Mobile trends 2016

702 Comments

1. September 23, 2016 at 9:19 am

   Tomi Engdahl says:

   Nathan Martz / Google Developers Blog:
   Google launches VR SDK 1.0 out of beta, with support for Daydream — Posted by Nathan Martz, Product Manager, Google VR — At Google I/O, we announced Daydream—Google’s platform for high quality, mobile virtual reality—and released early developer resources to get the community started with building for Daydream.

   Google VR SDK graduates out of beta
   https://developers.googleblog.com/2016/09/google-vr-sdk-graduates-out-of-beta.html

   At Google I/O, we announced Daydream—Google’s platform for high quality, mobile virtual reality—and released early developer resources to get the community started with building for Daydream. Since then, the team has been hard at work, listening to feedback and evolving these resources into a suite of powerful developer tools.

   Today, we are proud to announce that the Google VR SDK 1.0 with support for Daydream has graduated out of beta, and is now available on the Daydream developer site. Our updated SDK simplifies common VR development tasks so you can focus on building immersive, interactive mobile VR applications for Daydream-ready phones and headsets, and supports integrated asynchronous reprojection, high fidelity spatialized audio, and interactions using the Daydream controller.

   https://developers.google.com/vr/concepts/overview-daydream?utm_campaign=vr_discussion_sdk_092216&utm_source=gdev&utm_medium=blog

   Reply
2. September 25, 2016 at 9:01 pm

   Tomi Engdahl says:

   Seth Stevenson / Wall Street Journal:
   Snap Inc., formerly Snapchat, unveils Spectacles, sunglasses that record 10 seconds of video at a time with a tap of a button, to be sold this fall for $130 — IN AN UNMARKED BUILDING on a quiet side street just off the beach in Venice, California, 26-year-old Snapchat CEO Evan Spiegel stands in a small conference room.

   Snapchat Releases First Hardware Product, Spectacles
   Evan Spiegel, CEO of renamed Snap Inc., calls the video-sharing sunglasses “a toy” but sees an upside to freeing his app from smartphone cameras
   http://www.wsj.com/articles/snapchat-releases-first-hardware-product-spectacles-1474682719

   IN AN UNMARKED BUILDING on a quiet side street just off the beach in Venice, California, 26-year-old Snapchat CEO Evan Spiegel stands in a small conference room. He’s draped a towel over a mysterious object sitting on a table. He is eager to the point of jitters.

   What initially appears to be a normal pair of sunglasses turns out to be Spectacles, the first hardware product from Snap Inc., as the firm has been newly christened (Spiegel is refreshing the company name because its offerings now go beyond the Snapchat app). When you slip Spectacles on and tap a button near the hinge, it records up to 10 seconds of video from your first-person vantage. Each new tap records another clip.

   Why use a pair of video sunglasses—available this fall, by the way, one-size-fits-all in black, teal or coral—instead of holding up your smartphone like everyone else? Because, Spiegel says, the images that result are fundamentally different. Spectacles’ camera uses a 115-degree-angle lens, wider than a typical smartphone’s and much closer to the eyes’ natural field of view. The video it records is circular, more like human vision. (Spiegel argues that rectangles are an unnecessary vestige of printing photos on sheets of paper.)

   WHEN YOU ASK PEOPLE in the tech industry about Spiegel, and how it is that by age 26 he’s built a company with more than 1,000 employees and offices on three continents, one thing they often cite is Spiegel’s aptitude for product design. It’s what he studied at Stanford, before dropping out just shy of graduation to focus on Snapchat.

   Reply
3. September 25, 2016 at 9:08 pm

   Tomi Engdahl says:

   Casey Newton / The Verge:
   How Snap’s Spectacles work: 115-degree lens shoots circular videos up to 30 seconds long that are wirelessly transferred to the app, lights indicate recording — Your questions answered — The company formerly known as Snapchat surprised the world last night by unveiling Spectacles, its first hardware product.

   Here’s how Snapchat’s new Spectacles will work
   Your questions answered
   http://www.theverge.com/2016/9/24/13042640/snapchat-spectacles-how-to-use

   The company formerly known as Snapchat surprised the world last night by unveiling Spectacles, its first hardware product. The sunglasses, which record videos in 10-second increments, are expected to be available for sale sometime “soon.” Snap Inc., as the company is now called, says it will be producing the glasses in small quantities.

   They’re connected sunglasses that record video snippets that get saved to your Snapchat Memories. Its camera has a 115-degree lens meant to more closely approximate how humans see. The glasses will cost $130, come in one size, and be available in three colors: black, teal, and coral.

   Tap the button on the top left-hand corner of the sunglasses to begin recording a snap. It will automatically stop recording after 10 seconds — but if you want additional recording time, you can tap again to add another 10-second increment.

   How do I get my snaps onto my phone?

   If you have an Android device, you have to transfer them via Wi-Fi. If you have an iOS device, they will transfer by default via the glasses’ Bluetooth connection. Or, you can choose to can transfer them at a higher resolution over Wi-Fi.

   You can use the glasses as a standalone device — they’ll store the snaps until you return to your phone.

   What format do the glasses record in?

   They’re in a new “circular” meant to mimic the way the human eye sees. When you’re watching your snaps back on your phone, they can be played back in either landscape or portrait orientation. (Snapchat crops them accordingly.)

   Isn’t this just Google Glass all over again?

   Opinions here are all over the map.

   Is this really Snap’s first hardware product?

   No

   Reply
4. September 28, 2016 at 10:28 am

   Tomi Engdahl says:

   Aaron Souppouris / Engadget:
   Google debuts YouTube Go app for Android with offline viewing, expands free Wi-Fi program Google Station beyond public transport sites in India — At an event in New Delhi, India, Google laid out plans to better serve users in the country. These efforts broadly focus on two areas: data usage and language support.

   Google India debuts offline YouTube app, public WiFi expansion
   Compressed videos and a 2G Play Store are also part of the company’s “next billion” plan.
   https://www.engadget.com/2016/09/27/google-for-india-2016-youtube-go/

   At an event in New Delhi, India, Google laid out plans to better serve users in the country. These efforts broadly focus on two areas: data usage and language support.

   The company highlighted the work it has done so far to reduce the need for high-speed data. Rahul Ro-Chowdhury, Google’s VP of Chrome, said Indian users save 337TB of data every week thanks to Chrome’s data saver feature. It’s recently updated data saver to also reduce the size of videos by as much as two thirds.

   But the best way to save data, obviously, is to negate the need to use it at all. Features like Google Maps offline, now popular around the world, were tailor made for India and other developing markets. The new Chrome for Android update will offer the ability to download entire webpages, and a wide range of video and music files, for consumption offline.

   Reply
5. September 28, 2016 at 10:31 am

   Tomi Engdahl says:

   Ian Hamilton / UploadVR:
   Occipital unveils $500 VR headset dev kit with room-scale tracking for phones, including iPhones

   Exclusive: New VR Dev Kit From Occipital Turns iPhone Into Room-Scale VR
   http://uploadvr.com/occipital-structure-sensor-iphone/

   The $500 VR Dev Kit from Occipital might change that, opening up VR to Apple-centric developers while also being available to others interested in VR’s next steps. More importantly for Occipital, which is based in Boulder, CO and San Francisco, CA, the kit might entice manufacturers to consider integrating the company’s Structure Core 3D sensor directly into mobile devices.

   Reply
6. September 28, 2016 at 1:29 pm

   Tomi Engdahl says:

   Aetna To Provide Apple Watch To 50,000 Employees, Subsidize Cost For Customers
   https://apple.slashdot.org/story/16/09/27/237215/aetna-to-provide-apple-watch-to-50000-employees-subsidize-cost-for-customers

   Insurance company Aetna today announced a major health initiative centered on the iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch, which will see Aetna subsidizing the cost of the Apple Watch for both large employers and individual customers. Starting this fall during open enrollment season, Aetna will subsidize “a significant portion” of the Apple Watch cost and will offer monthly payroll deductions to cover the remaining cost.

