Monthly Archives: May 2015

Sony VAIO Tap 11 Review

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Sony knows how to make a good looking tablet. Flush from the success of the XPERIA Tablet Z, the company has borrowed the same slimline aesthetic for a Windows 8 version, the Sony VAIO Tap 11. It’s the thinnest full-Windows tablet around with a proper processor, and still offers a range of input options from a Full HD touchscreen, to a wireless keyboard-cover, and even a digital pen. Is this the tablet to upstage Microsoft’s own Surface Pro 2? Read on for our full review.

Hardware and Design

At first glance, it’s hard to believe that Sony fits a full Windows 8 PC into the waifish VAIO Tap 11 chassis. At 12.0 x 7.4 x 0.39 inches (without the keyboard) and 1.7lbs it’s slightly longer and wider than Microsoft’s Surface Pro 2, but thinner and lighter. Sony’s machine is still bigger than the iPad 4, particularly in length, but we’re still impressed by the extent of the company’s engineering.
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https://www.slashgear.com/sony-vaio-tap-11-review-15301408/

Fitbit takes first steps toward initial public offering

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The wearable fitness device company is counting on investor enthusiasm for its step-tracking tech to help it raise $100 million.

 

Fitbit’s Surge smartwatch was one of 10.9 million devices the startup sold in 2014.

 

Fitbit is on track to be the first wearable tech-focused company to go public.

In a filing Thursday with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the 8-year-old startup — a leading maker of fitness- and health-tracking gadgets based in San Francisco — is seeking to raise $100 million in common stock on the New York Stock Exchange. The lead underwriters are Morgan Stanley, Deutsche Bank and Bank of America Merrill Lynch.

Wearable technology has hit a critical mass of mainstream attention this year with the launch of theApple Watch and the trajectory of the burgeoning industry has investors and entrepreneurs paying close attention. Nearly every traditional technology company — from Intel and Microsoft to Samsung and LG — has a device for sale or a hand in the market. Not only has the area attracted the interest of tech titans, but it’s been a hotbed for rising startups like Fitbit and competitors Jawbone and Pebble, as well as an area of interest from an expansive set of traditional apparel and jewelry companies like watchmaker Fossil, fashion house Open Ceremony and clothing company Under Amour.
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https://www.cnet.com/news/fitbit-files-for-100m-initial-public-offering/

iPad Air Review

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Had the iPad lost its way? Not as a range, certainly; over the last twelve months, the iPad mini has been the darling of the tablet scene, coupling affordability with convenience and build quality. The full-sized, 9.7-inch iPad has arguably been sidelined since its smaller sibling’s arrival, but no more as of the iPad Air. Now with a design that echoes the wow-factor of the original iPad, and the performance to match, the iPad Air narrows the gap between it and the iPad mini, paring away the compromises as it goes. The best tablet Apple has made? Read on for the full SlashGear review.

Design

Metal and glass. Apple’s choice of materials for the iPad Air haven’t changed much since the first-gen model back in 2010, yet the overall result is considerably different. In fact, the design of the iPad Air feels fresh and new, borrowing the delicate, squared-off clarity of form from the iPad mini.

It’s also impressively thin and light. The Air measures in at 9.4 x 6.6 x 0.29 inches, meaning it’s slim in the hand and considerably more narrow than the iPad 4, thanks to much-reduced bezels along the sides of the screen, but it’s also noticeably easier to hold for extended periods tahanks to a weight of 1 pound (1.05 pounds if you opt for the LTE-equipped version). Together, those two factors make a considerable difference to how you use the iPad Air.
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https://www.cnet.com/news/ipad-air-2019-vs-ipad-pro-2018-vs-ipad-2018-vs-ipad-pro-2017-how-they-match-up/

Amazon Kindle Fire HDX 8.9 Review

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The Kindle Fire HDX 8.9 is the second half of what Amazon hopes will be a one-two knockout punch to rival tablets, sliming down the last-gen Fire HD 8.9 and boosting speed and screen resolution in the process. As we found with the 7-inch Fire HDX, that can make for a compelling slate if you’re already onboard with Amazon’s ecosystem, but with a bigger price along with its bigger screen, does the 8.9-inch version hit the same sweet spot? Read on for the SlashGear review.

