Mobile Devices - Page 128

We have gotten used to some flagship smartphones on the market rocking an 8-core processor, but Qualcomm will be kicking things up a notch or two with their upcoming Snapdragon 818 processor.

The Snapdragon 818 processor will be the first 10-core chipset, with four low-power Cortex-A53 cores at 1.2GHz, two mid-power Cortex-A53 cores at 1.6GHz and four more high-power Cortex-A72 cores rocking along at 2GHz. All of this will be baked onto the 20nm process, include LPDDR4 support and LTE-A Cat10 support, too.

We should expect to see some smartphones with this processor in the future, but for now, nothing is confirmed just yet so we'll have to wait to get off this rumor train for now, and jump onto the next ride. For now, what do you think about the world of 10-core smartphones? It will be coming sooner than you think.

Now that the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus have been out for close to a year, it's time to start the rumor mill on the next generation iPhone. We don't know if it will arrive as the iPhone 6S, or the iPhone 7, but from our industry sources, we are expecting the iPhone 7 to arrive later this year.

Now, onto what we will find in the iPhone 7. The next iPhone will reportedly feature an edge-to-edge display, taking up that valuable bezel that made the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus feel far, far too big. As for resolution, I think Apple will keep it at 1080p, and the screen size and physical dimensions of the iPhone 7 will also shrink.

Inside, we should find Apple's new A9 processor, which will be made by their main competitor: Samsung. Samsung will use their new 14nm FinFET technology to make Apple's custom processor, so we should expect a seriously fast dual- or quad-core processor from Apple in the iPhone 7. On the rear, rumor has it Apple will cram in a dual-lens snapper into the iPhone 7 that will provide 'DSLR-like' images. The rear-facing camera in the Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 edge is already damn impressive, so it should be interesting to see what Apple can do.

Periscope proved popular during the Mayweather-Pacquiao boxing super fight, but has brought intense scrutiny against the Twitter-owned app. The live video streaming app has a number of different legitimate uses, but its streams of the pricey boxing pay-per-view available last Saturday night gave it a large number of new supporters.

HBO and Showtime submitted 66 takedown requests to Periscope, with 30 of the streams dropped within a few minutes - but there were still plenty of streams that could be found throughout the fight. The app was reportedly purchased for $100 million by Twitter, and racked up 1 million users after 10 days of public availability.

"Companies like YouTube and Ustream developed those tools over years. We've been live for a month. And we're really excited to work with whoever we need to to figure out what those tools are," Beykpour said on CBS This Morning. "I think we built a tool that allows people to share what they're seeing with the world, and sometimes people will use that for things that we have no intention of supporting."

Mobile search is taking over, with Google searches taking place on smartphones and other mobile devices more than on computers in 10 countries, according to Google.

Just the United States and Japan were listed, with Google declining to publicly list the other countries - but confirmed the metrics include mobile browser-based searches and Google search apps combined. Google and other search companies are anxious to find relevant ways to cash in on mobile users, with Google relying on AdWords to help generate revenue.

As more users begin to embrace mobile, Google says ad prices are beginning to climb, with advertisers understanding the need to immediately connect with mobile users.

According to a recent report published by Opera Mediaworks, Android has now beaten iOS in the overall mobile ad revenue share department.

With Android traffic being listed as 65.17% compared to Apple's iOS at 22.34% and the revenues at 45.77% and 45.44% respectively this signifies a change in the market.

It's basically all about the top two as Michael has reported previously, with the fight for third place going on strong in the mobile market. The research by Opera further shows that 'Other' phone operating systems are listed at a revenue of 5.48% with Windows Phone coming up last achieving a small 0.09% compared to BlackBerry's second last placement of 1.96%.

The third-generation Moto X smartphone is the latest handset to have the rumor mill start up for it, with Motorola's purported new smartphone said to rock Qualcomm's Snapdragon 808 processor.

Not only that, but the third-gen Moto X should feature a 5.2-inch QHD (2560x1440) display, 4GB of RAM, Android 5.1.1 Lollipop and more. We're being told to expect a 16-megapixel "Clear Pixel Technology" rear-facing camera, a 5-megapixel snapper up front, 32GB or 64GB of storage, and a 3280mAh battery.

This new smartphone should compete directly against LG's just-announced G4 smartphone, as well as the new Galaxy S6 from Samsung. We've reviewed the Samsung's new Galaxy S6 edge, right here.

Google provides an open ecosystem with its Android mobile operating system, but that has led to fragmentation due to multiple versions of the OS running on such a large number of different products. Android is trying to close the gap, however, it's something that rivals such as Microsoft have picked up on while criticizing the OS.

"Google ships a big pile of... code, with no commitment to update your device," said Terry Myerson, Executive Vice President of Operating Systems, when speaking during the Microsoft Ignite conference keynote. "Google takes no responsibility to update customer devices and refuses to take responsibility to update their devices, leaving end users and businesses increasingly exposed every day they use an Android device."