   Aetna to Provide Apple Watch to 50,000 Employees, Subsidize Cost for Customers
   http://www.macrumors.com/2016/09/27/aetna-apple-watch-subsidized-for-customers/

   Reply
7. September 28, 2016 at 2:15 pm

   Tomi Engdahl says:

   Always get free airport Wi-Fi with these simple tricks
   http://thenextweb.com/lifestyle/2016/09/27/free-airport-wi-fi/

   Getting airport Wi-Fi can be quite tricky. It might be paid, hidden behind a password or hard to find.

   Thanks to travel blog FoxNomad, we have a couple of great resources to make sure you can always get on the internet no matter what. I’m going to run you through them.

   A Map Of Wireless Passwords From Airports And Lounges Around The World (Updated Regularly)
   https://foxnomad.com/2016/04/26/map-wireless-passwords-airports-lounges-around-world-updated-regularly/

   Reply
8. September 29, 2016 at 9:57 am

   Tomi Engdahl says:

   Smartphone Security: For Your Eyes Only
   http://semiengineering.com/smartphone-security-for-your-eyes-only/

   New biometric security is coming to a phone near you…very near.

   Iris recognition is a technology gaining importance in the smartphone market for authentication. It works by shining a near-infrared light at the eye, and then taking an image of the eye to match what has been recorded on the device or in a database. No two iris patterns are the same, even on the same person or in twins. Because the light is used, the authentication even works in the dark. In the Samsung Galaxy Note7, the iris scanner is another camera dedicated to this function, separate from the front and rear main cameras

   Sclera scanners authenticate based on the pattern of blood vessels in the sclera (white part) of the eye. A popular software technology for adding this feature to phones comes from EyeVerify. EyeVerify uses a device’s camera to image and match blood vessel patterns in the eye. There are a number of smartphones currently available with iris or sclera scanners. These include:

   Microsoft Lumia 950 XL
   Vivo X5Pro
   Fujitsu Arrows NX F-04G (first phone to have iris recognition)
   ZTE Grand S3
   Alcatel Idol 3
   UMI Iron
   Galaxy Note7

   Reply
9. September 29, 2016 at 11:04 am

   Tomi Engdahl says:

   A major change in smartphone RF filters and front ends as 5G approaches
   http://www.edn.com/design/analog/4442660/A-major-change-in-smartphone-RF-filters-and-front-ends-as-5G-approaches?_mc=NL_EDN_EDT_EDN_consumerelectronics_20160928&cid=NL_EDN_EDT_EDN_consumerelectronics_20160928&elqTrackId=83cc76b3ef774fd4808de7d0f2dab9e3&elq=387eeabaf7a048f4bbed89c3bee4facf&elqaid=34047&elqat=1&elqCampaignId=29766

   The ongoing challenge of multiband/multistandard RF solutions for smartphones requires the addition of more bands into the same or smaller physical space in the handset. In addition, performance must improve in the next generation of smartphones.

   In long-term evolution (LTE) carrier aggregation (CA) and beyond, the need for multiple bands operating simultaneously through one antenna necessitates so many added challenges for filters and duplexers. Isolation loss and linearity are probably the most difficult to achieve. Reconfigurable radios are also another path which can be investigated going forward. With the radio spectrum becoming more crowded, smart cognitive radios are being looked at. The problem is that mobile phone manufacturers do not like having to add new models to keep up with bandwidth needs. This is not very cost effective.

   Tunable filters might be able to alleviate the design problems facing engineers that will have a good fit in a small, low power handset.

   In today’s RF design community, engineers have been able to design a single Power Amplifier (PA) which is capable of handling multiple technology modes like CDMA, LTE, W-CDMA and multiple frequencies and bands. This is the Multi-Mode/Multi-Band (MMMB) PA. A filter is needed for each RF path, so this adds to the extra cost in the handset.

   The infinite synthesized networks (ISN)

   Resonant has managed to combine modern filter theory, finite element modeling for both Electro-Magnetic and Acoustic types, and an innovative set of optimization algorithms

   Now designers are able to greatly reduce development time and complexity since the optimization can now be done on a computer instead of using high costs of multiple iterations in the fab.

   Reconfigurable radios2

   This architecture for the radio can increase the efficiency of spectrum usage as well as possibly lower cost in wireless handsets. Current multi-standard radios hardware and software architectures will not cut it when the next generation number of standards must greatly increase.

   Software Defined Radios (SDR) have been suggested by some as a possible solution here. The problem with this solution is that it will require more heavy demands on the RF section and will need higher dynamic range and the SDR will have much higher power needs from the power supply.

   Enter the reconfigurable radio that will be able to select multiple bands. This solution architecture will integrate tunable passive filters into the transceiver front end

   An alternate RF receiver design3

   In the 5G Internet of Everything (IoE), cell phone users will need to get information on demand anytime, anywhere. This would be a battery life killer for a handheld battery-operated device.

   The paper “RF receiver design for IoE applications” proposes an RF receiver design using a translational circuit in a different receiver architecture

   Up until now RF receivers for GSM and LTE high-performance needs were the targets for such an architecture. Now, would it be possible to further lower the power consumption while maintaining acceptable performance in LTE, LTE-A, and ultimately 5G? To be determined.

   Reply
10. September 29, 2016 at 3:27 pm

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    Roger Cheng / CNET:
    BlackBerry to end in-house development of phones, will outsource design, manufacturing, and selling of devices, focus on software after taking $372M loss in Q2

    BlackBerry bails on building its own phones
    https://www.cnet.com/news/blackberry-to-stop-building-its-own-smartphones/

    The struggling company will cease in-house work on hardware, handing that job over to partners. It now will focus on security and

    Reply
11. September 30, 2016 at 11:34 am

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    Elisa’s new service hook: calls abroad, the domestic prices

    Elisa introduced a Wi-Fi and 4G telephony for commercial use on the first telecom operator in Finland.

    Telecom operator Elisa provides telephone access to Wi-Fi calls. passing through a wireless broadband telephony in particular, should improve coverage indoors.

    The service also allows calls to Finland from abroad call prices when the phone is connected to a Wi-Fi network.

    - Wi-Fi calling is a place for independent and it simulates a home being online, Elisa’s private customer business unit of voice subscriptions director Jan Virkki explains.

    In practice, this means that when in Finland a Wi-Fi calls to foreign countries go further foreign prices, as well as for calls from abroad to abroad. Instead of calling from abroad to Finland generated savings.

    When making a call or receiving, however, should check whether the telephone remains a Wi-Fi network. If not, the call is done in accordance with the roaming pricing.

    Does not work on all phones

    Technology will initially use the Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge Samsung Galaxy phones, and it has to be activated to EUR 3.90 as paying an additional service.

    Virkki, the service requires phone-specific testing and approval, as well as service support enabling the phone software update from the manufacturer. The service is connected to the customer on top of other additional services the same way.

    - Later will be like a faster rollout, says Virkki.

    Introduction of the service will also join 4g-ie VoLTE calls. Until now, 4g has a passed only the data and voice calls are forwarded to a 2G or 3G network.

    Elisa designers in a statement to be the first operator in Finland, which will bring wifi-phone calls for commercial use. The competitor DNA was already announced in March that they had introduced a pilot customers 4G and Wi-Fi calls.

    Source: http://www.digitoday.fi/data/2016/09/29/elisan-uudessa-palvelussa-koukku-puhelut-ulkomailta-kotimaan-hinnoin/201610057/66?rss=6

    Reply
12. September 30, 2016 at 11:34 am

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    Operators will fade source of SMS income – Yle: over five years -40%

    According to FICORA, the Finnish broadcast during the beginning of the year to 40 text messages per month for each Finn. This was the beginning of the 2010s, more than half of the larger, write Yle . Just as per the Finnish text messages were sent in 2011 to 67 units per month.

    “Every year the number of SMS messages sent is reduced by about a tenth,”

    In international comparison, Finns are texting Swedish, Danish, Lithuanian, Norwegian, Icelandic and Latvian behind.