Hardware and Design

The family resemblance between the two Fire HDX tablets is clear. Amazon’s largest slate is clad for the most part in the same soft-touch black coating as the 7-inch version, with only the glass front and a glossy black plastic trim on the rear to break things up. It’s considerably lighter than the previous generation Fire HD, now a mere 9.1 x 6.2 x 0.31 inches and 13.2 ounces, making it in fact thinner than the 7-inch HDX too.
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https://www.techradar.com/reviews/pc-mac/tablets/amazon-fire-hdx-8-9-1274369/review

Surface 2 Review

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Microsoft really, really needs the Surface 2 to succeed. Praise around the first-generation Surface RT’s hardware and design was tempered with more than a little criticism of Windows RT, and confused consumers left tablet manufacturers focusing on Windows 8 until only Microsoft’s slate was left running the pared-back version. The Surface 2, then, aims to give Windows RT a second chance, but is Microsoft finally onto a winner or simply flogging a dead horse? Read on for the SlashGear review.

Hardware and Design

At first glance, not much has changed between the original Surface RT and this Surface 2. The finish is now silvery-gray, reminiscent perhaps of a battleship, and in fact military hardware is an apt comparison given the above-par build quality. Microsoft’s VaporMg chassis is sturdy, has beautifully crisp edges, and generally feels like you could run a tank over it without slowing it down.
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https://www.techradar.com/reviews/microsoft-surface-laptop-2-review

LG G Pro 2 Review

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With the LG G Pro 2 we’ve got what’s essentially a mix and upgrade to the LG G2 and the LG G Flex. This device is just as massive as the curved-display monster and it works with many of the same specifications of LG’s first hero device to work with back-facing buttons. This LTE-A device also works with back-facing buttons, and this time it’s humongous.

Hardware

The LG G Pro 2 is not a next-generation upgrade to the LG G Profrom last year. Instead it’s building on the power of the LG G2 in a much more clear path – it looks just like a sized-up LG G2 and shares several of its specifications.

P1070255

Inside the front of this phone is a 5.9-inch 1080 x 1920 (1080p) display with IPS LCD technology. Surrounded by a tiny 3.3mm bezel, this device feels like you’re holding a screen with just a bit of white, black, “Titan” silver, or red above or below it. We’ve yet to see the red model, mind you, up close and personal.
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https://www.slashgear.com/lg-g-pro-2-review-04319252/

Windows Phone 8.1 Review (Developer Preview)

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Windows Phone 8.1 is no point update. In fact, if it wasn’t so keen on keeping in naming step with Windows on the desktop, Microsoft could probably have called its new smartphone OS version something more impressive: what started out as an aim to bring the virtual assistant Cortana and the useful Action Center to the platform blossomed in the process to include a whole flurry of tweaks and additions. Question is, has Windows Phone kept its crisp, clean charms while still gaining abilities? We’ve been in deep with the Windows Phone 8.1 developer preview; read on for our impressions.

If the “developer preview” branding wasn’t clear, this is pre-final software. Microsoft gave us early access to Windows Phone 8.1 on a Verizon Nokia Lumia Icon but, just as with the version it will seed to registered developers from today, there are still likely to be changes between now and the consumer release. Still, the core functionality is there.
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https://www.slashgear.com/windows-phone-8-1-review-developer-preview-14325033/

Huawei Ascend P7 Review

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Huawei is hungry. With 2013’s Ascend P6, the Chinese firm showed us it wasn’t afraid to build a flagship and take on the big names; with the new Ascend P7, here on the SlashGear test bench, Huawei wants to prove that not only can it sit at the table with the key smartphone players, but that it can more than take them on. Eye-catching design, megapixels aplenty, and some Android massage have been Huawei’s recipe, but is the final meal worth tasting? Read on for the full review.

Hardware and Design

The Ascend P7’s design is familiar for a few reasons. It’s clearly a descendent of the Ascend P6, with the same combination of squared-off upper edges and a curved base, though it’s larger in all directions at 5.5 x 2.7 x 0.25 inches to accommodate the bigger display.
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https://www.slashgear.com/huawei-ascend-p7-review-07327965/

HTC One mini 2 Review

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HTC makes a great flagship smartphone but overlooked its midrange, and it has the dreary sales figures over the past couple of quarters to prove how shortsighted that was. Swinging in to save 2014, then, is the HTC One mini 2, a 4.5-inch version of the One M8 which promises to distill down the best of its bigger brother, but with a more palatable price tag. We’ve been burned by lackluster “Mini Me” phones before, though, so does the One mini 2 keep enough of the charm? Read on for our full review.

