3S is not clear. Source (in Chinese) |...
ZTE Nubia Z9 Max Elite with side-mounted fingerprint sensor receives TENAA certification
Last month, we told you about the existence of the Elite versions of the ZTE Nubia Z9 Max and Nubia Z9 Mini smartphones. Turns out it has just been certified by Chinese certification authority TENAA, adding weight to the expectation that the devices will be launched soon. The listing for the Nubia Z9 Max Elite reveals pretty much what we already know: 1.8Ghz processor, 5.5-inch 1080p display, 16MP rear and 8MP front camera, 3GB RAM and 16GB internal memory, as well as a side-mounted fingerprint sensor. In addition, it was also revealed that the handset runs Android 5.1.1 Lollipop out-of-the-box, measures 154.79 × 76.69 × 8.0 mm, weighs in at 165 grams, and will be available in black and white colors. Connectivity options include WiFi, Bluetooth, and 4G LTE. The smartphone is also expected to pack in a 2,900 mAh battery and feature a USB Type-C port. Source (translated) |...
Analyst: Apple will bring back the 4'' iPhone in next year
There have been "iPhone mini" rumors since before Apple introduced the 5.5" iPhone Plus, but now that the 4" has languished people are starting to miss it. So much so that KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes Apple can move 20-30 million of such a phone. He gives the following prescription for the specs: metal casing (since the 5s far outsold the 5c), Apple A9 chipset to handle iOS9 and 10 (since the A7 in the 5s is getting really rusty), no 3D Touch (to differentiate the bigger phones). Kuo believes that Apple will hand the manufacturing contract to Foxconn exclusively sometime in the first half of next year. The analyst says Apple will move to further differentiate the biggest and mid-size iPhone 7 models, by giving the Plus extra RAM. Again, this is what an analyst believes is the best move for Apple, whether the leadership at Cupertino agrees remains to be seen. Looking at Android, there's basically no 4" flagship, even the Xperia Z Compact line is at 4.6". Would you pick a 4" iPhone 7 over a 4.7" one? Source |...
Repair shop in China can upgrade the storage on your iPhone, iPad
What if you could take your iPhone to the shop and have more storage added? It's no longer an "if," at least in China where one repair shop has cracked the puzzle of upgrading iPhones and iPads. Apple has software protection in place that verifies that the hardware is the right configuration. That is circumvented through a loophole that may be closed in the future. For the time being, the shop owner reports that 70+ devices have been upgraded and they work fine. Some app data might be lost, some apps may need to be re-installed, but ultimately an iCloud backup can save you most of the headache. Working with these chips by hand is difficult, but special tools were created to help with the process. Even so, the motherboard on the iPhone 5s is too small and cramped to safely swap out the memory chip. An iPhone 6 is much easier and most iPads reportedly work. There's no word on the new iPhone 6s generation though. As for the price, CNY 580 ($92/€84) nets you 128GB storage, CNY 450 ($71/€65) gives you 64GB. Most people go for the bigger option as a lot of the cost is for the work involved. Considering Apple is charging $100/€110 to go from 16GB to 64GB, it's a pretty sweat deal. One that will probably end soon when Apple catches wind of this. Source (in Chinese) |...
180,000 Gear S2 units reportedly sold out in eight hours in China
While we already knew that Samsung's Gear S2 smartwatch has been a hit in the company's home country of South Korea, a new report is indicating that the wearable is creating waves in China, too. As per the report, the demand for the Gear S2 in China is soaring, with the launch sale on popular third-party retailer JD.com seeing 180,000 units of the smartwatch getting sold out in less than eight hours. For those who aren't already aware, in China, the wearable device carries a price tag of CNY 2,198 (around $350) for the standard model and CNY 2,398 (around $380) for the Classic model. Previously market research firm Strategy Analytics said that the Gear S2 - which is already available for purchase in the US and UK - could turn out as a serious competitor to the Apple...
Twitter replaces stars with hearts
If you're on Twitter, you may have noticed a new UI change on the company's website and mobile apps. The longstanding star button for favoriting tweets has now been replaced with a heart button. You can say a lot with a heart. Introducing a new way to show how you feel on Twitter: https://t.co/WKBEmORXNW http://pic.twitter.com/G4ZGe0rDTP— Twitter (@twitter) November 3, 2015 The functionality is identical; instead of a star you now have a heart. Twitter is going with the familiar terminology Likes/Liking to go with the new button. There is also a neat little animation that takes place when you click on the button. Twitter's ideology is that the previous star button could be confusing to newcomers, whereas with the heart button there is no confusion as to what the functionality is. Also, the heart button works across a number of situations, such as showing appreciation or support whereas the star button was more. emotionally stunted, so as to speak. Naturally, this caused a bit of an uproar among some who preferred the star button but overall most people seem to be taking well to it. It probably won't seem like a big deal to most people, though. That's because it isn't,...