    Source: http://www.tivi.fi/Kaikki_uutiset/operaattoreilta-hiipuu-tulonlahde-yle-viiden-vuoden-aikana-40-6586897

    Reply
13. October 1, 2016 at 7:21 pm

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    Elizabeth Dwoskin / Washington Post:
    How a startup called Augmedix, which has raised over $36M, is enabling hundreds of doctors in the US to use Google Glass for remote medical scribing

    Coming to a doctor’s office near you: Live-streaming your exam with Google Glass
    https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/medical-scribes-track-doctors-examinations-from-thousands-of-miles-away/2016/09/27/2c269f54-7c23-11e6-ac8e-cf8e0dd91dc7_story.html

    Jim Andrews is in a medical office wearing just a hospital gown, staring at his doctor of 11 years, who is staring back at him through the sleek, metallic lens of Google Glass.

    As the doctor examines Andrews, a new kind of medical scribe is watching the examination, transcribing everything he sees. The scribe, named Rahul, is thousands of miles away in India, and he is viewing the office visit live through the pint-size, WiFi-connected camera attached to the doctor’s glasses.

    The entrepreneurs behind the technology — which could one day morph into something as tiny as a contact lens — say it is more than a transcription tool: It’s the first step to supercharging doctors with instantaneous information that transforms how medical decisions are made. Instead of human scribes taking down notes, they envision a world in which artificial intelligence software could transcribe the office visit in real time, while immediately comparing the patient’s medical issues with those of millions of others, then making predictions about what treatments would work best. Moreover, they say the technology is bringing health-care professionals back into the moment with their patients — returning a sense of humanity that has been lost as computers have become a fixture in the doctor’s office.

    Reply
14. October 3, 2016 at 12:23 pm

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    Stephanie M. Lee / BuzzFeed:
    Anecdotes show increased use of electronic devices can injure hands, wrists, and other body parts, but effects of long-term exposure are still unclear

    Out of Hand
    https://www.buzzfeed.com/stephaniemlee/whatsapp-doc?utm_term=.svJDAwz4E#.hyX3NgrL9

    More people are using more devices more often than ever before. Increasingly, that’s a pain point.

    For Cassandra Smolcic, the trouble began at her dream internship. Handpicked to spend a summer working on movies at Pixar, the 26-year-old logged marathon hours, and more than a few all-nighters, at her computer and tablet. At first, she managed to ignore the mysterious pinching sensations in her hands and forearms. But by the time her internship ended and a full-time job offer rolled in, she could barely move her fingers.

    For Skylar, a 12-year-old in South Florida who loves her laptop, phone, and tablet, the breaking point came at the start of sixth grade last fall. Suddenly her neck, shoulders, and back felt strained whenever she rolled her head, as if invisible hands were yanking muscles apart from the inside. All her neck-rolling, she worried, made her look like she was trying to cheat off someone’s test.

    Reply
15. October 3, 2016 at 12:27 pm

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    Todd C. Frankel / Washington Post:
    How cobalt sourced from dangerous mines in DR Congo ends up inside Lithium-ion batteries powering devices made by Apple, Samsung, Tesla, and other tech firms

    The cobalt pipeline
    Tracing the path from deadly hand-dug mines in Congo to consumers’ phones and laptops
    https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/business/batteries/congo-cobalt-mining-for-lithium-ion-battery/

    This remote landscape in southern Africa lies at the heart of the world’s mad scramble for cheap cobalt, a mineral essential to the rechargeable lithium-ion batteries that power smartphones, laptops and electric vehicles made by companies such as Apple, Samsung and major automakers.

    The world’s soaring demand for cobalt is at times met by workers, including children, who labor in harsh and dangerous conditions. An estimated 100,000 cobalt miners in Congo use hand tools to dig hundreds of feet underground with little oversight and few safety measures

    The Post traced this cobalt pipeline and, for the first time, showed how cobalt mined in these harsh conditions ends up in popular consumer products.

    Apple, in response to questions from The Post, acknowledged that this cobalt has made its way into its batteries.

    Apple, in response to questions from The Post, acknowledged that this cobalt has made its way into its batteries. The Cupertino, Calif.-based tech giant said that an estimated 20 percent of the cobalt it uses comes from Huayou Cobalt.

    Another Huayou customer, LG Chem, one of the world’s leading battery makers, told The Post it stopped buying Congo-sourced minerals late last year. Samsung SDI, another large battery maker, said that it is conducting an internal investigation but that “to the best of our knowledge,” while the company does use cobalt mined in Congo, it does not come from Huayou.

    Few companies regularly track where their cobalt comes from.

    Reply
16. October 3, 2016 at 12:51 pm

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    Nokia Android phone revealed

    Nokia makes a return phone market Android-equipped devices. appeared in the test site data give an indication of what is to come

    Nokia D1C appeared recently Geek Bench -testaussivuston database.

    The site will be found by phone Qualcomm Snapdragon eight core SoC 430 (1.4 GHz), 3 gigabytes of memory as well as the latest Android 7.0 Nougat Operating System.

    Source: http://www.iltalehti.fi/digi/2016100322408369_du.shtml

    https://browser.primatelabs.com/geekbench3/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&q=Nokia+D1C

    Reply
17. October 3, 2016 at 12:52 pm

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    More details emerge about Nokia’s Android-powered comeback
    http://thenextweb.com/gadgets/2016/10/02/more-details-emerge-about-nokias-android-powered-comeback/

    Nokia’s decline has been heartbreaking to watch. But the Finnish company is planning a comeback with a line of all-new Android phones. One of these is the D1C, which recently found its way to GeekBench. This gives us an insight into what’s inside.

    The D1C will use the new mid-tier, octa-core Snapdragon 430 SoC, with each core clocked at 1.4GHz. This will be backed up with 3GB of RAM, and run Android 7.0 Nougat.

    Specs like these aren’t going to get anyone to queue around the block to buy one. Despite that, they’re still pretty respectable for a mid-range device.

    According to NokiaPowerUser, the firm plans to launch two high-end Android 7.0 smartphones by the end of the year. These will supposedly have a premium metal design, large screens, fingerprint scanners, and camera “innovations”. Gizmodo China says that these will also use Qualcomm’s high-end Snapdragon 820 chip.

    Reply
18. October 4, 2016 at 8:26 am

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    Mary Jo Foley / ZDNet:
    Microsoft pulls Band listings from its Store and admits there are no plans for a new Band device this year — Microsoft officials say there are no plans to introduce a new Microsoft Band fitness device this year and that they’ve sold through the existing Band 2 inventory.

    Microsoft pulls Band listings from its Store; admits no Band 3 this year
    http://www.zdnet.com/article/microsoft-pulls-band-listings-from-its-store-admits-no-band-3-this-year/

    Microsoft officials say there are no plans to introduce a new Microsoft Band fitness device this year and that it sold through the existing Band 2 inventory.

    t’s increasingly looking as though Microsoft really does intend to drop its fitness-band line of devices.
    nomicrosoftbandin2016.jpg

    The latest evidence: the company has removed all references to its Band devices from its Microsoft Store listing online.

    Update: Microsoft also removed the Band software development kit (SDK) today, which isn’t surprising given it’s no longer selling Band 2 devices.

    Microsoft is believed to have disbanded the software team that was looking to bring Windows 10 to the Band a couple months ago

    Reply
19. October 4, 2016 at 8:35 am

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    Telegram levels up its bot platform with competitive games that live inside chats
    https://techcrunch.com/2016/10/03/telegram-levels-up-its-bot-platform-with-competitive-games-that-live-inside-chats/

    The messaging wars are really a battle for attention. It’s all about which comms app giant can embed the stickiest and most addictive features into their platform to keep users inside their own well-tended garden, rather than peering over the wall at rivals’ plots.

    In Facebook’s case today, that means launching a pared down version of its Messenger app to try to extend the edges of its messaging empire to markets where users may not have great Internet and/or a high end smartphone.

    But, also today, messaging app Telegram is going the other way: announcing it’s powering up on the chatbot front with the launch of what it dubs a “bot-powered gaming platform” in a bid to try to drive more engagement via addictive new features.

    Integrated HTML 5 games inside chats

    Reply
20. October 4, 2016 at 11:44 am

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    Lucas Matney / TechCrunch:
    Samsung waits to see whether VR is hype or mainstream before moving forward on standalone VR headsets, 10K displays

    Samsung waiting to see where VR hype cycle lands before moving on standalone headsets, next-gen 10K displays
    https://techcrunch.com/2016/09/27/samsung-waiting-to-see-where-vr-hype-cycle-lands-before-moving-on-standalone-headsets/amp/

    At a company event today in San Francisco, Samsung President & Chief Strategy Officer Young Sohn detailed that the company is actively pursuing both smartphone-focused VR headsets and standalone solutions. The decision to market and ship a dedicated all-in-one device would rely largely on where the VR market goes in the upcoming months and years, he says, and whether the clunky headsets can gain wider adoption.