Design and Build

It’s saying something when the most awkward thing about a phone is its name. HTC will win no awards for clarity with One mini 2’s ungainly title, but we can’t much fault the handset’s design and construction.

The familial resemblance between it and the One M8 is instantly clear. Both have the same curved, brushed metal chassis design, with slightly oversized top and bottom bezels up front, and a pleasingly arched back with only minor strips of plastic crossing it for antenna purposes.

The budgetary restraints of a midrange phone have forced HTC to range in its designers some, however, and so the One mini 2 misses out on the M8’s obsessive-compulsive construction technique. Rather than milling a solid chunk of aluminum, injecting plastic into the groves, and then running the whole thing through a CNC machine to make a zero-gap unibody, as on the flagship, HTC instead uses separate pieces.
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https://www.slashgear.com/htc-one-mini-2-review-26330438/

Motorola Moto E Review: Flawed Affordability

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A smartphone for the cost-conscious. Going SIM-free and eschewing carrier subsidies has been slow to catch on in the US, but with T-Mobile USA’s “Uncarrier” movement gaining pace, perhaps the time is right for handsets that bear their true sticker price. Motorola is aiming big with the Moto E, but it’s walking a cautious and tricky balance between specs and savings.

Hardware and Design

If you’ve seen the Moto X or Moto G, the Moto E won’t come as a surprise aesthetically. With a 4.3-inch screen and curved back, its 124.8 x 64.8 x 6.2-12.3 mm plastic body nestles into the palm nicely. None of the obvious premium appeal of a metal phone, of course, but then again nothing that screams “cheap” either.

Motorola will let you pull off the back covers and replace them with different colored panels, each clocking in at around $15 apiece. Frustratingly, while you can see the battery through a cutaway notch of plastic, you can’t actually remove it yourself. The rest of the device is sober, though I could do without the two slices of chromed plastic on the fascia, which seem a little tacky.
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https://www.slashgear.com/motorola-moto-e-review-flawed-affordability-09332570/

Nokia Lumia 630 Review; help us, Cortana, you’re our only hope

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Windows Phone is primed for a serious update, but can it make headway into the mid-range market? With Android holding sway in the “lesser-than” category, Microsoft aims to move into their territory via the Nokia Lumia 630. A decidedly mid-tier phone, it’s got some bite, but enough to stand up to those like the Moto G? We go hands-on to find out.

Hardware

The Lumia 630 is familiar Nokia fare, and reminds us of the recently reviewed Noxia XL. Plastic, boxy, but with a hint of heft. The orange cover (it comes in other colors, too) is removable, giving you access to the battery and SIM card. We can’t say snapping the cover away often is a good idea, though — it isn’t as easy as some others.

A 4.5-inch screen sounds great, but the 854 x 480 pixel display is too grainy by any standard. The IPS LCD has Microsoft’s ClearBlack moniker, which is more a stamp of approval than hardcore tech. The badge is for those devices Microsoft wants us to believe has a design standard, as it has extra filters which aim to give truer color representation for pixelated devices such as the Lumia 630. With the 630, we’re failing to see what the standard is; blacks appear blue, and in 2014, pixels shouldn’t be noticeable.
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https://www.slashgear.com/nokia-lumia-630-review-help-us-cortana-youre-our-only-hope-12333328/

Huawei Ascend Mate2 4G Review

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This week we’re having a peek at the newest piece of hardware offered up by Huawei to the North American market: the Huawei Ascend Mate 2 (aka the Ascend Mate2 4G). This device is made to delivery a little bit of everything, including a large display, nearly the newest version of Android, and a unique delivery. If you want a phone that none of your friends have, this might be the phone for you.

Hardware

The Ascend Mate 2 comes sporting a 6.1-inch display running at 720p. It’s covered with a bit of Gorilla Glass 3, meaning it’s not especially prone to knicks or scratches, and comes with a screen protector right out of the box – but not the kind of screen protector you’re going to want to leave on forever.
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https://www.slashgear.com/huawei-ascend-mate2-4g-review-12333348/

Four tips for improving battery life on the Apple Watch

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The battery life on the Apple Watch will last you about a day. Here’s you can squeeze some extra juice out of it.