Microsoft has had a rather dismal showing in the mobile space, but hopes Windows 10 will power a growing number of smartphones and tablets. The company also didn't disclose how it will deliver its updates to Windows 10 phones as needed in the future.

We've been hearing iPad Pro rumors for quite a while now, but the latest leak has Apple providing a 12.9-inch display in its 'more professional' iPad. We could see the iPad Pro with a display somewhere between 12.5 and 12.9 inches.

The new iPad Pro would have Apple targeting professionals, who want a more serious slate from Apple, with stereo speakers, too. So not only would professionals gain from the larger display, but iPad enthusiasts would have something to consider with the larger display and stereo speakers on the iPad Pro.

The latest mock up (in the video above) shows four ports on the iPad Pro. We don't know what all of these could be, and they could change as this is just a mock up, but we should expect Apple to unveil a new iPad, as well as the iPad Pro, later this year.

With Sony unveiling the Xperia Z4 for Japan only, it's a big surprise to begin hearing about its successor so early. The upcoming Xperia Z5 is said to feature a beautiful QHD display, with a resolution of 2560x1440, and Qualcomm's Snapdragon 820 processor.

Other rumored specs include the Snapdragon 820 processor being built on Samsung's 14nm FinFET technology, 4GB of RAM, an improved 21-megapixel rear-facing camera with Sony's new and improved IMX230 sensor with OIS, and a Sense ID fingerprint sensor.

Right now this is just rumors, but Sony has been playing the smartphone market well, except the company doesn't seem to be swirling up any huge sales numbers unfortunately.

Microsoft expects big things from its upcoming Windows 10 operating system, and stated an ambitious goal of what can be expected over the next few years: 1 billion Windows 10 devices within three years. Windows 10 will be released "this summer," but followup details were not released during the keynote.

The so-called "new generation of Windows... built for this era of more personal computing," as noted by Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, has a little bit of something for everyone. Unlike the disaster that was Windows 8/8.1 and its mobile versions, Windows 10 is designed as a single platform for PCs, notebooks, tablets, smartphones, and other devices.

"Within two to three years of Windows 10's release, there will be 1 billion devices running Windows 10," said Terry Myerson, VP of operating systems at Microsoft, during the Build developer conference keynote. It's a highly ambitious goal for Microsoft, which will require the company to convince consumers and business users to migrate - which could be a neat challenge.

With Windows 10 getting closer and closer, news of the Surface Pro 4 is starting to hit. Microsoft's upcoming Surface Pro 3 successor is rumored to have quite the spec sheet, including Intel's fifth-generation Core processor.

The rumored specifications have the Surface Pro 4 featuring a Broadwell processor from Intel with a fanless design "but with tiny holes for heat radiation", and "no noise" because of the fanless logic board according to Windows Central. The 12-inch display will remain, with its 2160x1440 resolution, and of course, Windows 10.

Microsoft's use of the U-series Broadwell CPU will still generate heat, but the little holes in the Surface Pro 4 should let out most of that heat, allowing for cooler operation. We should expect Microsoft to unveil the Surface Pro 4 as part of its launch during Windows 10, which flies out the window sometime in July, according to AMD.

LG Electronics is unveiling its G4 flagship smartphone during launch events in New York City, London, Paris, Singapore, Istanbul and Seoul. The phone boasts numerous upgrades over the G3, but LG hopes consumers will most enjoy the new rear-facing camera that uses a powerful sensor and captures brilliant photos.

The G4 has a 5.5-inch quad HD LCD (2560 x 1440 resolution, 538 ppi), powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 processor, 3GB DDR3 RAM, 32GB eMMC flash memory, 16-megapixel main camera, and 8-megapixel front-facing camera. The flagship phone has Bluetooth 4.1, NFC, and runs the Google Android 5.1 Lollipop OS with the LG UX 4.0 on top.

Customers can also choose from a leather-swathed back on the G4, or a patterned traditional phone backing. The phone is immediately available in Korea and will have a gradual global rollout.

Nokia has denied it plans to manufacture phones or release consumer smartphones, even though reports indicated otherwise. As part of its acquisition by Microsoft, the company cannot return to the market it once dominated until 2016, and it is still unknown what the company plans to do otherwise.

"Nokia notes recent news reports claiming the company communicated an intention to manufacture consumer handsets out of a R&D facility in China," according to Nokia. "These reports are false, and include comments incorrectly attributed to a Nokia Network executives. Nokia reiterates it currently has no plans to manufacture or sell consumer handsets."

Nokia has launched a branded Google Android tablet to the Chinese market, and could eventually try to release smartphones again. The smartphone market is extremely competitive, but Nokia may find success by launching lower-cost devices to emerging markets - but all options will be explored next year.

LG will be unveiling its new G4 smartphone next week on April 28, but the South Korean electronics giant continues to tease the F1.8-capable rear-facing camera.