    “Is [virtual reality] hype or mainstream? I don’t have a good answer for you today,” Sohn said.

    Sohn detailed that he believes the industry is at the peak of its hype cycle and that “there’s a bit of a chicken and egg problem right now” for shipping all-in-one headsets when the market hasn’t entirely proven itself thus far.

    Samsung is currently one of the largest manufacturers of mobile VR headsets. There are over a million Galaxy and Note owners utilizing the company’s $99 Gear VR headset, though a large chunk of that user base likely received those headsets for free based on pre-order promotions for the company’s handsets. The company is also one of Google Daydream’s first partners and is more than likely going to release a separate mobile headset for that platform.

    The QuadHD displays currently available on Samsung’s Galaxy and Note smartphone lines may be more than adequate for regular smartphone usage but when the device is slotted into a Gear VR headset and places inches away from the user’s eyes, the display limits become much more visible.

    Sohn said that virtual reality technologies would definitely be a driving incentive for the company to “move faster” in building next-gen displays, but also posited that building a 10K mobile display would likely require an investment of “at least $5 billion to $10 billion” from the company.

    These standalone headsets differ from mobile solutions in that no secondary compute device is required with all of the compute, display and sensor tech baked into a single device. Intel and Qualcomm have both shown off reference designs for all-in-one VR devices but are not looking to immediately market these devices to consumers.

    Reply
21. October 4, 2016 at 2:42 pm

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    If users are asked – and often is asked about the gun – is the battery life by far the biggest lack of modern smartphones. Therefore, it is a pleasure to say that as early as next year, this problem will facilitate a lot. The vast majority of devices will use the new USB-C connection.

    The battery chemistry is improved too, but only gradually. Physically the same size battery is obtained each year from about 10 percent more power.

    Therefore, the most important life easier Technology is enabled USB Type-C standard, a hundred-watt charging power and different use of the quick charging techniques. They allow the battery can be quickly charged to almost full capacity. People often talk about only half an hour to recharge.

    USB-C standard allows for the charge power of 20 volts and 5 amps.

    Source: http://etn.fi/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=5159:pian-alypuhelimien-isoin-riesa-siirtyy-historiaan&catid=13&Itemid=101

    Reply
22. October 5, 2016 at 2:59 pm

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    Dieter Bohn / The Verge:
    Pixel and Pixel XL hands-on: smoother performance and faster camera than other Android phones, but lack of stereo speakers is not great for VR

    Google’s Pixel and Pixel XL phones are refined, not radical
    Hands-on with the Google Phone
    http://www.theverge.com/2016/10/4/13155852/google-phone-pixel-photos-video-hands-on

    Here they are, at long last, the Google Phones. Technically, they’re called Pixel and Pixel XL

    It comes in two sizes: a 5-inch model with an HD display and a 5.5-inch model with a QHD display. Prices start at $649 for a 32GB model, which is more expensive than we’re used to from Nexus devices. But this isn’t a Nexus, it’s a Pixel, and so it’s priced at the high end.

    The 12-megapixel camera, mercifully, is fully encased in the phone instead of jutting out.

    HTC may have manufactured it, but it didn’t design it. Unlike Nexus phones, the Pixel was designed by Google from start to finish and isn’t based on a previous HTC device.

    The powerful Snapdragon 821 processor and 4GB of RAM certainly help, but we’ve seen powerful specs on phones before. This time around, Google tells me that it’s optimized all sorts of things to optimize touch response.

    The 12-megapixel camera on the back is fast — the fastest I’ve seen on an Android device. The photos also look pretty good, at least on the Pixel’s screen.

    There’s no optical image stabilization, but Google has tied the gyroscope into the camera system. In a demo, I saw the Pixel get rapidly shaken up and down an inch or so while recording with no visual jitter or jelly at all.

    Of the two sizes, I prefer the Pixel XL, but this time around there’s no penalty for choosing the smaller phone. They have exactly the same processor, storage, memory, and camera.

    Reply
23. October 5, 2016 at 3:00 pm

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    David Cardinal / DxOMark:
    DxOMark gives the Google Pixel’s camera a score of 89, the highest ever and three points above the iPhone 7 — Mobile Review — Overview — With an overall DxOMark Mobile score of 89, pixel, the latest Google smartphone, is the highest-rated smartphone camera we have ever tested.

    Pixel smartphone camera review: At the top
    https://www.dxomark.com/Mobiles/Pixel-smartphone-camera-review-At-the-top

    With an overall DxOMark Mobile score of 89, pixel, the latest Google smartphone, is the highest-rated smartphone camera we have ever tested. Its image quality scores are impressive across the board, but it is particularly strong in providing a very high level of detail from its 12.3MP camera, with relatively low levels of noise for every tested lighting condition. It also provides accurate exposures with very good contrast and white balance, as well as fast autofocus.

    The Pixel’s strong scores under a wide range of conditions make it an excellent choice for almost any kind of photography. As with any small-sensor device, results are excellent in conditions with good and uniform lighting. But in addition, images captured indoors and in low light are very good and provide a level of detail unexpected from a smartphone camera. With flash, its auto white balance and detail preservation are excellent, making it suitable for indoor portraits — and even for photographing indoor events as long as there is some additional ambient light to help even out the flash.

    Raymond Wong / Mashable:
    Google’s Pixel handsets come with free unlimited storage for photos of up to 16 megapixel resolution and videos up to full HD resolution, via Google Photos

    Google Pixel phones come with unlimited Google Photos storage
    http://mashable.com/2016/10/04/google-pixel-phones-unlimited-google-photos-storage/#._veP3WER8qq

    So Google just announced its new Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones. On paper, they look like they tick off all the boxes, but why should anyone consider them over an iPhone 7 or a Galaxy S7?

    Two words: Google Photos. The phones will come with unlimited photo and video storage at full resolution.

    Anyone can download and install Google Photos on their iOS or Android phone. But the photo storage service caps photo resolution at 16 megapixels and video resolution at full HD (1,920 x 1,080) if you want to store an unlimited amount of media for free.

    This means if you want to store higher resolution photos and videos at greater resolution (like 4K), you’d need to pay for a monthly storage plan, which starts at $1.99 per month for 100GB.

    Reply
24. October 5, 2016 at 3:13 pm

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    Tom Warren / The Verge:
    Scratch testing suggests iPhone camera lens exterior may not be as hard as pure sapphire, which is claimed by Apple — Apple has been using sapphire on its iPhone camera lenses for a few years now since the launch of the iPhone 5S, but it might not be as scratch resistant as you’d expect.

    Apple’s use of ‘sapphire’ in iPhone camera lens questioned in new tests
    http://www.theverge.com/2016/10/4/13160180/apple-iphone-sapphire-camera-lens-analysis

    Apple has been using sapphire on its iPhone camera lenses for a few years now since the launch of the iPhone 5S, but it might not be as scratch resistant as you’d expect. A new video raises questions over Apple’s use of sapphire in its iPhone camera lens, and includes scratch tests to rate its durability. While Apple claims it uses sapphire crystal in its iPhone lens, tests by YouTuber JerryRigEverything show that Apple could be using a more cost effective sapphire laminate on top of regular glass.

    Reply
25. October 5, 2016 at 3:14 pm

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    Dan Seifert / The Verge:
    Google says it has “no plans” for more Nexus-branded products
    http://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2016/10/4/13098866/google-phone-event-announced-nexus-line-ending

    With the announcement of Google’s new Pixel and Pixel XL today, there has been the question of what’s happening to the long-running Nexus hardware program, which started in 2010 with the Nexus One and has been comprised of eight phones, four tablets, and two media players. According to Google, the company has “no plans” for a future Nexus product, marking the likely end of the Nexus run.

    Reply
26. October 5, 2016 at 3:21 pm

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    Lenovo rejected the Windows 10 mobile phones

    Lenovo does not intend to launch new smart phones based on Windows 10 operating system. This confirmed the company’s CEO Giancarlo Lanci Canalys Channel Forum 2016 event.