The battery on the Apple Watch will last you about a day under normal circumstances. With heavy usage, however, it can take quite a hit. Sure disabling the heart-rate sensor, reducing notifications and turning off wrist detection would improve it, but let’s not forget that this is a smartwatch and we want to take advantage of all of the Apple Watch’s cool features.

I’ve come up with four tips that I found could help improve battery life without sacrificing any of the Apple Watch’s functionality. Here’s what you need to know:

Choose the right watch face

The dancing Mickey Mouse watch face may look cool, but it’s actually doing more harm than good. Animated watches faces can actually reduce battery life. You’re better off using one of the more basic ones. The Apple Watch also uses an OLED screen, meaning watch faces with more black than colors will use less energy.
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https://www.cnet.com/how-to/improve-apple-watch-battery-life/

HTC One M9e rumors spark chatter of another plastic flagship

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Another 5.2-inch One M9 variant could be in the works, according to details found on China’s certification database.

HTC could be readying yet another version of its One M9 smartphone, according to a fresh batch of rumors. Details found on China’s TENNA website indicate that a phone code-named M9e could deliver high-end hardware wrapped in a plastic shell.

The specs, as reported by Engadget, figure to include a 5.2-inch Quad HD display and 20-megapixel rear camera with dual-tone flash.
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https://www.cnet.com/news/htc-one-m9e-rumors-spark-chatter-of-another-plastic-flagship/

Set a default reply option for audio messages on Apple Watch

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Instead of selecting the type of message sent each time you send one, streamline the process with this quick setting.

 

 

When your first start using Messages on your Apple Watch, you’ll notice the option to select if you want to send a voice note or a transcribed message when you compose a new message.

The option is nice to have, but time consuming if you’re carrying on longer conversations. Not to mention it’s easy to forget about the extra step and leave a message unsent.

With a few seconds of your time and a couple of taps, you can set the default option and forgo the need to constantly make a selection.
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https://www.cnet.com/how-to/set-a-default-reply-option-for-audio-messages-on-apple-watch/

Apple Watch design wins patent on look and feel

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The patent — which ensures the design for the Apple Watch cannot be copied by a competitor — was filed in August of last year, just weeks ahead of its unveiling.

 

patentimages.jpg
A sketch of the Apple Watch from Apple’s design patent.

 

The Apple Watch’s design is now officially protected by the US Patent and Trademark Office.

The USPTO on Tuesday issued a design patent on the Apple Watch look and feel. The design patent filing provides precious little information, but includes several sketches showing the device from all angles, including from the top, side and underneath the face where the sensor and charging apparatus sit.

Getting a design patent is an important step in protecting an invention. Apple’s newly delivered patent means other companies cannot copy the design of its wearable. It doesn’t, however, prevent other companies from delivering products that are similar, but not identical in design.

Interestingly, the design patent was filed with the USPTO in August 2014, just weeks before Appleunveiled its smartwatch at an event in September. Likely in an effort to hide its plans, Apple named its patent simply “Electronic device.”
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https://www.cnet.com/news/apple-watch-design-wins-patent-on-look-and-feel/

Apple iPhone 6S rumor roundup: Everything we know about the next version of Apple’s flagship phone

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Don’t be surprised if the next iPhone looks almost identical to the current model.

 

We’re officially past the halfway point on the annual iPhone calendar.

The iPhone 6 and 6 Plus first appeared in stores on September 19, 2014. If Apple sticks to the same mid-September release calendar it’s followed for the past several years, we have less than six months until i-Day. And if Cupertino follows the same upgrade plan — big redesigns for even numbered years, internal specs updates for odd ones — we can likely expect something a bit less radical than the big-screen phablet makeover the iPhone got in 2014.

Of course, that’s all conjecture and educated guesses, based on past history. So with that caveat firmly in mind, we present here a curated collection of gossip, hearsay, and prognostications about Apple’s next big thing.
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https://www.cnet.com/reviews/apple-iphone-6s-review/

How to take sharp smartphone photos

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With a few simple tips, sharp photos from your smartphone are within easy reach.

Struggling to get your smartphone photos looking sharp?

Here are a few ways to ensure your mobile photography is crisp rather than mushy.