Micromax launches Canvas 5 with octa-core 1.3GHz MediaTek CPU and 5.2-inch display
Well over a couple of years after launching the Canvas 4 smartphone, Indian smartphone manufacturer Micromax has launched the device's successor. Dubbed Canvas 5, the handset carries a price tag of INR 11,999 (around $183) and goes on sale (through both online and offline channels) starting today. Specs-wise, the device is powered by a MediaTek MTK6753 chipset with octa-core 1.3GHz processor, and sports a 5.2-inch full HD (1920×1080 pixels) display. It comes with 3GB RAM and 16GB expandable internal memory, and packs in a 2,900mAh battery. In terms of camera, the dual-SIM Canvas 5 features a 13MP rear unit with Samsung 3M2 image sensor and a 5MP front shooter. The phone is 4.8mm thick and has metal side frame. Connectivity options include 4G LTE, Wi-Fi, GPS, as well as Bluetooth. On the software front, the device's camera offers the Picture in Picture feature, allowing you to capture shots with the rear and front camera at the same time. There's also a Smart Wake feature that lets you launch apps straight from the locked screen with gestures. The handset currently runs Android 5.1 Lollipop, although the company is promising a Marshmallow update sometime in the future. Source |...
Xbox One 1TB Elite Bundle with hybrid storage goes on sale for $499
At the end of August, Microsoft announced the new Xbox One Elite Bundle with 1TB storage. This Xbox One Elite Bundle features a unique 1TB Solid State Hybrid storage setup for faster access and load times. Microsoft hasn't shared the specifics on how the 1TB Solid State Hybrid storage is divided between a Solid State Drive and a regular Hard Disk Drive. Yet the company promises 20% faster wake-up times under the energy-saving mode. While other 1TB bundles with regular hard disk drives will continue to exist, this is the only unique hybrid storage boasting console version. The Xbox One Elite Bundle also has the new Xbox One Elite wireless controller with 4 inter-changeable paddles, 6 swappable thumbsticks and 2 D-pads. Other things in the bundle include a controller carrying case, HDMI cable and 14-day Xbox Live Gold trial. There's no game included in this bundle. Also, the backward compatibility for Xbox 360 games will be enabled from November 12. Microsoft has listed the Xbox One Elite Bundle on pre-order for $499 and will start shipping it in the US from December 1. Right now, you can order it via Amazon only while it is out of stock at other stores. The bundle will be sold from Microsoft Store, GamesStop, Amazon, Target, and physical...
2016 Lexus LS
The Lexus LS family has one of the best reputations among luxury cars; it's hard to name a single area in which these big, spacious sedans don't delight those who want top-tier comfort and technology. And for that matter, they have a hard-earned reputation for stellar reliability and longevity, and are the fiscally smart picks over their often...Nexus 6P fails the bend test, again
A couple of weeks ago, JerryRigEverything.com made a video where they put the new Nexus 6P through a series of tests, including scratch tests for the glass, a heat test for the display, and finally a bend test. The result of the final test was that the Nexus 6P bends like a candy bar on a warm summer day. This didn't go down well with some people, who questioned the video's legitimacy, the method of testing, and the authenticity of the phone being used itself. So to put those questions to rest, they decided to make another video specifically focusing on the bend test, with a brand new device. Spoiler alert: The phone bent just like before. The reason seems to be the use of dovetail joints that Huawei has used to attach plastic to aluminum, which doesn't seem to be the best way to do things. The joint breaks easily, causing the display to pop out at the first sign of stress. With the display no longer providing structural support, coupled with some weak spots in the metal and no other form of support along the sides, the metal bends cleanly in half without too much effort. Now the thing is, as with most other bend tests, this one shows that in extreme situations the phone won't be able to handle the stress. In most situations, though, the device is unlikely to have to go through that much stress, meaning the phone should be fine in regular use. Having said that, the device is still not as rigid as many of the other Android devices tested on the same channel, which, along with the new iPhone 6s, passed their tests without any major issues, so Huawei does have some work to do before it can truly match the other brands in every...