    Lancin, Windows 10 and doing very widespread business users PC computers, but it will not be brought to smartphones.
    – I am not convinced that Microsoft supports Windows 10 smartphones in the future, said Lanci directly.

    Microsoft’s market share in smartphones has shrunk to virtually nothing.

    Source: http://etn.fi/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=5168:lenovo-hylkasi-windows-10-n-kannykoissa&catid=13&Itemid=101

    Reply
27. October 5, 2016 at 3:26 pm

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    Google becomes the dreaded Big Brother

    Google Assistant. It has been more sophisticated, utilizing artificial intelligence sidekick

    - The smartphone has become the remote controls of our lives. But over the next ten years, a census (computing) will be used universally everywhere, Pichai painted.

    The role of Google Assistant here is to act as a natural conversation between you and Google.
    Google Assistant is intended to operate in all possible devices to the office and the car from the smartphone to the TV. Starting from Pixel and Pixel XL smart phones. It works as Siri, but has access to all Google knows about you and everything else.

    These ‘big brother’ has been previously described in science fiction literature.

    Source: http://etn.fi/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=5163:googlesta-tulee-pelatty-isoveli&catid=13&Itemid=101

    Reply
28. October 5, 2016 at 3:32 pm

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    Adi Robertson / The Verge:
    Hands-on: Daydream View has perfect image focusing, a controller that senses its position well-enough, and great ergonomics with a comfy cloth exterior — It’s more high-tech than it looks — When Google revealed its Cardboard virtual reality platform back in 2014, it launched an endless series …

    Google Daydream View is the coziest VR headset
    It’s more high-tech than it looks
    http://www.theverge.com/2016/10/4/13156964/google-daydream-view-virtual-reality-headset-hands-on

    When Google revealed its Cardboard virtual reality platform back in 2014, it launched an endless series of conversations in which I tried to explain why a $20 piece of cardboard wasn’t the same as an Oculus Rift. The two might both get called “VR,” I protested, but their technology and design created two fundamentally different ways to interact with virtual worlds.

    Two years later, Google has another VR platform. This one is called Daydream, and it’s launching on the Pixel and Pixel XL phones, along with a $79 headset called Daydream View. More compatible phones and headsets are expected in the next several months

    Daydream View, which will come out early next month, is roughly comparable to Samsung’s Gear VR. Both are goggles that turn phones into virtual reality headsets, combined with a custom controller that’s far more complex than Cardboard’s single-button setup.

    Daydream feels a little cheap, but not fragile or shoddy

    Like the Gear VR, the Daydream View has a single strap that holds it around your head. The strap is designed to be easily tightened by pulling two buckles along its length, and it keeps the headset on just fine, even if mine felt like it kept slipping very slightly. The mask, when I kept it at the right angle, also shut out light about as well as most decent VR headsets.

    Daydream doesn’t guide users to perfectly center their phones. Instead, a pair of capacitive bumps tell the screen where it’s positioned, and the image automatically aligns itself to match.

    More than the materials or ergonomics, what sets Daydream’s hardware apart is its controller, an oblong disc with a clickable trackpad, two menu buttons, and a volume rocker.

    While Google was vague about cross-compatibility earlier this year, it’s now confirming that any Daydream headset should work with any Daydream phone.

    Daydream: Bringing high-quality VR to everyone
    https://blog.google/products/google-vr/daydream-bringing-high-quality-vr-everyone/

    In the U.S., Daydream View will be available for pre-order starting October 20 at Verizon and the Google Store. Slate will be available in all countries at launch

    Reply
29. October 6, 2016 at 8:05 am

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    Justin Yu / CNET:
    Google’s head of VR, Clay Bavor, confirms that the delayed Lenovo Phab2 Pro phone with Google Tango AR tech will go on sale in November for $499 unlocked in US — Clay Bavor, head of VR and AR at Google, has confirmed the release date of the first phone with Google’s depth-sensing 3D camera system.

    Google’s Tango phone, the Lenovo Phab2 Pro, is coming in November
    https://www.cnet.com/news/google-tango-lenovo-phab-2-pro-november/

    Clay Bavor, head of VR and AR at Google, has confirmed the release date of the first phone with Google’s depth-sensing 3D camera system.

    Remember the Lenovo Phab2 Pro, the huge 6.4-inch phone with Google’s Tango depth-sensing 3D camera system that scans the world around you, can play augmented reality games, help navigate indoors, or see how new furniture and appliances might fit in your home? It’s coming next month, according to Google.

    Though the phone was originally supposed to ship in the summer, and later got delayed to September and then a nebulous “fall,” Clay Bavor, head of VR at Google, confirmed to CNET that the phone will go on sale this November. (Yes, that’s the same month as Google’s Pixel phones.) The Phab2 Pro should sell for $499 unlocked in the United States, equivalent to £345 or AU$672.

    It’s important to note that only the Google Pixel phones will be compatible with the Daydream VR headset, not the Phab2 Pro. (It doesn’t have the required AMOLED screen to support smooth VR.) That means tech enthusiasts will have to choose between virtual reality and augmented reality if they buy a new Google phone next month.

    Reply
30. October 6, 2016 at 9:59 am

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    Replacement Samsung Galaxy Note 7 phone catches fire on Southwest plane
    http://www.theverge.com/2016/10/5/13175000/samsung-galaxy-note-7-fire-replacement-plane-battery-southwest

    Southwest Airlines flight 994 from Louisville to Baltimore was evacuated this morning while still at the gate because of a smoking Samsung Galaxy Note 7 smartphone. All passengers and crew exited the plane via the main cabin door and no injuries were reported, a Southwest Airlines spokesperson told The Verge.

    More worrisome is the fact that the phone in question was a replacement Galaxy Note 7, one that was deemed to be safe by Samsung.

    Green said that he had powered down the phone as requested by the flight crew and put it in his pocket when it began smoking. He dropped it on the floor of the plane and a “thick grey-green angry smoke” was pouring out of the device. Green’s colleague went back onto the plane to retrieve some personal belongings and said that the phone had burned through the carpet and scorched the subfloor of the plane.

    Samsung is likely in full-fledged crisis mode at this point, as a replacement phone catching fire would be truly disastrous for the company’s image and finances.

    ‘Fixed Samsung Galaxy Note 7′ catches fire on plane
    http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-37570100

    A replacement Samsung Galaxy Note 7 device, deemed safe by the firm, has reportedly caught fire on a Southwest Airlines plane.

    The airline confirmed one of its planes, due to fly from Louisville, Kentucky, to Baltimore, Maryland, was evacuated before take-off on Wednesday.

    The Note 7 was subject to a mass recall in September, but Samsung said it had identified and fixed the problem.

    Samsung said it was investigating.

    Reply
31. October 9, 2016 at 10:26 am

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    Jordan Golson / The Verge:
    Three reports of replacement Samsung Galaxy Note 7s catching fire have surfaced in the past week — It sent a man to the hospital with smoke inhalation injuries — Another replacement Samsung Galaxy Note 7 has caught fire, bringing the total to three this week alone.

    Samsung knew a third replacement Note 7 caught fire on Tuesday and said nothing
    It sent a man to the hospital with smoke inhalation injuries
    http://www.theverge.com/2016/10/9/13215728/samsung-galaxy-note-7-third-fire-smoke-inhalation

    Another replacement Samsung Galaxy Note 7 has caught fire, bringing the total to three this week alone. This one was owned by Michael Klering of Nicholasville, Kentucky.

    “The phone is supposed to be the replacement, so you would have thought it would be safe,” Klering told WKYT, saying that he had owned the replacement phone for a little more than a week. “It wasn’t plugged in. It wasn’t anything, it was just sitting there.”

    The most disturbing part of this is that Klering’s phone caught fire on Tuesday and Samsung knew about it and didn’t say anything. And actually, it gets worse than that.

    Samsung was aware that its replacement phones were catching fire five days ago. Another caught fire on Thursday (on an airplane), and then another on Friday in the hands of a thirteen-year old girl. That’s three in less than a week, with Samsung giving its customers little more than meaningless platitudes about “[taking] every report seriously” and that “customer safety remains our highest priority as we are investigating the matter.”

