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Tag: phones

  • EU Formally Adopts USB-C for Phones, Tablets, and Other Devices

    EU Formally Adopts USB-C for Phones, Tablets, and Other Devices

    The European Parliament has finalized the adoption of USB-C for charging small and mid-sized devices, including Apple’s iPhone.

    Much of the phone industry already relies on USB-C for charging and data transfer. Apple is the main outlier, relying on its Lightning port instead. The EU has been moving toward forcing all manufacturers to adopt USB-C, both for the benefit of consumers and for the sake of the environment.

    The EU has now formally adopted the proposal, with plans to enforce it by the end of 2024.

    By the end of 2024, all mobile phones, tablets and cameras sold in the EU will have to be equipped with a USB Type-C charging port.

    The rules will also apply to laptops, although not until a later date.

    From spring 2026, the obligation will extend to laptops. The new law, adopted by plenary on Tuesday with 602 votes in favour, 13 against and 8 abstentions, is part of a broader EU effort to reduce e-waste and to empower consumers to make more sustainable choices.

    The move should make customers’ lives easier and significantly reduce electronic waste. While the EU’s rules will only apply to Europe, it’s a safe bet Apple will make all phones in compliance with the new regulation since manufacturing two completely different models — one for the EU market and one for outside it — would be cost prohibitive.

    “The common charger will finally become a reality in Europe,” said Parliament’s rapporteur Alex Agius Saliba (S&D, MT). “We have waited more than ten years for these rules, but we can finally leave the current plethora of chargers in the past. This future-proof law allows for the development of innovative charging solutions in the future, and it will benefit everyone – from frustrated consumers to our vulnerable environment. These are difficult times for politics, but we have shown that the EU has not run out of ideas or solutions to improve the lives of millions in Europe and inspire other parts of the world to follow suit”

  • CES 2020: Verizon Plans To Release 20 5G Phones In 2020

    CES 2020: Verizon Plans To Release 20 5G Phones In 2020

    Verizon has set a bold goal for itself with plans to release 20 5G phones in 2020, according to CNET.

    Verizon Wireless CEO Ronan Dunne announced the company’s plans during an interview at CES 2020. At four times the number of 5G phones the company released in 2019, 20 represents a significant uptick. In spite of that, Dunne told CNET “he had to turn down vendor partners wanting to build 5G phones.”

    Currently, mmWave is the fastest 5G available—with speed measured in gigabits rather than megabits—but has very limited range and building penetration. T-Mobile and AT&T have both opted to build out low-band 5G networks, in addition to their mmWave offerings. Low-band is slower, but has far better range and penetration. Verizon, however, is focusing almost exclusively on mmWave. As a result, their 5G network does not have the nationwide coverage T-Mobile currently has.

    Since device manufacturers build phones that will appeal to the widest audience, it makes sense that many would prioritize phones that take advantage of the low-band spectrum. As CNET points out, the fact that Verizon has already had to turn down vendors is especially reassuring given their focus on the mmWave variety of 5G.

  • Nikola Motors May Have Found ‘Holy Grail Of Batteries’

    Nikola Motors May Have Found ‘Holy Grail Of Batteries’

    NBC News is reporting that Nikola Motors claims to have found the “Holy Grail of batteries,” promising to double the range of electric vehicles and the number of recharge cycles, while cutting costs in half.

    Nikola is not going into much detail about how the new technology works, as it has been developed by a company Nikola is in the process of acquiring. They have alluded to the fact that the technology is a refinement of the current lithium-ion standard, rather than a complete replacement of it.

    The new method seems to involve “removing the binder material and electric current collectors used in today’s lithium-ion cells.” According to company founder and chief executive Trevor Milton, this reduces the size and weight, while also making the batteries “more conductive,” which gives them faster charging times.

    According to NBC News, Nikola’s testing has resulted in batteries that can sustain 2,000 charging cycles, which is twice the current industry standard for electric vehicles. This translates to roughly 1.5 million miles before a truck would need battery replacements.

    Nikola isn’t eyeing just the electric vehicle market, however. They believe the technology could revolutionize cellphones, tablets and other consumer devices. Battery capacity and lifespan continues to be troublesome bottlenecks for the electric vehicle market, as well as consumer devices. If Nikola is successful in bringing its tech to market, this could usher in a new wave of innovation.

  • Samsung Shipped 6.7 Million 5G Phones In 2019

    Samsung Shipped 6.7 Million 5G Phones In 2019

    PC Magazine is reporting that Samsung has announced it shipped 6.7 million 5G phones in 2019, giving 53.9 percent of the global market.

    As PC Magazine points out, this figure is somewhat surprising since there were only a grand total of 327,696 5G phones sold in the U.S. as of early December. When looking at the other markets where Samsung has a presence and 5G is being rolled out, it’s hard to come up with the numbers the company is touting.

    A likely explanation is the emphasis on the word “shipped,” as opposed to “sold.” By touting the number of shipped devices, Samsung can count units sitting in carrier warehouses or store shelves. The number says very little about how many phones have actually made their way into customers’ hands.

