Mobile Devices - Page 126

Apple had some news to celebrate following a strong showing in the latest quarter that ended in June, with 44.1 percent OEM market share, while iOS closed the gap to Google Android, according to the comScore research group.

Apple leads the smartphone market, gaining 1.5 percent, while Samsung (28.1 percent), LG Electronics (8.3 percent), Motorola (4.9 percent), and HTC (3.4 percent) all lost ground.

Android remained the most popular mobile OS, with 51.6 percent market share, though lost 0.8 percent - as Apple now accounts for 44.1 percent of the market. Both Google and Apple are fully dedicated to the smartphone and mobile OS market, and consumers can expect to see even more products from both companies in the years to come.

The recent launch of Windows 10 has led to a mass migration from Windows 7 and 8/8.1 to the newest Windows OS - and there is hope Microsoft will be able to attract phone manufacturers to jump onboard. Acer is rumored to launch four new Windows 10 Mobile-powered smartphones during IFA 2015 next month in Berlin, Germany.

Acer launched the Liquid M220 using Windows 8.1, but that isn't good enough for the company - as Windows 10 Phone could be used on mid-range and high-end devices. Of course, the Liquid M220 is upgradable to Windows 10, so owners have the choice of switching things up.

It would take a lot before Windows 10 would be able to even put a dent into Google Android, but it looks like consumers may have another realistic option besides the choice between iOS and Android. Expect Microsoft to announce the Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL, both high-end Windows 10 Mobile during the show.

Smartphone maker OnePlus is riding some strong marketing momentum after announcing the OnePlus 2 device in late July. The new flagship phone follows up the OnePlus One, as the company continues promoting powerful devices that don't have premium price tags.

"In 5 years I think it will be Apple, OnePlus and Samsung because there's no more room in the market," said Carl Pei, OnePlus co-founder, in a statement to USA Today. "Everyone else would've died because they couldn't reach the scale they wanted fast enough or they couldn't have a margin to sustain their business. Look at the soft drink space: there are only two players, Pepsi and Coke."

Pei said the company broke even last year, and is looking to break even again in 2015, though admitted OnePlus has aggressively expanded its staff. If everything goes well, OnePlus hopes to sell 3-5 million units in 2015, but officials are more interested in what consumers think of its products.

The specs of Samsung's Galaxy Note 5 haven't been much of a secret, but now notorious leaker @evleaks has dished the specs on Samsung's upcoming Galaxy Note 5.

We should expect Samsung to be using an 8-core Exynos 7420 processor, a 5.66-inch 2560x1440 QHD display, 4GB of RAM, 32GB of on-board storage (with 64GB and 128GB models, too), a 16-megapixel rear-facing camera backed up by a 5-megapixel selfie shooter, Android 5.1.1 and no SD card slot. The last bit is going to have Galaxy Note fans up in arms, as it was one of the more powerful features of the previous generation handsets.

Samsung should include some updated, and new pen-orientated apps that the S Pen can be used with, but here's hoping there's more in store for the Galaxy Note 5 ahead of its unveiling later this month.

Sony hasn't been doing too well in the mobile industry, but it has to be better than the 1.2c profit per smartphone that LG has been making, right? Even with the not-so-great sales on the Xperia Z4, Sony is forging forward with the Xperia Z5, which is said to be arriving in March 2016.

According to the leaks, the Xperia Z5 will be released alongside the Xperia Z5 Compact, both rocking Qualcomm's Snapdragon 820 processor. Qualcomm isn't expected to have its new chip ready until early 2016, so it should be perfect timing for Sony. The Xperia Z5 should rock a 5.7-inch QHD display, 4GB of RAM, 32GB of storage, and a 20.7-megapixel rear-facing, 4K-capable camera.

We should begin to hear more about Sony's Xperia Z5 smartphones later in the year, especially once we get to CES 2016 and MWC 2016.

Members of the ING Netherlands bank can now test a new mobile banking service that allows them to log in and pay using their voice. The unique system, powered by Nuance, went live earlier in the week, and is supported by Apple iOS and Google Android.

The ING Netherlands mobile banking app activated voice-driven payments so customers no longer need to enter a PIN number or password while shopping. The app compares a stored voice recording that is used to verify each time a person says a simple phrase.

Fraudulent voice activations can be saved, and ING Netherlands will be able to help reduce fraud.

Thanks to a leaked benchmark, we now know that Samsung's upcoming Galaxy Note 5 will feature an 8-core processor and 4GB of LPDDR4 RAM. Samsung will be using its own octo-core Exynos 7420 SoC inside of the Galaxy Note 5.

The Geekbench result was used on a Verizon-powered Galaxy Note 5, with the model name of 'SM-N920V'. The benchmark has the Galaxy Note 5 has a single-core result of 1418, while the multi-core result was 4399. These scores are very similar to that of the Galaxy S6 and S6 edge, so we should expect the same performance on the Galaxy Note 5 that we had in the S6 and S6 edge.