Many of these principles also apply to photos taken with conventional cameras, so don’t feel left out if mobile photography isn’t your thing.

 

Hold it steady

 

Motion blur can make photos look soft. The first step to ensure sharp photos is to have a stabilization system for the handset.

There are several tripods on the market designed specifically for smartphones. Otherwise, if they are too cumbersome for point-and-shoot moments, try using both hands to firmly grip the camera before taking the shot. Holding a deep breath before taking a photo can also reduce any shakiness.
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https://www.cnet.com/how-to/how-to-take-sharper-smartphone-photos/

Lonely people are sending each other heartbeats via Apple Watch

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Technically Incorrect: No, of course technology doesn’t make you lonelier. It tells you there’s always someone out there ready to listen to you.

Technically Incorrect offers a slightly twisted take on the tech that’s taken over our lives.

There’s a heartbeat out there for everyone.

 

I fancy there are more lonely people in the world than the other kind.

They might not literally be alone, but inside their spirit is but Munch’s Scream.

It’s not surprising, then, that some Apple Watchowners have begun to send their heartbeats not to their loved ones, but to strangers.

A Reddit group called R/LonelyHeartbeats has emerged to connect those who might feel they are floating in the emotional ether.

The Redditor who started the group — Nooshaw — told Wiredthat the group was originally a place where those who didn’t know anyone else who had an Apple Watch could connect and practice their more personal Apple Watch uses.

Some have chosen to reach out and touch someone with their heartbeat, in the hope of receiving one in return.

It must, at least for a few, be a plaintive cry. It must be an attempt to feel a little warmth in such a chilly world.

However, Nooshaw revealed that the Web’s troubled heart doesn’t lurk far from this well-intentioned communing of the spirit.

He told Wired: “Looks like people are connecting and tapping each other, with dick pics being the norm.”

(cnet.com)

Xiaomi Mi Note Pro to go on sale in China on May 12

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A more powerful version of the Chinese company’s flagship phablet will be sold online, as well as in Mi Home stores in China, starting May 12.

 

The Xiaomi Mi Note is a premium phone that’s half the price of current flagships.Aloysius Low.

 

Earlier this year at a launch event in Beijing, Xiaomi announced the Mi Note phablet and the Mi Note Pro, a more powerful version of the Mi Note. The Chinese smartphone maker did not disclose the launch date then, but has today announced a May 12 availability for RMB2,999 (about $485) — but only in China for now.

If you thought the Mi Note was already an impressive device, the Mi Note Pro takes it up a notch with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor, 4GB of RAM and 64GB of onboard storage.

The 5.7-inch display will feature QHD resolution (that’s 2,560 x 1,440 pixels) much like recent devices such as the Samsung Galaxy S6 and the LG G4, putting the Pro in line with the current generation of flagship devices.
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https://www.cnet.com/news/xiaomi-mi-note-pro-will-go-on-sale-soon-in-china/

Sony Xperia C4 wants to add some flash to your selfies

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xperia-c4-mint-1240x840-50dc5faa7634b12a0553726644739c6d.jpg

 

Sony is hoping to appeal to the vainest parts of your personality with the Xperia C4. This new 5.5-inch Android phone has a 5-megapixel front-facing camera that’s been equipped with an LED flash and a range of scene modes to help you snap the perfect selfie.

The other specs aren’t bad either, even if you’re not fussed about narcissistic self portraits. The display has a full HD resolution, it’s running Android Lollipop, has a 64-bit octa-core processor and comes with 4G LTE connectivity.

Sony has said the C4 will be available in a “range of markets” from the beginning of June in dual- and single-SIM varieties, but at the time of writing, specific release dates or indeed prices aren’t yet known. While the phone is definitely on its way to Australia, Sony has since confirmed to us that the C4 will not be coming to the UK. We’ll update this article when more information is available.
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https://www.cnet.com/reviews/sony-xperia-c4-preview/

Xiaomi’s Mi 4i will hit Asia as early as May 12

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The Chinese smartphone maker’s flagship handset for emerging markets will make its way to Singapore and Hong Kong in early May.

 

Xiaomi’s Mi 4i is an Android Lollipop smartphone clad in polycarbonate.Aloysius Low.

 

If you live in either Hong Kong or Singapore and have been waiting for Xiaomi’s Mi 4i since it was released two weeks ago in India, the Chinese smartphone maker announced that the $205 phone will hit these markets on May 12. Announcements for Taiwan, Indonesia and Malaysia will be made soon.