    Even so, its a promising start for the 5G revolution, which should see significant uptick in 2020.

  • Apple Unveils iPhone SE, New iPad Pro

    Apple Unveils iPhone SE, New iPad Pro

    Apple held its big event on Monday, making several announcements. Among these were the iPhone SE and the new 9.7-inch iPad Pro.

    The new phone has a four-inch display, an aluminum design, and new matte-chamfered edges, a color-matched stainless steel Apple logo, and four metallic finishes.

    The device has the same 64-bit A9 chip offered in iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus, longer battery life, faster wireless, a 12-megapixel iSight camera with Apple’s Live Photos feature and 4K video, and Touch ID with Apple Pay.

    Apple SVP of Worldwide Marketing Phil Schiller said, “iPhone SE is an exciting new idea — we started with a beloved, iconic design and reinvented it from the inside out. The result is the most beautiful and powerful phone with a four-inch display in the world. iPhone SE is packed with a stunning four-inch Retina display, advanced 64-bit A9 chip with M9 motion co-processor, longer battery life, 12-megapixel iSight camera with True Tone flash, Live Photos, 4K video, faster LTE and Wi-Fi, and Touch ID with Apple Pay. Everyone who wants a smaller phone is going to love iPhone SE.”

    The device will be available in gray, silver, old, and rose gold metallic finishes in 16GB and 64GB models starting at $399 in the US.

    iphone-se

    You’ll be able to order one on March 24 with availability coming March 31 if you live in Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, Singapore, the UK, US Virgin Islands or the US.

    The new 9.7-inch iPad Pro weighs a pound, and features a new pro Retina display with improved brightness and color, lower reflectivity, Night Shift mode, and new True Tone display technology, which dynamically adjusts white balance.

    The device has a 64-bit A9X chip, a four-speaker audio system, a 12-megapixel iSight camera supporting Live Photos and 4K video, a 5-megapixel FaceTime HD camera, and faster wireless technologies. The device supports Apple Pencil and a new Smart Keyboard cover.

    “iPad Pro is a new generation of iPad that is indispensable and immersive, enabling people to be more productive and more creative. It’s incredibly fast, extremely portable, and completely natural to use with your fingers, Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard. And now it comes in two sizes,” said Schiller. “The 9.7-inch iPad Pro has a new Retina display with True Tone technology, four-speaker audio system, blazing fast A9X chip, 12-megapixel iSight camera, 5-megapixel FaceTime HD camera, faster wireless, and support for Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard. It is the ultimate upgrade for existing iPad users and replacement for PC users.”

    The 9.7-inch iPad Pro comes in silver, gray, gold, and rose gold. It starts at $599 (US) for the 32GB with Wi-Fi model and $729 for the 32GB Wi-Fi + Cellular model. Both are also available in 128GB and 256GB capacities. The latter is the highest of any iOS device.

    ipad-pro

    The 9.7-inch iPad Pro will be available to order on March 24. It will be in Apple Retail stores on Thursday, March 31, in Australia, Canada, China (Wi-Fi models only), France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, Singapore, the UK, US Virgin Islands and the US.

    Images via Apple

  • The New Microsoft Lumia 650 is All About Business

    Microsoft unveiled the Lumia 650 Windows 10 phone, and the device is very much geared toward business users.

    “I’ve had an opportunity to talk with our business customers as well as our Windows fans and something that consistently comes up is that this ever expanding mobile world is quickly becoming chaotic,” says Microsoft’s Samuli Hänninen. “It’s in that spirit that we designed the Lumia 650 to bring first class to business class; giving our customers the best of Microsoft productivity and security, all wrapped in a beautiful slim package. By providing a consistent experience across PC and phone through the power of Windows 10, we think professionals and Windows fans alike will love using it every day.”

    “The Lumia 650 fits perfectly into the enterprise with built-in support for Microsoft business applications, new third party Universal Windows Applications like Uber, and one click setup of common everyday tools like Office 365. It also allows IT to test the latest Windows 10 Mobile updates against critical line of business systems and apps, before you distribute to end users via MDM,” Hänninen says. “It’s secure by design and keeps company and personal data safer with features like device encryption and device wipe. These features allow businesses peace of mind, knowing important information in emails and files are protected from threats and empowers employees to use one device for work and play.”

    As some have pointed out, the Lumia 650 is missing some Windows 10 feature,such as the Continuum Display Dock or biometric authentication.

    The device comes and black and matte white. It’s currently available in some European markets for $199 USD . It’s unclear when it might be available here in the U.S.

    Images via YouTube, Microsoft

  • LG V10 Billed As Multimedia Smartphone For Sharing Ecosystem

    The LG V10 is the latest phone (or phablet if you will) from LG, and it’s quickly garnering a lot of praise. It has dual front-facing 5-megapixel cameras and a 16-megapixel rear camera.

    “The LG V10 was designed from the ground up, primarily as a multimedia smartphone for the sharing ecosystem,” said Juno Cho, president and CEO of LG Electronics Mobile Communications. “We heard from many customers that until the LG G4, they weren’t comfortable going on vacation or outings without a separate camera. With the V10, we hope to do for video what the G4 did for photographs.”