    Billy Steele / Engadget:
    After Samsung Galaxy Southwest Airlines incident, Verizon, Sprint, AT&T, and T-Mobile now offer exchange options for Note7 replacement models — A replacement Samsung Galaxy Note 7 started smoking and burned through the carpet on board a Southwest flight this week.

    US carriers exchange replacement Note 7s after airplane incident (updated)
    AT&T, Sprint and Verizon will allow customers to swap for a another phone.
    https://www.engadget.com/2016/10/07/sprint-replacement-galaxy-note-7-returns/

    A replacement Samsung Galaxy Note 7 started smoking and burned through the carpet on board a Southwest flight this week. Following the incident, one US carrier is allowing owners to exchange those replacement devices even though the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) hasn’t issued a formal warning or recall yet. Sprint confirmed to Engadget it will allow customers to return their replacement Note 7 for another device at its retail stores “during the investigation window.” The carrier says that it’s working with Samsung “to better understand the most recent concerns” with the handset.

    So, what if you’re on T-Mobile, AT&T or Verizon? Well, Recode reports T-Mobile will accept returns so long as they fall within its normal 14-day “remorse” policy.

    AT&T confirmed to Engadget that it will also allow customers to exchange replacement Galaxy Note 7s for another phone.

    Reply
32. October 10, 2016 at 8:41 am

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    Samsung has lots of problems with Galaxy Note 7:

    Samsung halts production of troubled Galaxy Note 7 phone
    http://money.cnn.com/2016/10/09/technology/samsung-galaxy-note-7/index.html

    Samsung is putting the brakes on its beleaguered Galaxy Note 7 smartphone as fears spread that even replacement versions of the device can burst into flames.

    Production of the phone has been temporarily suspended, a person familiar with the matter told CNN on Monday.

    Samsung (SSNLF) recalled about 2.5 million of the devices worldwide last month, blaming faulty batteries for overheating the phones and causing them to ignite.

    Samsung halts Note 7 production after new fire scare: source
    http://www.reuters.com/article/us-samsung-electronics-smartphones-idUSKCN1290XH

    Verizon will also stop issuing replacement Galaxy Note 7 phones
    http://www.theverge.com/2016/10/10/13223972/verizon-samsung-galaxy-note-7-stop-sale-recall

    Verizon announced late tonight that it would no longer offer replacement Samsung Galaxy Note 7 phones to its customers, joining fellow US carriers T-Mobile and AT&T, and other carriers around the world in halting sales of the device. Verizon’s decision comes after it was reported earlier tonight that Samsung was halting production of new Note 7 phones while the investigation is ongoing.

    At least five replacement Note 7 phones caught fire in the US alone this week, and federal regulators with the Consumer Product Safety Commission are working to investigate the incidents.

    If you own a Samsung Galaxy Note 7 you should immediately stop using it and return it for a refund

    AT&T halting Samsung Galaxy Note 7 sales following multiple fires with replacement phones
    http://www.theverge.com/2016/10/9/13219054/att-samsung-galaxy-note-7-stop-sales

    AT&T is discontinuing all sales and exchanges of Samsung Galaxy Note 7 smartphones following a number of fires caused by supposedly “safe” phones that had been replaced under recall.

    “Based on recent reports, we’re no longer exchanging new Note 7s at this time, pending further investigation of these reported incidents,” said an AT&T spokesperson in a statement to The Verge. “We still encourage customers with a recalled Note 7 to visit an AT&T location to exchange that device for another Samsung smartphone or other smartphone of their choice.”

    All four of the big US carriers have said they will allow returns of any Note 7, but AT&T is the first to stop sales of the device entirely.

    Reply
33. October 10, 2016 at 10:11 am

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    HTC’s Android Wear watch emerges in a photo leak
    The Under Armour-badged timepiece would focus on the fitness crowd.
    https://www.engadget.com/2016/10/09/htc-smartwatch-leak/

    HTC has had on-again, off-again plans for a smartwatch for years, but it looks like something is finally starting to materialize. A Weibo user has posted what are claimed to be photos of the “Halfbeak,” an in-development Android Wear smartwatch that only recently surfaced in a Phandroid rumor. As you might surmise from the Under Armour branding, this would be all about fitness — you’d get a heart rate sensor, a rubber strap and other exercise-friendly design touches.

    Reply
34. October 10, 2016 at 10:15 am

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    Also Apple get to news with exploding iPhones:

    iPhone 6 Plus explodes during charging with the original charger
    http://www.phonearena.com/news/iPhone-6-Plus-explodes-during-charging-with-the-original-charger_id86356

    ABC30 reports that an iPhone 6 Plus exploded during charging. The device, which belonged to Yvette Estrada from Fresno, California, has been rendered completely unusable. The incident happened this week, in the night from Thursday to Friday.
    The iPhone 6 Plus was connected to the power adapter that came bundled with it.

    Earlier this week, an iPhone 6 Plus burned in the back pocket of college student Darina Hlavaty. The cause of fire in both incidents is not yet known, although it might be a case of defective batteries or a short circuit.

    Reply
35. October 11, 2016 at 6:55 am

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    Samsung Global Newsroom:
    Samsung tells owners of Galaxy Note7 to stop using device, asks global carrier and retail partners to stop sales and exchanges of the phone — We are working with relevant regulatory bodies to investigate the recently reported cases involving the Galaxy Note7.

    Samsung Will Ask All Global Partners to Stop Sales and Exchanges of Galaxy Note7 While Further Investigation Takes Place
    on October 11, 2016
    http://news.samsung.com/global/samsung-will-ask-all-global-partners-to-stop-sales-and-exchanges-of-galaxy-note7-while-further-investigation-takes-place

    We are working with relevant regulatory bodies to investigate the recently reported cases involving the Galaxy Note7.

    Reply
36. October 11, 2016 at 7:00 am

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    David Ruddock / Android Police:
    Cyanogen CEO Kirt McMaster resigns, notes failure of “full stack” OS strategy and shift to modular Cyanogen Now model; Lior Tal promoted from COO to CEO — Kirt McMaster, the controversial CEO of Cyanogen Inc., will be stepping down from his role, we’ve learned.

    [Update: Confirmed] Kirt McMaster out as Cyanogen Inc. CEO, gets Eric Schmidt’ed to “Executive Chairman”
    http://www.androidpolice.com/2016/10/10/kirt-mcmaster-out-as-cyanogen-inc-ceo-gets-eric-schmidted-to-executive-chairman/

    Kirt McMaster, the controversial CEO of Cyanogen Inc., will be stepping down from his role, we’ve learned. An announcement could come as soon as tomorrow as part of a larger news release regarding the company’s new structure and direction.

    McMaster sent out the following email to Cyanogen Inc. employees this morning, confirming his new position and that the man the company hired as COO, Lior Tal, is taking over as CEO. He also makes it clear Cyanogen Inc is getting out of the “full stack” business (read: trying to sell an OS) and to a “modular” approach being dubbed “Cyanogen Now.”

    Reply
37. October 11, 2016 at 7:09 am

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    OTG – Android’s opening to the wider world
    http://www.gadgetguy.com.au/otg-androids-opening-to-the-wider-world/

    So, the Apple iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus are abandoning the headphone socket. What does that mean for Android phones? Could they follow the same path?

    The short answer is that they could. Technically an Android phone could come with a Micro-B USB equivalent of the iPhone 7’s Lightning to headphone adaptor. Such a thing could be used on many Android phones made in recent times.

    What the phone needs is an OTG – On the Go – capability. High end phones pretty much always have this, and many midrange ones as well.

    With OTG support, you can plug in special OTG USB memory sticks or an OTG adaptor cable.

    This is a short cable with a Micro-B USB plug on one end and a regular USB-A socket on the other. You plug it into an OTG-capable phone and suddenly you have access to a number of useful USB devices.

    Obviously, that includes any old flash memory drive, not a special OTG drive. Also a USB keyboard.

    Likewise, you can use an external audio DAC.

    So there’s no reason why this couldn’t be repeated with Android. Except for the sheer fiddliness of the Micro-B USB connection. Maybe when phones have moved entirely over to USB Type-C that will happen.