In India, where the phone first launched, Xiaomi sold 40,000 units in less than 15 seconds. The forthcoming release in Hong Kong and Singapore will also likely translate to more stock for third-party resellers, where you might be able to snag a Mi 4i at a slight premium.

Meant as a flagship phone for emerging markets, the Android 5.0-powered Mi 4i sports a full-HD display with an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 processor and a huge 3,120mAh battery. Other specs include a 13-megapixel rear camera, 16GB of onboard storage and dual 4G SIM slots.
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https://www.cnet.com/news/xiaomis-mi-4i-will-hit-asia-as-early-as-may-12/

iPhone 6 Plus leads phablet sales in US

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Apple’s big-screened phone snagged 44 percent of all phablet sales in the US last quarter, says research firm Kantar Worldpanel ComTech.

Phablets were hot in the US during the first quarter of the year, and Apple’s iPhone 6 Plus was the hottest of them all, according to a report out Wednesday from Kantar Worldpanel ComTech.

Phablets, which are typically defined as smartphones with screen sizes of 5.5 inches or larger, accounted for 21 percent of all US smartphone sales last quarter. That number was a huge jump from just 6 percent in the first quarter of 2014, according to Kantar.

The phablet that led the pack was Apple’s iPhone 6 Plus. Equipped with a screen size of 5.5 inches, the 6 Plus took in 44 percent of all US phablet sales last quarter. To no surprise, screen size was cited as the No. 1 reason for choosing a phablet among 43 percent of iOS users and 47 percent ofAndroid users.
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https://www.cnet.com/news/iphone-6-plus-leads-phablet-sales-in-us/

Samsung Galaxy S 4 review

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This is the story of a little smartphone series that grows up and, three years later, positions itself to take over the world. The device in question, the newest addition to that lineup, doesn’t really need much of an introduction thanks to some of the most successful marketing campaigns in the world. We’ll be happy to give it anyway: pictured atop this very text sits the Samsung Galaxy S 4, the latest and greatest flagship out of Korea. This is the hero, the device chosen to lead the charge for Samsung as it ventures deeper into 2013, and it’s fitted with the best of everything: a 1080p Super AMOLED display, 1.9GHz quad-core (or 1.6GHz Exynos 5 Octa 5410, depending on market) chipset, Android 4.2, 13MP camera and a wide assortment of brand-new firmware amenities, to name just a few.

Despite the fact that its predecessor sold millions upon millions of units in the past year, the Galaxy S 4 isn’t alone in its quest for global Android domination this time. HTC, the underdog of the fight, has launched the One, a flagship that rivals the GS4 in almost every way and does so in a physically attractive package complete with a solid aluminum build. Where do these two devices stand in comparison to each other? Does the GS4 reign supreme? Will its onslaught of new software features send the phone to the top of the pack? These answers and more await you after the break.
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https://www.engadget.com/products/samsung/galaxy-tab-s4/scores/

LG G4 vs. Samsung Galaxy S6 vs. iPhone 6 vs. HTC One M9: 2015 smartphone specs compared

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The new LG G4 appears to be a worthy upgrade to the last model, but check out our chart for how it stacks up with other top-of-the-line smartphones.

 

Sarah Tew.

 

The LG G4 is a significant improvement over last year’s LG G3 in several key specs, and it comes with a subtly curved design that’s comfortable to hold.

LG is going with plastic again for the frame of the G4, and the front looks mostly the same as the G3, but the back of the handset will offer three kinds of materials. The first is leather similar to what we’ve seen on the leather Moto X. The two plastic-back options come with a ceramic-styled finish or another with metallic elements that feel quite a bit like the G3’s quasi-metal back.
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https://www.cnet.com/news/lg-g4-vs-samsung-galaxy-s6-vs-iphone-6-vs-htc-one-m9-2015-smartphone-specs-compared/

HTC One M7 review (2013)

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One. In literal terms, it’s a number. To HTC, however, it’s a branding strategy — the foundation upon which the entire company is now based. Just take one look at the One lineup and you’ll easily understand this is the manufacturer’s pride and joy. There’s a very good reason for that: in a crowded smartphone market, HTC is the underdog to titans like Samsung and Apple. The company needs to stand out if it even wants the chance to prove itself to consumers.