    The front-facing cameras can take 120-degree pictures, and there are numerous manual controls that users can take advantage of when making videos. These are the things that are getting people (including Major League Baseball – see below) excited.

    Here’s a hands-on from Android Authority:

    “With the main display on, the second screen can be set to convert to a dedicated launching area for shortcuts or your favorite apps,” explains LG. “What’s more, when you’re enjoying a movie or game on the V10, the second screen will notify you discreetly without blocking your view when a call or text comes in. Ignoring the notification won’t distract you from your enjoyment or you can pause whatever you’re doing to respond.”

    From the LG Instagram account:

    Did it all for the exposure. #LGV10

    A photo posted by LG USA Mobile (@lgusamobile) on

    Patterns on patterns. #LGV10

    A photo posted by LG USA Mobile (@lgusamobile) on

    All the moves, no editing required ? #SnapVideo #LGV10

    A video posted by LG USA Mobile (@lgusamobile) on

    Fooling around with settings ? #ManualMode+video #LGV10

    A video posted by LG USA Mobile (@lgusamobile) on

    Key specs are as follows:

    Chipset: Qualcomm SnapdragonTM 808 Processor

    Display: Main) 5.7-inch QHD IPS Quantum Display (2560 x 1440 / 513ppi) Secondary) 2.1-inch IPS Quantum Display (160 x 1040 / 513ppi)

    Memory: 4GB LPDDR3 RAM / 64GB eMMC ROM / microSD (up to 2TB)

    Camera: Rear) 16MP with F1.8 Aperture / OIS 2.0 Front) 5MP Dual Lens (80o Standard Angle / 120o Wide Angle)

    Battery: 3,000mAh (removable)

    OS: Android 5.1.1 Lollipop

    Size: 159.6 x 79.3 x 8.6mm

    Weight: 192g

    Network: LTE-A Cat. 6

    Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11 a, b, g, n, ac / Bluetooth 4.1 / NFC / USB 2.0

    Colors: Space Black / Luxe White / Modern Beige / Ocean Blue / Opal Blue

    CNET has a handy chart comparing the specs of the LG V10 to rivals like the iPhone 6S Plus, Samsung Galaxy Note 5, and Sony Xperia Z5 Premium.

    The LG V10 is the first of LG’s new V series phones. U.S. customers will be able to purchase it soon on AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon.

  • Google Unveils New Nexus Phones, Pixel C Tablet

    Google Unveils New Nexus Phones, Pixel C Tablet

    Google made a bunch of announcements at a press event today, including the new Chromecast and Chromecast Audio, which we talked about here. Among the announcements were three new Android devices from the company.

    Two of these are new Nexus phones: the Nexus 6P and the Nexus 5X. Both include a new fingerprint sensor called Nexus Imprint and Android Pay in the U.S. Google describes the devices:

    Nexus 6P is the first all-metal-body Nexus phone. Built in collaboration with Huawei, this 5.7” phone is crafted from aeronautical-grade aluminum, with a USB Type-C port for fast charging, a powerful 64-bit processor, and a 12.3 MP camera sensor with massive 1.55µm pixels (hello, better photos!). The Nexus 6P starts at $499.

    You’re not the only one who misses your Nexus 5. We’ve joined forces with LG to bring it back with the new Nexus 5X, which gives you great performance in a compact and light package, with a beautiful 5.2” screen and the same 12.3 MP camera and Type-C port as the Nexus 6P. Nexus 5X starts at $379.

    The third device is a new tablet called the Pixel C, which while being an Android device, is being placed in a family of products with Google’s Chromebook Pixel. It has a full-size keyboard that attaches magnetically and an aluminum design, as well as a USB Type-C port.

    Screen Shot 2015-09-29 at 2.22.10 PM

    The phones are available for pre-order on the Google Store in the US, UK, Ireland, and Japan. It’s unclear exactly when the tablet will be available, but Google says it will be in time for the holidays. It will start at $499.

    The newest version of Android (Marshmallow) is set to roll out next week.

    Images via Google

  • Samsung on Galaxy Note 5 Design Flaw: ‘Just Don’t Stick the Stylus In the Wrong Way, Guys’

    Samsung on Galaxy Note 5 Design Flaw: ‘Just Don’t Stick the Stylus In the Wrong Way, Guys’

    It looks like Samsung has something akin to antennae-gate on its hands. Pen-gate?

    Android Police found a pretty alarming design flaw in the company’s new Galaxy Note 5 – one that can cause permanent or at least hard-to-reverse damage.

    Apparently, it’s incredibly easily to insert the stylus the wrong way into the device, and this could lead to serious problems.

    From Android Police:

    The flaw stems from Samsung’s new S Pen slot design on the Note 5, and you may have read about this already elsewhere, but here’s our take on it. Basically, on previous Galaxy Note smartphones, attempting to inset the S Pen in the device in the wrong direction resulted in obvious futility – they won’t fit, or if they do, they require substantial force to get into the S Pen slot the wrong way, enough that you’d immediately realize you were doing something wrong.

