BlackBerry CEO: ‘I intend to continue to build a hardware business’
Mobile World Congress is already well underway in Barcelona, Spain and while it wasn’t entirely expected to happen this early, BlackBerry has made several announcements. The biggest one arguably comes by way of their unveiling of the company’s plans for cross-platform services via what they’re calling the BlackBerry Experience Suite. The suite was noted to be ‘a major company-wide initiative in BlackBerry’s commitment to build out its robust software portfolio’ and that includes bringing some beloved, and thus far BlackBerry 10 only, features to other platforms such as iOS, Android and Windows.
Microsoft reveals Coship Mobile as new Windows Phone hardware partner
China-based Coship Mobile has been revealed as the latest partner to join the Windows Phone hardware device ecosystem today as part of Microsoft’s announcements for the 2015 Mobile World Congress.
Sandisk announces massive 200GB microSD card, coming in Q2 2015
Today’s smartphones typically pack internal storage that ranges anywhere from as little as 4GB on the low-end to as much as 128GB on the highest end of the spectrum. For many folks, 32 to 128GB is probably more than enough for your apps, movies, music and pics. This is especially true for those of us that have learned to lean on cloud storage. But what if you need as much space as you can possibly get?
Perhaps you travel a lot and want tons of movies and music in areas that might not otherwise get reliable cell coverage. No matter what your reason, microSD is a handy way to add a little extra space. And in a somewhat funny twist of fate, the day that the Samsung announces they are ditching microSD with the Galaxy S6, Sandisk has now debuted what they claim to be the largest commercially available microSD card.
The new 200GB SanDisk Ultra microSDXC UHS-I “Premium Edition” is a monster of a card, packed into a tiny package. Up until now, 128GB was about as big as it got, and tends to be the “up to range” quoted for most smartphone manufacturers today. As you might have guessed, this much space comes at a hefty premium. The 200GB microSDXC card will retail for $399.99 when it arrives in Q2 of this year.
For those that are actually entertaining the idea of spending that much, it is important to note that your phone should work with this card as long as your device supports the SDXC standard. Yes, even if your device is listed as supporting “up to 128GB”, any phone that has SDXC support should technically support up to 2TB (as noted with the G Flex 2). What do you think, anyone actually have a need for that much space on a phone? If your answer is yes, how much would you realistically be willing to pay for it?
Samsung Galaxy S6 vs. HTC One M9
Samsung and HTC are going head-to-head today, both with devices that shine and fall short in some places.
While both powered by Android 5.0, Samsung puts its TouchWiz software overlay on top, this year with a cleaner and lighter design that they emphasized has “zero lag”. HTC has integrated their Sense 7 into Android with an improved home screen that gives the user much more customization options, such as changing the way icons look, which has only been done by third-party launchers.
In terms of processor used, this is a battle of Samsung’s in-house Exynos chip versus Qualcomm’s widely used Snapdragon series. Both chips are capable of 64-bit processing and include 8 cores inside them.
As of right now, Samsung is offering more storage options than HTC, including a 128 GB option. But they removed the option for expandable storage, while HTC is offering up to 128 GB expandable storage with micro-SD card.
In the camera department, HTC has put their 4 UltraPixel on the front of the device for great low-light performance and wide angles, and opted for a 20.7 MP camera on the back with autofocus and dual-LED flash. Samsung has promised with their new 16 MP camera that it has the best low-light performance of any smartphone, even the iPhone 6.
Samsung has decided to shrink the battery in the S6 to 2,550 mAh compared to their 2,800 battery last year. HTC has improved with a 2,840 mAh battery, that they promise will give the user 21 hours of talk time. Samsung has promised they have made many optimizations to the software, and have included quick charging capabilities that give the S6 four hours of use with only ten minutes of charging time. The One M9 also has QuickCharge 2.0, for 60% of battery charge in 30 minutes.
An honorable mention is the phones’ speakers. Samsung has confirmed the S6 will has 1.5x clearer and louder speakers than their S5, and HTC has improved Boomsound once again to stay king of the speakers department with Dolby 5.1 surround.
So, do either of these two announcements make you want one or the other? Let us know in the comments!
The post Samsung Galaxy S6 vs. HTC One M9 appeared first on AndroidGuys.