Tuesday
Two-thirds of Apple's mobile devices are now running iOS 9
According to latest numbers from Apple, the iOS 9 adoption now stands at 66%, which means two out of every three mobile devices from the company are currently running the latest iOS operating system. That's quite impressive and certainly faster than iOS 8, given that it's not been even a couple of months since iOS 9 was released. Apple has already said that iOS 9's adoption rate has been the fastest ever seen by the company for a new OS iteration. Keep in mind, however, that the current iOS 9 share includes the iOS 9.1 update which rolled out last month and brought along over 150 new emojis and better Live Photos functionality. For the remaining 34% share, last year's iOS 8 claimed 25%, while earlier versions were collectively at 9%. For those who aren't aware, these adoption numbers are calculated based on the usage of the Cupertino-based company's App...
FreedomPop's WiFi-first smartphone with Intel inside coming next year
US-based wireless internet and mobile phone service provider FreedomPop is entering the smartphone market, and will launch its first handset next year. The device will be optimized for Wi-Fi, and thanks to a deal with Intel, will be powered by the chip giant's low-cost SoFIA line of processors. For those who aren't aware, FreedomPop is basically a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO), which means that it doesn't have any wireless infrastructure of its own, relying on towers from big players like Sprint in the US and Three in the UK. The carrier offers certain amount of data and minutes for free, but charges for whatever extra users consume. FreedomPop's handset, being a Wi-Fi first phone, would use Wi-Fi for services including even texting and calling, and when Wi-Fi isn't available, it'd switch to the cellular network with no major difference visible to the user. The device, unsurprisingly, will be exclusive to the carrier in markets where the latter has a presence. Commenting on the upcoming phone, FreedomPop CEO Stephen Stokols said, "It may mean more to Intel than it does to FreedomPop in some respects," adding that "we are going to showcase their technology more than they could on their own, for sure." He also indicated that the device would be priced less than $200. "Mobile consumers continue to look for more ways to save on mobile bills, and a Wi-Fi-first smartphone allows them to use a more cost-effective network," said general manager of Intel's phone business Sam Spangler. "We look forward to working jointly with FreedomPop in improving the customer's Wi-Fi-first experience via this new smartphone utilizing FreedomPop's Wi-Fi network." It's worth mentioning that the chip-giant is also taking an ownership stake in the...
Microsoft starts accepting Lumia 950 and 950 XL pre-orders in Ireland
While pre-orders for Microsoft's Windows 10 Mobile flagships - the Lumia 950 and 950 XL - are already live in several European countries, the Redmond, Washington-based company has now also started accepting the handsets' pre-orders in Ireland. As for the price, like many other European countries, the Lumia 950 carries a tag of €599 in Ireland, while the bigger cousin will set you back €699 in the country. Color options include black and white, and shipment date is currently listed as November 27. It's worth mentioning here that the devices have already received price cuts in some European countries - Microsoft itself dropped the prices of the handsets in the UK, while Amazon is selling them at reduced rates in France. Source 1...
Two of the three major wireless charging groups come together to form AirFuel Alliance
Following an announcement earlier this year, two of the three major wireless charging groups - Alliance for Wireless Power (A4WP) and Power Matters Alliance (PMA) - have finally joined forces to form a new combined organization and brand identity called AirFuel Alliance. "AirFuel technology is the next step in fast-tracking the commercialization of wirelessly charged products," said President of AirFuel Alliance Ron Resnick. "We embrace a new, inclusive ideal of wireless charging and those member companies within AirFuel Alliance are energized towards bringing wireless power products to consumers globally." The new group consists of a total of 195 member companies, including Intel, Samsung, AT&T, and Starbucks. It's major rival is now the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC), which has been developing its own Qi standard, already used by several...
Samsung Galaxy J3 receives TENAA and 3C certifications
Just days after clearing the FCC hurdle in the United States, the yet-to-be-announced Samsung Galaxy J3 smartphone - which was spotted listed on GFXBench earlier last month - has been certified by TENAA and 3C in China. The listing on TENAA, where the Galaxy J2 successor is listed with model number SM-J3109, reveals that the device is powered by a 1.2 GHz quad-core processor (which the GFXBench listing revealed is a 64-bit Snapdragon 410 processor), and sports a 5-inch 720p OLED display. It has 1GB RAM and 8GB expandable internal memory, features 8MP rear and 5MP front camera, and packs in a 2600 mAh battery. Like GFXBench, the TENAA listing also shows the device running Android 5.1.1 out-of-the-box. Weighing 140 gms and measuring 142.2 × 71.6 × 7.9 (mm), the handset has also passed what's known as China Compulsory Certification...