     

    On the Note 5, inserting the S Pen the wrong way provides exactly as much resistance as inserting it the right way. Which is to say: basically none at all. Once you insert the pen far enough in the wrong direction (again, which causes no strange resistance or feel than putting it in the right way), it will get stuck. It doesn’t even have to “click” in. At this point, of course, you will panic. And you will try to get it out – and most likely, you’ll succeed. The problem is that if you do succeed, there’s a very real possibility you’ll break whatever mechanism the device uses to detect whether the pen is attached or detached from the phone.

    Of course, the Note 5 knowing that the S-Pen is attached can screw up some the device’s features.

    Samsung has responded, kind of.

    “We highly recommend our Galaxy Note 5 users follow the instructions in the user guide to ensure they do not experience such an unexpected scenario caused by reinserting the S-Pen in the other way around,” said Samsung in a statement.

    That doesn’t sound like much more than well, don’t put it in the wrong way guys.

  • Samsung Galaxy S6 Bends When You Bend It, Just Like the iPhone 6 Plus

    Samsung Galaxy S6 Bends When You Bend It, Just Like the iPhone 6 Plus

    In things are going to bend when you bend them news, it appears that Samsung might want to build a time machine, go back in time, and not make fun of Apple for its bendable phones.

    Third-party insurance company SquareTrade has a new video out, and it’s making the rounds. In the video, various new smartphones are put through a pressure test – and lo and behold, when enough pressure is applied the metal frames begin to buckle.

    The point of note here, however, is that the new Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge is just as bendable as the iPhone 6 Plus. Both took about 110 pounds of pressure to start bending.

    The only difference is that the Galaxy S6 Edge also started shattering. So, while an iPhone 6 Plus might bend in your pocket, a Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge might leave you with a pocket full of glass. Check it out:

    I’ll just leave this comment from reddit here with no additional comment from yours truly

    #Bendgate2015

    Image via SquareTrade Inc, YouTube

  • Let a Basketball Teach You Why You Should Put Down Your Damn Phone

    We’re all glued to our devices at all times. It’s just the way the world works now. Ted Cruz is likely running for President, Miley Cyrus has more Twitter followers than any heads of state, and your teenage daughter is going to be Snapchatting at the dinner table. These are just realties, however painful, that we all must accept.

    But still, let this serve as a cautionary tale – a plea from the universe to occasionally put away your phone and look at what’s in front of you.

    Because you never know what’s going to be in front of you. I mean, really close to you. RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOUR FACE.

    What you just watched is two women at a Charlotte Hornets game who happened to score some pretty sweet seats, but are still unable to put away the smartphone. You watch one of them suffer the ultimate price.

    Ouch.

  • It May Be A While Before Amazon Releases Another Fire Phone

    Back in June, Amazon finally unveiled its long-awaited smartphone, the Fire phone. While the actual unveiling was somewhat impressive, as it showed off some interesting features that we hadn’t seen on other phones, the reviews weren’t very kind once people actually got the device in their hands.

    It’s no secret that the Fire phone hasn’t been a hot seller, and the price has even been reduced to $199 without a contract.

    Some reviewers suggested that we not give up on Amazon, as it could likely make major improvements with future models. This was just the first run. They company does, after all, seem to be doing a lot better with its tablets. It might be a while before we see the next model of the Fire phone, however.

    VentureBeat reports that Amazon won’t release the next version of the device until 2016, but does indicate that one is in the works. Mark Sullivan writes:

    Amazon has been working on the phone for months, but, thrown back on its heels by the frighteningly poor sales of the first Fire phone, has “gone back to the drawing board” as one source puts it. Amazon is trying to figure out which features to put in the new phone that will make it a success.

    Just because we won’t see the next device for at least another year, doesn’t mean Amazon can’t continue to improve the one it’s already released. Software updates can go a long way toward making a device better in a variety of areas, and the company has already been at work on that.

    As reported last week, Amazon just pushed an update adding a number of features. Surely there will be more of these updates in the year to come.

    Image via Amazon

  • Amazon Updates Fire Phone With A Bunch Of Features

    Amazon launched a software update for its Fire Phone, bringing a bunch of new features to the device, which it’s been having a pretty hard time selling.

    The Firefly feature will now translate text and identify famous artwork, not unlike Google Goggles. Specifically, it can translate to and from English, French, German, Italian, and Spanish. As far as artwork, it recognizes over 2,000 famous paintings based on data from Wikipedia.

    The device is apparently now better for taking pictures thanks to the addition of “Best Shot,” which lets you see three versions of a photo to choose the best shot.

    You an enable or disable SMS/MMS messages. You ca mturn character counts and MMS on off.

    You can now choose from seven preloaded keyboard languages or from 49 additional keyboard languages, which are available to download.

    The device will now let you block unwanted phone numbers, as well as add custom ringtones, and view more info from your lock screen. From there, you can control music and configure your phone to wake up when a new notification arrives.