The company has now released a teaser that follows photographer Colby Brown as he uses the G4 to snap some photos, while Brown talks about the G4 and how the rear-facing camera allows him to capture photos with accurate colors, as well as noise reduction during shots in dark environments. Brown also talks about the manual mode on the G4's camera software, which allows users to control everything - from controlling the shutter speed, to adjusting the ISO and white balance.

We don't know too much a bout the G4, but LG did announce it was letting users trial the new smartphone two weeks ago now. We know to expect a gorgeous 5.5-inch QHD display, but will it beat the gorgeous panel on Samsung's Galaxy S6 edge?

We've known about the Xperia Z4 for quite a while now, but Sony has finally made it official. The Japanese electronics giant has made its latest flagship smartphone available exclusively to Japan right now, with no announcement of it jumping across the pond just yet.

The Xperia Z4 features a 6.9mm thick, 144g metal body which is very similar to the previous handsets. We have a 5.2-inch 1080p display, a 20.7-megapixel rear-facing camera, 2930mAh battery, a 2GHz 8-core 64-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor, 3GB of RAM and Android 5.0 Lollipop. To top it off, Sony has provided its excellent water- and dust-resistance goodness to its latest flagship handset.

The biggest downside to the Xperia Z4 is that we don't have an announcement of its launch anywhere other than Japan. Once iet launches in Japan over the summer, Sony will provide it in white, black, copper, and "aqua green".

WikiLeaks released over 30,000 internal Sony documents recently, a dump that included presentation files, financial information and what looks to be some details on the upcoming Xperia Z4 smartphone.

Thanks to the new information and leaks, we can hope to receive a full-metal design on Sony's upcoming flagship handset. It looks like we can also expect a fingerprint sensor on the Xperia Z4, bringing it up to the same level as the Galaxy S6 and S6 edge from Samsung, and the iPhone 5, 5S, 6 and 6 Plus from Apple.

The leaked images show a bigger power button, which looks like it might be the fingerprint sensor too, as well as the all-metal back and front of the Xperia Z4. The internal documents and early renders are using words such as "seamless" and "solid", which means we can expect a beautiful new design from Sony for its Xperia Z4 smartphone.

Samsung released its Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge smartphones last week, but the S6 edge is selling many more units than the South Korean giant had initially expected, according to reports out of Korea.

Before the launch, the Galaxy S6 edge was poised for around 20-30% of the sales of the Galaxy S6, but the numbers are closer to 50% of the Galaxy S6, worldwide. Korean publication Yonhap News reports that the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge sales "have been much higher than expected", with the new smartphones due to real an all-time high when compared to the launch of any of the other Galaxy S smartphones.

We've reviewed the Galaxy S6 edge and fell in love with it, so it comes as no surprise to us that the S6 edge is doing so well.

Just as the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge have launched, rumors are flying that the forthcoming Galaxy Note 5 from Samsung would feature a 4K display - providing a record-breaking number of pixels on a smartphone.

According to new reports, Samsung will unveil the Galaxy Note 5 later this year with a 3840x2160 resolution. We should expect an official unveiling in August, which is about the time IFA kicks off for the year. If the Galaxy Note 5 arrives with its rumored 5.89-inch screen and 4K display, we can expect an insane 748 pixels per inch (PPI).

We're also hearing that a dual edge variant will be unveiled, which will arrive with a 5.78-inch curved panel that would rock 762 PPI. Now we just have to play the waiting game.

LG sent out an email earlier today, something that seemed a bit odd with "G4" in the headline. As we clicked into it, we found out that the South Korean giant is giving away 4000 of its next-gen G4 handsets to consumers in 15 countries to "test drive" its new handset. We knew it was coming, with LG planning a media event for April 28 - but now the company is giving away a bunch of its next-gen handsets for select consumers to play with.

Starting today, LG is sending out consumers in South Korea - with 14 other markets to follow - its new G4 handset. These countries include: Turkey, Indonesia, Singapore, United States, China, India, Brazil, Canada, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Mexico, Japan and Hong Kong. In order to be in the running to get the G4 handset, "participants will be selected from applicants based on their entry responses", says LG. If you want to get in on this G4 test, you'll need to keep an eye out on LG's website and various social media pages.

These lucky people will have 30 days with the G4 smartphone to experience its "unique design and features, including its personalized UX, high performance camera and impressive display for sharing online. Participants will be given various assignments to carry out over the course of their experience with prizes awarded".

LG is set to unveil the G4 smartphone to the world at its media event on April 28, but before then the South Korean electronics giant has teased us to "See the Great and Feel the Great" with a new video, below.

As you can see, the G4 is set to feature a new rear-facing shooter with an f1.8 aperture, but we don't know how many megapixels it will rock. We're sure that we can expect a 16-megapixel rear-facing camera at a minimum, and as for the display we are expecting a 5.5-inch QHD 2560x1440 panel, and a six-core Snapdragon 808 processor from Qualcomm.