    Reply
38. October 11, 2016 at 3:04 pm

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    Note 7 effect: Only Apple makes a profit this year

    Samsung this year’s most important smartphone kärähdettyä literally in the hands, it is possible that the manufacturers, only Apple makes a profit on their smartphones. Chinese manufacturers certainly obscures statistics.

    Definitive figures is of course not yet available, but a lot of guidance may Canaccord Geniutyn last year’s numbers. Last year Apple took a 17.2 per cent market share of 91 percent of all smartphone industry profits. Samsung recorded a 14 per cent of industry profits almost 24 percent market share.

    All other smartphones manufacturers make losses. Microsoft, Sony, HTC, LG, and Lenovo made all loss with their phone business.

    What, then, will change this year? Apple’s market share to increase slightly, but the share of industry profits will reach close to one hundred percent. Samsung’s market share will decline and guaranteed today reported a $ 17 billion Note 7 losses weigh the smartphone business with operate frost.

    Microsoft also will continue to make losses with smart phone manufacturing that is ending soon.
    Lit is likely that Sony, HTC and LG just make loss. Chinese manufacturers are not required to report
    their profit.

    It is difficult to understand why the new HMD Global will bring the Nokia brand back on the market in this situation.

    Source: http://etn.fi/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=5202:note-7-seuraus-vain-apple-tekee-tana-vuonna-voittoa&catid=13&Itemid=101

    Reply
39. October 11, 2016 at 3:06 pm

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    Samsung killed Note 7

    Note 7 smartphones from Samsung was supposed to be the finest moment when the device takes all the attention and thank you for the worst racing partner, Apple’s new from your iPhone. There was a reason for a rush or errors in the design and manufacture, Samsung’s plan went badly awry.

    Yesterday, Samsung announced that it had ceased also renewed Note 7 to the manufacture and had invited all of renewed equipment back. The decision is a heavy business image, as well as financially. Losses have been estimated at up to 17 billion dollars.

    Note 7: The fate may well be a large impact on the smart phone business. Korea requires at least the ends of a dish. Apple’s share price has risen higher than in a long time.

    Source: http://etn.fi/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=5200:samsung-tappoi-note-7-n&catid=13&Itemid=101

    Reply
40. October 11, 2016 at 3:22 pm

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    Samsung Permanently Discontinues Galaxy Note 7
    https://hardware.slashdot.org/story/16/10/11/0930237/samsung-permanently-discontinues-galaxy-note-7

    After the replacement units of Galaxy Note 7 also started to catch fire, Samsung is now permanently discontinuing its latest flagship smartphone, , the company said today. The news comes a day after Samsung halted sales of Note 7 once again and began asking users to return the device. So far nearly 50 incidents of Note 7 causing fires have been reported. More importantly, many people have been physically injured with their new Galaxy phone catching fire.

    WSJ reports:
    “Samsung said in a filing with South Korean regulators on Tuesday that it would permanently cease sales of the device, a day after it announced a temporary halt to production of the smartphones”

    Samsung to Permanently Discontinue Galaxy Note 7 Smartphone
    Move halts production and sale of defective premium phone; investors digest possibility smartphone giant could abandon Galaxy Note series
    http://www.wsj.com/articles/samsung-to-permanently-discontinue-galaxy-note-7-smartphone-1476177331/

    Reply
41. October 12, 2016 at 7:46 am

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    Open Whisper Systems:
    Signal adds self-destructing messages, safety numbers, and QR codes to verify end-to-end encryption between users, to iOS, Android, and desktop apps

    Disappearing messages for Signal
    https://whispersystems.org/blog/disappearing-messages/

    The latest Signal release for iPhone, Android, and Desktop now includes support for disappearing messages.

    With this update, any conversation can be configured to delete sent and received messages after a specified interval. The configuration applies to all parties of a conversation, and the clock starts ticking for each recipient once they’ve read their copy of the message.

    Disappearing messages are a way for you and your friends to keep your message history tidy.

    The disappearing timer values range from five seconds to one week,

    This release also includes support for Signal Protocol’s numeric fingerprint format, which are called “safety numbers” in Signal.

    Safety numbers can be verified by either scanning a QR code or by reading a string aloud.

    As always, all of our code is free, open source, and available on GitHub.
    https://github.com/whispersystems

    Reply
42. October 12, 2016 at 7:46 am

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    AnandTech:
    iPhone 7, 7 Plus review: significant step up in display, camera, speaker quality, battery life, and performance, but high charge time and minor iOS bugs remain — The iPhone 6 was a runaway success by any measure. The A8 SoC may have been built on a temperamental 20SoC process …

    The iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus Review: Iterating on a Flagship
    by Joshua Ho & Brandon Chester on October 10, 2016 8:00 AM EST
    http://www.anandtech.com/show/10685/the-iphone-7-and-iphone-7-plus-review

    Reply
43. October 12, 2016 at 7:47 am

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    Sijia Jiang / Reuters:
    Apple to set up R&D center in Shenzhen, bolster China ties — Apple Inc (AAPL.O) will set up a research and development center in China’s manufacturing metropolis Shenzhen, the U.S. tech giant said on Wednesday, as the firm looks to spur growth in the world’s second largest economy amid growing competition.

    Apple to set up R&D center in Shenzhen, bolster China ties
    http://www.reuters.com/article/us-apple-shenzhen-idUSKCN12C0BZ

    Reply
44. October 12, 2016 at 12:52 pm

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    Did power problems help kill the modular smartphone?
    http://www.edn.com/electronics-blogs/power-points/4442804/Did-power-problems-help-kill-the-modular-smartphone-?_mc=NL_EDN_EDT_EDN_consumerelectronics_20161012&cid=NL_EDN_EDT_EDN_consumerelectronics_20161012&elqTrackId=41347c4792cf4c05b9d40ba94201e743&elq=bdc526cdbef7407a84066af25a5a13b9&elqaid=34312&elqat=1&elqCampaignId=29940

    The Wall Street Journal recently reported that Google has killed their “modular” smartphone project. The effort, code-named Project Ara, has been underway for about three years. According to the article, it had been “a rocky journey for Ara, which began in 2013 under phone maker Motorola, then owned by Google. It later moved to a Google research lab called the Advanced Technology and Projects group.” These modular phones would be upgradable, flexible, and longer-lived than our present units—at least, that was part of the hope.

    Frankly, I didn’t see much chance of success when it started. Much as I appreciate and even like the concept of a phone with replaceable or upgradable parts, and which allows for easy add-ons of peripheral devices such as glucose meters, I know that reality argues against success. It’s one thing to have a rack-type instrument with slots for adding in various modules, but doing so in a small, battery-powered, tightly constrained handheld unit is a tough call.

    Stop and think about the challenges. There are issues of electrical compatibility, connectors, software integration, mechanical fit, and overall integrity, plus one low-glamour factor often not mentioned: power.

    It’s nice to think you can standardize on just a few rails for the add-ons, but some may need unique voltages due to the physics of their function. These rails would have to be developed by DC/DC converters within the add-on, adding to issues of efficiency, heat, power-rail transients, and more.

    Experienced engineers on both hardware and software sides know that good set of power rails is like a good foundation for a structure: if it is not rock-solid, strange things can happen. Worst of all, they may be intermittent in their occurrence and hard to pin down. This is especially true in the hands of non-technical users, where meaningful data and details about what went wrong and when is sketchy and unreliable.

    Today’s smartphones are complex devices, with sophisticated power management as an inherent part of their design. If you start adding modular functions to the phone, the power-management strategy will have to adapt and then adopt new tactics and algorithms. Those are difficult mandates.

    Don’t get me wrong: I have nothing against “modular” products and, in fact, I like them in many cases, such as test and measurement instrumentation. I also know that every engineering design is a balance of tradeoffs, and a modular product brings some new demands that are very difficult to meet at so many levels in a small product with limited space and power.

    In a way, it’s like the occasional griping you hear: “Why aren’t today’s consumer products repairable? Why do we have to throw them away when they break?” The answer is easy: if you want a low-cost, high-volume small product, it gets designed one way. If you want a product that is accessible, repairable, and modular in hardware without small size, then the basic framework of the design form factor will be very different, often with multiple PC boards, socketed components, and even test points and connectors.