    There’s a new preloaded WPS Office app, which lets you write and edit documents.

    You can connect to a secure, corporate VPN using the native IPSec / L2TP VPN client, and sync calendars across Amazon devices registered to your Amazon account.

    Auto-scroll has been added for Kindle Books so you can read them in one continuous scroll.

    Finally, battery life is improved, and there are hundreds of bug fixes and UI improvements.

    None of this stuff is especially groundbreaking, and probably won’t go very far in helping Amazon sell more units immediately, but there’s no question that the company is going to have to keep adding features and making its devices more appealing. This is a start.

    As many of the negative reviews for the device suggested, the Fire phone could get better with future iterations.

    Via 9to5Google

    Image via Amazon

  • Google Announces Android 5.0 Lollipop, New Nexus Devices

    Google just announced that the new version of Android is called Lollipop. It also announced a trio of new Nexus devices: the Nexus 6 smartphone, the Nexus 9 tablet, and the Nexus Player Android TV device.

    First things first. Google showed off the new Android at Google I/O back in June. Here’s the presentation if you want to familiarize yourself:

    It includes over 5,000 APIs and what Google calls Material Design:

    Google considers it its most ambitious Android release so far. The company says:

    Lollipop is made for a world where moving throughout the day means interacting with a bunch of different screens—from phones and tablets to TVs. With more devices connecting together, your expectation is that things just work. With Lollipop, it’s easier than ever to pick up where you left off, so the songs, photos, apps, and even recent searches from one of your Android devices can be immediately enjoyed across all the other ones.

    As you switch from one screen to another, the experience should feel the same. So Lollipop has a consistent design across devices—an approach we call Material Design. Now content responds to your touch, or even your voice, in more intuitive ways, and transitions between tasks are more fluid.

    Lollipop lets you adjust your settings so only certain people and notifications can get through. They can also be seen directly from the lockscreen. There’s also a new battery saver feature, which Google claims can extend your battery life by up to 90 minutes, and new privacy and security features.

    Now for the devices…

    Google worked with Motorola to develop the Nexus 6 smartphone, which has an aluminum frame, a 6-inch Quad HD display, and a 13 megapixel camera. It has dual front-facing stereo speakers and a “Turbo Charger,” which Google says will give you up to six hours of use with just 15 minutes of charge.

    The Nexus 9 tablet was built with HTC, and includes brushed metal sides and an 8.9-inch screen. It has a keyboard folio that magnetically attaches, and folds into two different angles.

    The Nexus Player is the first Andorid TV (also introduced at Google I/O) device. Google worked with Asus on this one, and describes it as a “first-of-its-kind Android gaming device.”

    “With Nexus Player you can play Android games on your HDTV with a gamepad, then keep playing on your phone while you’re on the road,” Google says. “Nexus Player is Google Cast Ready so you can cast your favorite entertainment from almost any Chromebook or Android or iOS phone or tablet to your TV.”

    The Nexus 9 and Nexus Player will be available for pre-order on October 17th and in stores on November 3rd. The Nexus 6 will be available for pre-order in late October and in stores in November. There will be an unlocked version though Google Play, as well as a monthly contract or installment plan through AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, U.S. Cellular, and Verizon.

    Lollipop will also be available for Nexus 5, 7, 10 and Google Play edition devices in the coming weeks.

    Here’s a video in which Google compares Android to the Wright brothers:

    Images via Google

  • iPhone 6, 6 Plus Reviews Overwhelmingly Positive

    Apple’s new iPhones – the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus – are getting rave reviews from the tech media, as expected. The tech media loves its iPhones, and these are after all the “biggest advancement in the history of the iPhone,” as Tim Cook put it.

    Everyone and their mothers are voicing their opinions on the devices now, and they don’t even become available until Friday. You might want to hold out until the common folk get a chance to use them for a while before you sink your hundreds into them, but so far all indications are that these are great iDevices.

    The iPhone 6 is a “thin, sexy phone with a killer camera,” says noted tech journalist David Pogue.

    The device is “the best smartphone you can buy,” according to Walt Mossberg at Re/code.

    “The iPhone 6 is a great upgrade for current iPhone owners, or for anyone, really. It manages to provide a much larger display in a phone that’s still small enough to handle easily,’ he writes.

    The sentiments are echoed throughout the…echo chamber. Most have just about the same amount of praise for the iPhone 6 Plus, but some do find it to be just too big.

    John Gruber, who is perhaps the most well-known blogger of all things Apple, says, “If you simply want a bigger iPhone, get the 4.7-inch iPhone 6. That’s what it feels like: a bigger iPhone. If you want something bigger than an iPhone, get the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus. It feels more like a new device — a hybrid device class that is bigger than an iPhone but smaller than an iPad Mini — than it feels like a bigger iPhone.”

    He adds, “If you don’t want a bigger iPhone — and in recent weeks I’ve heard from numerous readers who still pine for the 3.5-inch display iPhones — you might be disappointed by this year’s iPhone lineup, and should consider sticking with the iPhone 5-class models.”

    iOS 8 will hit the iPhone 4s, iPhone 5, iPhone 5c, and iPhone 5s today, so if you have (or want) any of those, you’re about to get a new phone anyway, for all intents and purposes. Here’s what’s different about the OS.