Last year’s One X marked a solid start, and while it didn’t pick up the momentum CEO Peter Chou would’ve liked, the follow-up model — simply called the One — takes HTC’s design and imaging chops to the next level, bringing a new UltraPixel camera sensor, among other top-shelf specs. But will it catch the eye of potential smartphone buyers, in light of another key product announcement? We’d say it’s got more than a fighting chance.
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https://www.engadget.com/2013-03-12-htc-one-review.html

Samsung: Demand for Galaxy S6 steeper than expected

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The company says it didn’t fully anticipate how many of its new Galaxy S6 smartphones it would need right off the bat.

 

Samsung is having trouble meeting the heavy demand for its Galaxy S6 phones.

Samsung is likely to bump into trouble meeting demand for its Galaxy S6 lineup.

The Korean mobile phone maker said Wednesday that demand for its Galaxy S6 lineup is “much higher” than initially planned for, Reuters has reported. The Galaxy S6 and the Galaxy S6 Edge both went on sale last Friday. Though Samsung hasn’t released any sales figures for the opening weekend, the two phones had already snagged around 20 million preorders over the past few weeks, according to the Korea Times.
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https://www.cnet.com/news/samsung-demand-for-galaxy-s6-steeper-than-expected/

Case/off: These Samsung Galaxy S6, Edge cases pass the picky-person test

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An extremely selective phone case customer weighs in on your choices for protecting your new Galaxy investment.

 

I tested out a bunch of cases for Samsung’s two flagship phones.Josh Miller.

 

I pretty much despise most phone cases, but it isn’t because of common tropes that they “destroy to the handset’s pristine form,” or cost more money than they should — although there’s that, too. My issue is that I find the majority of cases unbearably ugly, cheap or overly simplistic.

That said, cases are a necessity for protecting your phone, which for me makes them a necessary evil. (I’d also kick in a glass screen protector as well, especially if you’re a butterfingers like me.)
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https://www.cnet.com/news/favorite-samsung-galaxy-s6-edge-cases/

Verizon to preload Lyft app on Android phones

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The ride-sevice underdog hopes for competitive advantage against Uber in a deal with nation’s largest mobile phone carrier.

 

Lyft and Verizon are teaming up to drive passengers to both companies.

 

In its battle with Uber for passengers — and relevancy — Lyft has formed a national partnership with Verizon Wireless that the pair hope will steer more customers their way.

Beginning Thursday, Lyft’s app, which connects private-car drivers with passengers, will come preloaded on Verizon devices running Google’sAndroid operating system. Also, Verizon will offer Lyft drivers incentives to use it as a mobile carrier, including 15 percent discounts on their monthly wireless bills.

Without offering further details, the two companies also said they would “work closely on future creative campaigns and product integrations,” according to a statement by the San Francisco-based ride-hailing company.
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https://www.cnet.com/news/lyft-forms-app-partnership-with-verizon-wireless/

iPhone 4S review

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This isn’t the iPhone 5. No matter how badly you wanted something slim, sleek and wedge-shaped, this isn’t it. If you went ahead and got your hopes up ahead of Apple’s “Let’s Talk iPhone” event, hopefully you’ve gotten over the pangs of discontent by now, because this device pictured front and center is the iPhone 4S. It’s a new spin on an old phone that will shock none, but give it half a chance, and it will still impress.

The iPhone 4S comes with a faster processor, a better camera, a smarter virtual assistant and twice the storage of its predecessor — if you don’t mind paying for it. Like theiPhone 3GS did before to the 3G, the 4S bumps the iPhone 4 down to second-class status, leaving those Apple fans who must have the best aspiring to own its decidedly familiar exterior. Apple says this is the most amazing iPhone ever. Is it? Yes, of course it is, but read on to see whether it’s really worth an upgrade.

Apple iPhone 4S review

 

  

  

iPhone 4S

PROS

  • Great performance
  • Improved camera
  • Siri could, eventually, change the game
  • Broader carrier compatibility

CONS

  • Zero visual differentiation
  • No LTE

SUMMARY Apple clearly has a winner with its best iPhone to date, but if you were gunning for the iPhone 5, you’ll be best continuing the wait.
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https://www.engadget.com/2011-10-14-iphone-4s-review.html