    We went through this modular phase in the early to middle years of the desktop personal computer.

    Pretty soon, no two PCs were the same, and there were compatibility issues, crashes that were impossible to duplicate, and more.

    What’s your view on the viability of a modular smartphone, or its desirability?

    Reply
45. October 12, 2016 at 2:17 pm

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    Mobile VR Is ‘Coasting On Novelty’, Says John Carmack
    https://mobile.slashdot.org/story/16/10/11/2034257/mobile-vr-is-coasting-on-novelty-says-john-carmack

    John Carmack, chief technology officer at Oculus, says mobile VR is currently “coasting on novelty.” Speaking during the Oculus Connect event, Carmack urged developers to “be harder” on themselves and create experiences on par with non-VR applications and games. “We are coasting on novelty, and the initial wonder of being something people have never seen before,”

    Mobile VR is ‘coasting on novelty,’ says John Carmack
    Carmack tells developers to be harder on themselves.
    https://www.cnet.com/news/mobile-vr-is-coasting-on-novelty-says-john-carmack/

    John Carmack, chief technology officer at Oculus, has said mobile VR is currently “coasting on novelty.” Speaking during the Oculus Connect event, Carmack urged developers to “be harder” on themselves and create experiences on par with non-VR applications and games.

    During his speech, Carmack highlighted loading times in mobile VR games as a key area in need of improvement, saying that making users sit through 30-seconds of loading is too long, given the brevity of most currently available VR experiences.

    “That’s acceptable if you’re going to sit down and play for an hour…but [in VR] initial startup time really is poisonous. An analogy I like to say is, imagine if your phone took 30 seconds to unlock every time you wanted to use it. You’d use it a lot less.”

    He continued: “There are apps that I wanted to play, that I thought looked great, that I stopped playing because they had too long of a load time. I would say 20 seconds should be an absolute limit on load times, and even then I’m pushing people to get it much, much lower.”

    Reply
46. October 13, 2016 at 10:48 am

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    Samsung feels heat from Note 7 fiasco
    Future of line in doubt with risk of serious damage to larger smartphone brand
    https://www.ft.com/content/b5275d1c-8faf-11e6-8df8-d3778b55a923

    A popular joke going around the telecoms industry of late is that Samsung has outmanoeuvred Apple in smartphone innovation this year — adding a powerful heater to its Galaxy Note 7 to warm the hands of users in cold winter months.

    Yet the smartphone’s overheating safety issues have become no laughing matter for the South Korean company, after it pulled the plug on a model that only a few months earlier had some in the industry arguing it was the best handset they had ever seen.

    The unprecedented move to warn consumers immediately to stop using the fire-prone model and then to kill the handset model for good during a frantic 24-hour period, has not only hit Samsung’s share price and reputation but also raised concerns that its standing as the world’s largest phonemaker could be under threat.

    How the Note 7 became a sad footnote in smartphone history
    The life and death of a fire-prone smartphone
    https://www.ft.com/content/83e3b2f2-9025-11e6-a72e-b428cb934b78

    Less than eight weeks after going on sale, Samsung’s fire-prone Galaxy Note 7 has been consigned to history by the company. Here is how a much-praised smartphone became an expensive and embarrassing disaster for the world’s biggest maker of such devices.

    Reply
47. October 13, 2016 at 10:53 am

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    Sam Byford / The Verge:
    Samsung cuts profit forecast by 33% for Q3 from $7B to $4.6B, revenue expectations from $44B to $41.8B, following Galaxy Note7 crisis — Samsung issued earnings guidance last week that suggested the calamitous Galaxy Note 7 recall wouldn’t have a major impact on the company’s bottom line …

    Samsung slashes profit forecast by a third following Galaxy Note 7 debacle
    http://www.theverge.com/2016/10/12/13254634/samsung-earnings-forecast-cut-q3-2016

    Samsung issued earnings guidance last week that suggested the calamitous Galaxy Note 7 recall wouldn’t have a major impact on the company’s bottom line, but the company just released a statement adjusting its forecast significantly. Operating profit for the third quarter of 2016 is now estimated to come in at 5.2 trillion won ($4.6 billion), down 33 percent from the previous figure, while revenue expectations have been slashed by 2 trillion won to 47 trillion ($41.8 billion).

    Reply
48. October 13, 2016 at 10:57 am

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    Frederic Lardinois / TechCrunch:
    Microsoft expands availability of its $3K Hololens to Germany, France, UK, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand; preorders are live now, units ship next month

    Microsoft starts selling its HoloLens in Germany, France, UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand
    https://techcrunch.com/2016/10/12/hololens-goes-global/

    HoloLens, Microsoft’s $3,000 mixed-reality goggles (or “the world’s first self-contained holographic computer” in Microsoft’s parlance), was only available in the U.S. and Canada so far. Today, however, the company announced that it will also start selling the devices in Australia, France, Germany, Ireland, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. Preorders start today and the devices will ship in late November.

    We hear that Microsoft’s yield for producing HoloLenses is higher than it expected, so the company is now also able to bring it to new regions faster than it expected. What’s gating an even wider rollout, though, is that Microsoft still needs to get its certifications from the international equivalents of the U.S.’s FCC as it enters new markets. It’s worth noting that even though it’s officially only rolling out in a few European countries, the single European market pretty much means anybody in Europe will be able to get a HoloLens now.

    Reply
49. October 14, 2016 at 9:37 am

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    Nokia D1C is a 13.8” Android 7.0 Tablet, reveals GFXBench listing
    http://nokiapoweruser.com/nokia-d1c-is-a-13-8-android-7-0-tablet-reveals-gfxbench-listing/

    Here comes the twist in Nokia D1C story!! Earlier Leaks originating from two benchmarks Geekbench and AnTuTu didn’t reveal the display size of the Nokia D1C. So, because of its specs it looked like a mid-ranger Nokia Android smartphone.

    But its latest outing on GFXBench reveals that we are looking at the next Nokia Android Tablet with 13.8-inch, 1080p display. It is not surprising as Nokia has confirmed working on both Android smartphones and Tablets with HMD as the sole global partner.

    Reply
50. October 14, 2016 at 9:56 am

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    Nick Statt / The Verge:
    Samsung expects to lose about $3B in operating profit from Q4 2016 through Q1 2017 due to Note7 recall — The cost of playing with fire — Samsung says the Galaxy Note 7 discontinuation will cost it around $3 billion over the course of the next two fiscal quarters.

    Samsung expects to lose around $3 billion due to Note 7 recall
    The cost of playing with fire
    http://www.theverge.com/2016/10/13/13280000/samsung-galaxy-note-7-recall-3-billion-cost

    Samsung says the Galaxy Note 7 discontinuation will cost it around $3 billion over the course of the next two fiscal quarters. The device, which has a chance of overheating and exploding, has been plagued with problems since its launch back in August. After recalling millions of devices thought to have battery issues, Samsung began issuing replacement Note 7s to customers around the world. However, numerous cases of those replacement units catching fire in the US over the course of the last week prompted Samsung to announce a worldwide recall of all devices and cease production permanently. The company still can’t pinpoint the cause of the problem.

    Jacob Kastrenakes / The Verge:
    Samsung says it has received 96 reports of overheating Note7s in the US, 23 of which came after the recall

    Samsung says 23 Note 7s overheated in the past month
    http://www.theverge.com/2016/10/13/13269168/note-7-overheating-23-since-recall-cpsc

    Samsung and the US Consumer Product Safety Commission formally recalled the Note 7 overnight, requesting that every single unit immediately be powered down and returned. That’s 1.9 million phones in total — 1 million of the original Note 7, and 900,000 “replacement” Note 7s — that need to go back.

    To date, Samsung has received 96 reports of overheating phones in the US, with 23 of those coming after the initial recall. But most of those were the original devices. The CPSC says that it’s only looking into six reports of overheating replacement phones right now. Though it’s aware that there might be more.

    At this point, it’s not clear how many Note 7s are still out there. In late September, Samsung said that 60 percent of all phones had been recovered — but that was only out of the original 1 million units. Samsung has since added 900,000 Note 7s back into the marketplace, all of which need to be returned.

    Reply