    Read Gruber’s take for probably the most comprehensive review of the devices out there so far.

    Image via Apple

  • iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus Top 4 Million Pre-Orders On First Day

    Apple announced that it saw a record first day of iPhone pre-orders for the 6 and 6 Plus, getting four million of them in the first twenty-four hours.

    The company actually told Re/code on Friday that it saw a record number of pre-orders on the first day (they went on sale at 3:01 AM Eastern), but they didn’t give the actual number until now.

    The devices quickly sold out, and Apple updated the shipping times to 3-4 weeks.

    CEO TIm Cook said, “iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus are better in every way, and we are thrilled customers love them as much as we do. Pre-orders for iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus set a new record for Apple, and we can’t wait to get our best iPhones yet into the hands of customers starting this Friday.”

    Both devices, Apple says, will be available in the US, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Puerto Rico, Singapore and the UK on Friday, September 19th. They’ll hit the following countries on Friday, September 26th: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Isle of Man, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Turkey and United Arab Emirates.

    The Apple Watch, which was announced alongside the new iPhone models, won’t be available until the Spring. Here are some of the things people are saying about that device.

    Image via Apple

  • Amazon Fire Phone Fails To Impress Reviewers

    Amazon’s Fire Phone is now officially available to consumers in the United States through AT&T. It’s time to see how much interest people really have in an Amazon phone.

    The device has been rumored for years, and the day has finally come when people can hold it in their hands, and experience the company’s vision for what a phone should be (which obviously includes a lot of shopping and consuming content on Amazon).

    Unfortunately for the company, the early reviews haven’t been incredibly positive.

    CNET says its 3D visuals are cool, the OS design is “fresh,” and the Amazon services integrations are deep and convenient, but overall doesn’t think it competes very well with competing Android and iPhone models with a “less extensive” app store and service experience, more sluggish performance, disappointing battery life, and a lack of Google services.

    Engadget concludes that it’s a “unique device,” but that you’re “better off waiting for the sequel.”

    Gizmodo calls the device “a shaky first step”

    ExtremeTech calls it “a gimmicky mess, unless you’re looking for a Buy Now button in the shape of a smartphone.”

    These are probably not the kinds of comments that already disappointed Amazon shareholders are enjoying hearing.

    PCWorld was a bit more positive after using the device for five days: “After spending several days with Amazon’s handset, I actually don’t think the Fire phone is unusable, or even bad. As far as first drafts go, it’s miles ahead of what BlackBerry and Microsoft achieved with their late entrants to the smartphone market.”

    They still seem to think there’s plenty of room for improvement, and Amazon will no doubt gather all of the complaints about its first model when designing the second.

    Here’s a teardown:

    “We can’t wait for customers to experience Amazon Fire for themselves,” said Ian Freed, vice president of Amazon Fire. “Fire offers an amazing value for customers with innovative features like Dynamic Perspective and Firefly, access to Amazon-exclusive content and services, including Mayday, ASAP and more –plus premium hardware with 32 GB of memory –twice the amount leading competitors offer, as well as free, unlimited photo storage in the Amazon Cloud and 12 months of Amazon Prime included.”

    “Fire pushes the boundaries of innovation, and is easy-to-use,” said Jeff Bradley, senior vice president – Devices, AT&T. “Amazon has a vast content ecosystem that consumers know and love. AT&T has built a reputation of offering innovative devices with great pricing options – all on the nation’s most reliable 4G LTE network. Together, we’re thrilled to offer a device that will be as dynamic as its name.”

    Fire with 32GB is available for $27.09 a month with AT&T Next 18 or $199 with a two-year contract. The 64GB version is $31.25 a month with AT&T Next 18 or $299 with a two-year contract.

    Image via Amazon

  • Is Amazon Prime The Fire Phone’s Biggest Selling Point?

    Is Amazon Prime The Fire Phone’s Biggest Selling Point?

    A month ago, Amazon unveiled its Fire phone, an incredibly advanced smartphone apparently aimed at getting more people buying items from their mobile devices than ever before. For than that, however, it’s a way for Amazon to suck more users into its ecosystem, including its popular Amazon Prime service.

    Do you plan on getting a Fire phone? Do you expect the device to become popular? Share your thoughts in the comments.

    This week, Amazon released its first commercial for the device, and it isn’t any of the device’s fancy features being played up. It’s Amazon Prime – a service that has been around for about nine years. Take a look.

    “Prime” is mentioned three times in the thirty-second spot. The whole premise of it is that the kids are watching stuff with Amazon Prime. There were no mentions of “Dynamic Perspective” or “Firefly,” which are two of the most talked-about features of the device, and the things the company really played up at the launch event.