Samsung is expected to unveil its new Galaxy Note 5 next month, with rumors pointing to August 12. The Galaxy Note 5 should feature a 5.67-inch 1440p Super AMOLED display, the aforementioned 8-core processor, 4GB of LPDDR4 RAM and Samsung's new Shannon 333 LTE modem.

It looks like Samsung is reportedly preparing to unveil its new Galaxy Tab S2 tomorrow, according to Tabletmonkeys. The outfit is reporting that there will be two models; the Galaxy Tab S2 9.7 (SM-T810) and Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 (SM-T710).

The new Galaxy Tab S2 will reportedly rock a new Super AMOLED display, a 4:3 aspect ratio, a new processor, and it'll be thinner than previous models. The new screen sizes are a change from current Galaxy tablets, which are 10.5- and 8.4-inch, to 9.7 and 8-inch. This means we'll see Samsung adopting the same resolution display that the iPad Air 2 rocks: 2048x1536.

Inside, the new Galaxy Tab S2 should feature the 64-bit, 8-core Exynos 7420 processor, and 3GB of RAM. We should also see the Galaxy Tab S2 9.7 weigh just 407g, while the 8-inch model will reportedly weigh only 260g. We should expect Samsung to unveil these new slates in the next day or so.

Prison corrections services company JPay has launched the JP5mini tablet, a $70 device powered by Google Android. Apps are heavily restricted and email conversations can be closely tracked by prison officials, so inmates won't have free control over Internet access.

Since the device is designed to be used by prison inmates, it looks like JPay took a few additional precautions in regards to physical design and software.

The JP5mini is made from clear, polycarbonate plastic that prevents contraband from being easily spread through the prison facility. The OS has a secure boot loader, which will make it difficult for unauthorized operating systems and other software from being installed.

Apple has just unveiled its new 2015 iPod, which includes a bunch of new models, starting at $199 for the 16GB iPod touch. This quickly ramps up to $399, if you opt for the 128GB version.

The new iPod touch is the centerpiece of Apple's new push with the iPod this year, but there is a new iPod shuffle and nano, too. The new iPod touch features the same style, but has seen its rear-facing camera increased to an 8-megapixel shooter, while it enjoys a 64-bit A8 processor and M8 co-processor for its number-crunching prowess.

Apple's new iPod nano and iPod shuffle come in a variety of new colors including darker blue, pink, and gold. Other than that, they're the same iPod shuffle and nano that we've been used to for a while now. Apple's new iPod touch, shuffle and nano are available from the usual retailers, and Apple's website, now.

The latest reports have Samsung wanting to dive ahead of Apple in the launch of their latest smartphone, with the South Korean giant set to unveil the Galaxy Note 5, as early as this time next month.

Samsung will reportedly announce the new Galaxy Note 5 on August 12, with it going on sale on August 21. The new Note 5 should feature a 5.67-inch 1440p Super AMOLED display, an 8-core processor in the form of Samsung's own Exynos 7422, 4GB of RAM, NAND storage, and Samsung's new Shannon 333 LTE modem.

The company is doing away with the microSD card expansion slot, which will have some users up in arms, but the S Pen is being replaced with a new pen that feels more like an actual, real pen. Samsung is also expected to unveil the new Galaxy S6 Edge+ smartphone, with a 5.7-inch dual-edge 1440p display.

When too much is not enough... We have been contacted by All Puter in order to inform our readers about these 20, 40 and 60-port USB charge stations suitable for Apple iPhones, iPads and all other smartphones or tablets.

Seemingly useful for industrial or educational applications, it is suggested that the 20 port may be useful for charging a bulk amount of iPads sitting in a rack - many education departments are purchasing more of these style tablets for students to complete tasks on, so maybe it's not such a bad idea after all.

Also marketed towards hotels, casinos and other public establishments, the pricing starts at $61.65 for the 20-port, add $38 on for the 40-port and finally the 60-port will set you back $129.65. There's a 60A total output on the 60 port model, its rated at an output of 0.5A-2.0A per port and it weighs in at a hefty 2.15kg.

Chinese smartphone manufacturer Xiaomi has sold 34.7 million smartphones during Q1 and Q2 of 2015, an impressive 33 percent year-over-year increase. Xiaomi's sales have slowed down slightly in China, but expansion into new territories seems to be going well for the company.

Xiaomi's home market of China has generated the bulk of sales, but the company has ambitious expansion plans for India, Brazil, and other select markets. The company is still taking baby steps in the United States, and doesn't want to rush into mature markets without developing a strong foundation.

"Roughly 90 percent of Xiaomi's volumes have been in China in the past, followed by India in a very distance second," said Bryan Ma, VP of IDC Asia, in a statement to CNET. "Sure, the US and Western Europe are important markets (especially in terms of influence), but in terms of numbers, these smartphone markets are each only just over 10 percent of the worldwide market right now. India, on the other hand, is expected to be larger than the US in unit terms by 2017."

We all know a refreshed iPhone is coming out later this year, but we have been split on rumors: is it the iPhone 7 or iPhone 6S? According to the latest leaks, we're looking at Apple unveiling the iPhone 6S later this year.