2016 Porsche Macan
The Porsche Macan didn't take long to become the brand's second-best-selling vehicle. It was new for the 2015 model year, and already, it's running just behind the bigger Cayenne in the dollar-denominated popularity contest. It could eventually becomes the most popular Porsche model, but it has somewhat humble roots. Based on the current Audi Q5...Inbox by Gmail gets Smart Reply option for sending quick replies
Google tried to re-invent the email inbox with its new Inbox by Gmail app last year and it has gained quite a few followers since. Google kept improving the service and now the Search Giant added a new ‘Smart Reply' option to Inbox by Gmail for quickly sending one of the few responses to an email. The new ‘Smart Reply' suggests up to three quick replies which are populated based on the type of emails you receive. For an instance, if you get inquiry about a product or file, the Smart Reply will show three probably answers such as - I will send it to you, I will have to look for it, and I don't have it, sorry. So out of three options, you tap on one and the text gets added to the reply field. If the feature catches on, the responses will get even better as the algorithm will learn from your usage patterns and improve itself. Google will start pushing Smart Reply to the Inbox app users via Google Play Store later this week...
Samsung to allegedly discontinue its line of digital cameras
Tech giant Samsung has been leading several industries including phones, tablets, home appliances, and TVs with no sign of slowing down, until now. An article released by the popular Korean news outlet Asiae reports Samsung is going to suspend its camera division by moving employees around to its medical, optical, and smartphone departments. Perhaps this is for research and development to improve imaging for these industries. It is not known if Samsung plans to relaunch a digital camera division in the future or if it will do away with it altogether. It seems that this will only affect the mirrorless cameras (non-DSLRs), since the translated article mentions the words "mirrorless" and "NX500" throughout. Neither of which would suggest DSLR cameras are included (Although, DSLRs tend to have much longer life-cycles). Also, the website samsungcamera.com, which hasn't been updated for months, seems to only feature mirrorless cameras. The same article also mentions "...to the growth of smartphone cameras, as well as high-end digital cameras." suggesting plans to improve DSLR image sensors as well. There's a chance that Samusng is taking a year or two off of the digital camera space to regroup, review, and relaunch its product and marketing to better compete with Sony, Canon, Nikon, and Kodak for the digital camera space. Yet staging a comeback with zero market share will be pretty tough so if Samsung is to close the division it will likely be for good. Via |...
Firefox for Android now comes with a built-in ad blocker
In a very interesting twist, the latest version of Firefox for Android basically has a built-in ad blocker. The Mozilla-made browser has obviously been no stranger to ad blocking before today, but it's so far performed such actions via dedicated extensions such as AdBlock Plus. From this point on, however, the functionality is there without the need for any add-ons. You just have to use the Private Browsing feature (which is called Incognito Mode in other browsers). This now comes with tracking protection, which "blocks certain Web elements that could be used to record your behavior across sites", according to Mozilla's changelog. In effect, this function blocks ads too, since those fit the bill quite well. It also blocks tracking cookies and social sharing buttons, for example. Firefox 42 for Android has other new stuff in it as well, such as the ability to open external URLs from Android apps in the background, family-friendly browsing when you create a restricted profile on a tablet, scrollable tabs for panels navigation, direct voice input support for searching from the URL bar, and a new mobile login manager. Oh, and performance should be improved on interactive websites that trigger a lot of restyles. Finally, some unnamed security fixes are said to be in too. Source |...
Moto X Force pre-orders start in the UK
The Moto X Force got official as the international version of Verizon's Droid Turbo 2 last week, and now it's already up for pre-order at several retailers in the UK. You can pre-order the Moto X Force in SIM-free and unlocked form from Handtec for £497.99, Clove for £499, Expansys for £499.99, or Carphone Warehouse for £529.99. If you want to get the phone on an operator contract, Carphone Warehouse is the only option for now. The Moto X Force is free on Pay monthly plans starting at £37.50 per month. That cheapest choice is at O2, and it delivers unlimited minutes, unlimited texts, and 1 GB of 4G data each month. At the exact opposite end of the spectrum we find a £59.99 per month plan at EE, which gives you unlimited minutes, unlimited texts, and 20GB of data. There are many other options in between, though, as you'd expect. Handtec expects to have the Moto X Force in stock on November 9, while Carphone Warehouse promises that pre-ordered units will be delivered by November 10, and Clove says the phone is due around November 14. The Moto X Force has a shatterproof 5.4-inch QHD touchscreen, a 21 MP rear camera, a 5 MP front snapper, 3GB of RAM, 32GB of expandable storage, Qualcomm's Snapdragon 810 powering it, and a 3,760 mAh battery. It runs Android 5.1.1...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)