    Even the video title is “Introducing Amazon Fire Phone — Includes One Year of Prime”. The description on YouTube says:

    Now airing the new Amazon Fire phone TV commercial. For a limited time, every Fire phone includes a full year of Prime benefits (a $99 value), including Prime Instant Video (over 40,000 movies and TV episodes), Free Two-Day Shipping, and over one million songs and more. If you already have Prime, we’ll extend your membership for a full year. Fire phone also comes with the innovative Firefly technology, so you can recognize more than 100 million movies, songs, products, books and more.

    Again, this is the first ad Amazon has put out for the device. For a lot of people, who don’t keep up with tech news (and perhaps some who were on vacation when Amazon unveiled the phone), this is going to be their first look at the Fire phone, which makes it all the more interesting that Amazon chose this route.

    It’s not really a surprise that Amazon would play up Amazon Prime in the spot, but it’s interesting that this is pretty much the only selling point they’re bothering to show consumers. It’s pretty smart. A year of free Prime is an attractive offer, because not only do you get access to that streaming video content, you get free two-day shipping on items, and access to over a million songs with Prime Music and half a million free ebooks.

    It’s a limited offer, so they definitely want to push it right away.

    More importantly for Amazon, the offer is bound to get people hooked on all of that, and by way of the phone’s other features and operating system, it gets people hooked into the Amazon ecosystem, which while built using Android, is separate from Google’s and Apple’s. Prime is a competitive advantage, even when it comes to hardware.

    Amazon is finding more and more ways to scoop up users, and even just launched a Netflix-like offering for eBooks in Kindle Unlimited.

    The Fire phone will become available next Friday through AT&T. Another ad is expected to drop before that. It will be interesting to see if Amazon plays up other features in that one, or will just stick with focusing on dangling Prime in front of consumers.

    It’s unclear how long Amazon will continue to offer a free year of Amazon Prime with the device. It probably depends on how well the promotion does from the onset.

    So what are “Dynamic Perspective” and “Firefly” anyway? Well, if you missed the unveiling, we covered it here, and talked about how the device could impact ecommerce here.

    As Amazon explained at the launch, “Dynamic Perspective uses a new sensor system to respond to the way you hold, view, and move Fire, enabling experiences not possible on other smartphones. Firefly quickly recognizes things in the real world—web and email addresses, phone numbers, QR and bar codes, movies, music, and millions of products, and lets you take action in seconds—all with the simple press of the Firefly button.”

    Yep, the phone has a button that lets you point the device at products, and bring up pages to buy them. Businesses are about to have a whole new showrooming element to deal with.

    Do you expect the Fire Phone to be an ecommerce game-changer? Will Amazon’s offer of a free year of Prime entice people to buy it? Tell us what you think.

  • Is The Amazon Fire Phone A Game Changer For E-Commerce?

    Is The Amazon Fire Phone A Game Changer For E-Commerce?

    Leave it to the world’s leader in e-commerce to develop a mobile device that you can simply point at an object and push a button to buy it.

    Do you expect the Amazon Fire to have a significant impact on how people buy products online? Share your thoughts in the comments.

    After months, or even years of anticipation, Amazon unveiled its first smartphone on Wednesday. Keeping in line with its Kindle Fire and Fire TV brands, it’s simply called Fire or Fire Phone.

    The device comes with some surprises including two completely new features called Dynamic Perspective and Firefly, both of which Amazon is offering developers software development kits for. It also comes with Mayday support, as was made famous on the Kindle Fire. This lets users get live customer support at the click of a button.

    Amazon explains, “Fire is the only smartphone with Dynamic Perspective and Firefly, two new breakthrough technologies that allow you to see and interact with the world through a whole new lens. Dynamic Perspective uses a new sensor system to respond to the way you hold, view, and move Fire, enabling experiences not possible on other smartphones. Firefly quickly recognizes things in the real world—web and email addresses, phone numbers, QR and bar codes, movies, music, and millions of products, and lets you take action in seconds—all with the simple press of the Firefly button.” Emphasis ours.

    Yes, millions of products at the click of an actual hardware button on the device. Just point your phone at a product in person, and quickly buy it on Amazon. Brick and mortars already concerned about showrooming are going to just love this. A couple years ago, Target stopped selling Amazon’s Kindle in retaliation for for showrooming. What will retailers do now that Amazon is offering consumers a device that removes just about any friction from the process?

    Here are features Amazon lists for Firefly:

    • Printed phone numbers, email, web addresses, QR, and bar codes: Firefly identifies printed text on signs, posters, magazines and business cards—make a call, send an email, save as a contact, or go to the website without typing out long URLs or email addresses.
    • 245,000 movies and TV episodes, and 160 live TV channels: Firefly recognizes movies and TV episodes, and uses IMDb for X-Ray to show actors, plot synopses, and related content—add titles to Watch List or download and start watching immediately.
    • 35 million songs: Firefly recognizes music and uses Amazon Music’s rich catalog to show information about the artist—play more songs, add them to your Wish List, or download instantly to your Fire. Developers, such as iHeartRadio and StubHub, used the SDK to build Firefly-enabled apps, so customers can create a new radio station based on the song or find concert tickets for the artist.
    • 70 million products, including household items, books, DVDs, CDs, video games, and more: Access product details, add items to your Wish List, or order on Amazon.com.
    • The Firefly SDK is available starting today so developers can invent new ways to use this advanced technology. Later this year, Firefly will include artwork recognition, foreign language translation, and wine label recognition powered by Vivino.