But there has been a big leak on the iPhone 6S, showing off everything - inside, outside, the style, no dual lens camera, and everything in between. We should hopefully see Apple cram in a more capable rear-facing camera that is hopefully 4K capable this time, but it's the inside of the new iPhone that has been upgraded versus the exterior, which is usually the case for the 'S' upgrades on the iPhone.

Inside of the iPhone 6S, we can see that there are new mounting points for the logic board, but the volume buttons, SIM card slot, and sleep/wake buttons on the iPhone 6S are in the same spots, so there's nothing new there.

While most companies are still offering flagship smartphones with only 16G or 32GB of on-board storage by default, it looks like that is all set to change with the new Saygus V SQUARED smartphone.

Saygus has taken to Indiegogo to fund its new venture, requiring $1 million to get the V SQUARED into consumers' hands, where it has met that funding goal. What makes the V SQUARED so special is that it has 64GB of on-board storage in its stock form, featuring not one but two microSD card slots that support 200GB each, bringing the total on-board storage on the V SQUARED to a huge 464GB.

The Saygus V SQUARED also features a 21-megapixel rear-facing 4K-capable camera, 13-megapixel selfie shooter up front, and is completely waterproof to boot. Saygus will release the V SQUARED smartphone later this year, with a price tag of $650.

Samsung Electronics' research arm has just created something that will truly trump Apple in a few years time, where the South Korean giant has just developed a new technology that will pave the way for all-day battery life on smartphones and tablets.

The new technology will see Samsung create a silicon cathode material for coating high crystal graphene on a silicon surface to usher in an energy density that is nearly two times more than existing lithium batteries. Current lithium batteries were developed and commercialized by Sony in the 90s, and have slowly been getting better and better, but the material itself has its limitations.

Most of the development of high-capacity battery materials has been done in the US, but there is a major technological problem that shortens the life of a lithium battery from constant charging and discharging. The R&D center of Samsung Electronics has succeeded where no one else has, developing a high-density and very durable cathode material by coating the strong and conductive graphene on the surface of the silicon, in order to create a type of protective shell around the silicon.

BlackBerry isn't giving up on smartphones, and is looking for opportunities to create phones in the workplace - including in hospitals, where a bacteria-free device could be needed.

BlackBerry CEO John Chen didn't confirm if the company is already working on a bacteria-free smartphone, but has shown interest. "Healthcare workers have to be worried about one less thing to wipe down" if they have a bacteria-free phone, Chen recently noted.

Bacteria and infections are transferred between doctors and patients, causing a "huge issue," said Dr. Aviv Gladman, chief medical information officer at Mackenzie Health, in a statement published by Bloomberg.

We are only a few months from Apple unveiling the new iPhone 6S, but it looks like its main competitor will be making most of the A9 processors that will be powering the next-gen iPhone.

According to a report on Chiphell, 70% of the new A9 processors will be made by Samsung while the remaining 30% will be produced by TSMC. Samsung will also be making a large portion of the 2GB of LPDDR4 RAM for the new iPhone, while Hynix will be making the remaining chips for Apple. Comparing this to the current iPhone 6 and 6 Plus where Samsung and Hynix split the DRAM production 50/50.

The new iPhone will also feature a better camera, which is expected to be a large improvement on the 8-megapixel iSight camera on the current iPhone. We should see Apple unveil the new iPhone in the coming months.

ARCHOS has introduced the PC Stick, an HDMI-connected drive that is portable and designed to provide an extremely mobile computing experience any where you go.

The PC Stick can be connected to any screen featuring an HDMI port, so it's compatible with monitors, televisions and projectors. The device will automatically boot and show users a full computer with access to Windows mobile programs. Consumers can also connect peripherals and other devices using Bluetooth or the USB port - with access to Windows, Google Android, and Apple iOS keyboard applications and game controls.

The PC Stick runs Windows 10, is powered by an Intel Atom CPU (Z3735F / Quad-core @ 1.33 GHz), Intel HD Graphic, 2GB RAM, 32GB flash storage, and has Wi-Fi, RF, Bluetooth, micro USB and USB connectivity. It retails for just $99.

The US mobile worker population in the United States will increase from 96.2 million in 2015 up to 105.4 million in 2020, according to the IDC research group. By 2020, mobile workers will make up 72.3 percent of the total US workforce, as smartphones, tablets, and other mobile devices become even more important in the workplace.

The dropping price of smartphones and tablets, along with acceptance of bring your own device (BYOD) programs by workplaces are helping drive the rising number. In addition, employees can enjoy newer forms of mobile technologies: biometric readers, augmented reality, wearables, voice control, and near-field communications (NFC) are making it increased mobility possible.

"Mobility has become synonymous with productivity both inside and outside the workplace, and the mass adoption of mobile technology in the United States has cultivated an environment where workers expect to leverage mobile technology at work," said Bryan Bassett, research analyst of the Mobile Enterprise Device Solutions at IDC. "The expectation will be supplemented by new solutions specifically intended to manage the challenges associated with the growing needs of the mobile workforce."