    The device also includes functionality that even Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos admitted was a little creepy. It knows the position of your head pretty much all the time because of four cameras and infrared sensors that work together to track it. That’s how it’s able to offer the Dynamic Perspective feature, which lets you “tilt, auto-scroll, swivel, and peek to navigate menus and access shortcuts with one hand” and “peek to see detailed views of clothing, shoes, and more in the new Amazon Shopping app.”

    Yes, the company that unveiled its drone project last fall will now know the exact position of your head. Creepy indeed.

    Perhaps one day Amazon will deliver your order before you’ve even left its brick and mortar competitor where you’ve been showrooming. Just walk out the door and pick it up. How convenient.

    Beyond features like Dynamic Perspective and Firefly, the phone is really about keeping you in the Amazon world, just as Apple is moving more and more towards keeping iPhone users in its world, and Google is doing so with Android. Where there is certainly still a lot of overlap, we appear to be moving closer to a world where the device will dictate the services we use. Just as Apple seems to be trying to wean users off of Google, Amazon may be trying to do something similar, and ironically, while using its own version of Android (which is about to be extended to a whole other platform in BlackBerry).

    The Fire of course comes with Amazon’s Silk browser. You’ll notice from this image that Amazon is not pointing users to anything Google-related.

    They’re reportedly using Bing for Search and Nokia for maps.

    There are a lot more features on the Fire. You can get a nice rundown right here.

    The device is only going to be on AT&T, but we’ll see how long that lasts. It’s $199 with a two-year contract, but Amazon is sweetening the deal with a free year of Prime, which gives users unlimited streaming and downloads of tens of thousands of movies and TV episodes, over a million songs, over 500,000 books from the Kindle Lending Library, and free two-day shipping on millions of items.

    Last year, Amazon Marketplace Sellers sold over a billion units with sales in the tens of billions of dollars. Third-party merchants selling on Amazon hit a new record. These businesses can potentially benefit from Amazon’s new device and future generations of it, not to mention the competitive implications of it. The Firefly SDK means third-parties can also take advantage of the technology through other apps.

    It’s going to be quite interesting to see what kind of impact the Fire has on online shopping. It can only be good for Amazon itself.

    What do you think? Is this a game changer? Meh? Share your thoughts in the comments.

    Image via Amazon

  • If You Drop Your Phone in a Septic Tank, Just Let It Go Man

    As a 28-year-old whose screws up a lot, I in no way feel qualified to dispense life advice on most topics. Having said that, I feel pretty confident in issuing this one small token of advice:

    If you drop your smartphone in an open-pit toilet, just let it go, man, it’s lost.

    In fact, if you drop anything into an open-pit toilet–just forget about it. The only exception to that rule is if you were to drop a loved one, possibly a pet or small child, into the giant vat of poop–and even then I’d probably think twice about it.

    Two people are dead and one is reported as unconscious after six grown adults in China jumped in an open-air septic tank looking to retrieve a lost phone.

    According to the AFP a women dropped her $200 smartphone into the poo pit, and her husband immediately went in after it. When the smell hit him, he passed out. His mother then jumped in (after her son, not the phone I assume) and also proceeded to faint.

    The owner of the phone and her father-in-law followed the two down the one-meter sq. hole and reportedly “became ill” (you think?).

    It didn’t stop there, as two neighbors then jumped in as well.

    People in the town were forced to use ropes to retrieve all six from the toilet tank. Horribly, two were dead (the husband and his mother) and one (the phone-owner) was left seriously injured.

    As we head into the weekend, it’s important to remember than no matter how much you paid for a device, you should draw the line at poop retrievals. Also, in a related piece of life advice, also avoid oncoming trains.

    Image via Thinkstock

  • Amazon’s Smartphone Will Apparently Look Like This

    Rumors of Amazon launching a smartphone have been around for years, but it’s been established for a while now that it is indeed real, and now we appear to have our first clear look at it.

    BGR got the exclusive, and naturally, the image is all over social media.

    As you can see, it looks pretty smartphoney – basically like devices you’ve seen before. Nothing weird.

    BGR has been reporting a number of exclusive stories related to the device recently, saying it features 3D effects to help differentiate it from competitors, but also that that’s just “the tip of the iceberg”. You can read their full “in-depth” look at the phone’s software here.

    The company is expected to unveil the device in over a month, and launch it in the third quarter.

    It was really only a matter of time before Amazon added a smartphone to its line-up of Kindle devices. Why wouldn’t it? It will be interesting to see how it’s priced, and how consumers respond. With Nokia’s devices and services business now officially part of Microsoft, and Amazon entering the market., it looks like we’re getting into the most competitive smartphone landscape we’ve seen so far.

    Image: BGR via Twitter