Apple Showcases ‘Shot on iPhone 6’ World Gallery on Homepage
Apple has refreshed its homepage to showcase a gallery of photos taken with iPhone 6 across the world, unsurprisingly coinciding with today’s announcements of the Samsung Galaxy S6 and HTC One M9 at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. The gallery shows photos taken by iPhone 6 users in several countries, including the United States, Canada, Japan, Iceland, South Korea, China, Scotland, Indonesia, Thailand and New Zealand.
Some of the photos have been filtered, enhanced or shared with apps such as Instagram, Snapseed, VSCO Cam, Mextures, Filterstorm Neue, Camera+ and Adobe Photoshop Express. “People take incredible photos and videos on iPhone 6 every day,” writes Apple. “And here are some of our favorites. Explore the gallery, learn a few tips, and see what’s possible with the world’s most popular camera.”
SanDisk Announces 128GB iXpand Flash Drive and Updated Sync App With Touch ID [iOS Blog]
This week at mobile-focused technology show Mobile World Congress, SanDisk plans to announce a several updates to its line of iXpand Flash Drives and companion app, mainly focused on expanding storage space and enabling quicker and more secure data decryption with the help of Touch ID.
The iXpand flash drive includes both USB and Lightning connectors to allow users the ability to easily transfer files, photos, and videos from an iOS device to a desktop or notebook with a traditional USB port. Currently available in 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB sizes, the company will be announcing its first addition to the iXpand line with the introduction of a 128GB model for even more file storage.
SanDisk also promises new iOS 8-inspired updates to the iXpand Sync app, notably implementing Touch ID to let users encrypt and decrypt their most sensitive files while transferring data to and from the drive. The company also notes that the update will allow users to interact and open files from the iXpand drive with various other “popular apps”, as well as save content inside of the third-party apps directly onto the drive.
No official pricing has been given for the 128GB drive yet, but seeing as the current highest capacity version of the iXpand flash drive at 64GB retails for $109.99, those interested in the new high-end model can expect to pay a substantial premium over that for double the storage.
The company says the extensive update to the iXpand app will be going live this week during Mobile World Congress, taking place in Barcelona from March 2-5. The SanDisk iXpand Sync app is a free download from the App Store. [Direct Link]
Carriers announce that they will carry the S6 and S6 Edge
Despite a March 1 announcement, it appears that the Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge will be available after a bit, starting April 10. As such, carriers here in the US and abroad have announced that they will be carrying the new Galaxy flagship. Those include, T-Mobile, AT&T and Sprint in the US and Vodafone and Three in the UK. As far as pre-paid is concerned there are a few carriers that will carry the new Galaxy.
Cricket Wireless announced that it will carry the S6 while US Cellular announced that the S6 and S6 Edge will grace its network. Crickett Wireless has mentioned that the S6 will be available for $35 a month after $5 auto-pay credit. There’s no word on other carriers, like Verizon, and if they intend to carry the new Galaxy (we would guess that they will) or when most of these carriers will actually have the phone. Either way, we’ll let you know when they do.
Come comment on this article: Carriers announce that they will carry the S6 and S6 Edge
Samsung Galaxy S6 comes with Microsoft apps out of the box
Those rumors that Samsung would reduce the glut of in-house software on the Galaxy S6, and include some of Microsoft’s apps? They’re at least partly true. Both the S6 and S6 edge will ship with a “Microsoft Apps” folder that currently includes OneDrive, OneNote and Skype. There’s no hint of Office (at least not yet), but you will get 115GB of free OneDrive cloud storage for two years. You certainly won’t be hurting for photo backup space, then. It’s hard to say if the bundle is the direct result of Microsoft and Samsung calling a truce in their Android royalty dispute. Either way, the move is going to give Microsoft’s services a lot more exposure. While they’ve been available on Android for some time, their absence in phone bundles has typically made it easier to lean on equivalents from the likes of Google and Dropbox.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Samsung, Microsoft
Via: The Verge
Source: Samsung Mobile Press
AT&T has already confirmed it will sell the LG Urbane
With the days counting down until Apple’s presumed Watch press event, the fever pitch for wearables is about to reach an explosive high. LG, having already tested its hand with both the Android Wear-launch G Watch and subsequent LG G Watch R (the platform’s second circular smartwatch), is set to release the upcoming LG Urbane, and AT&T has wasted no time in announcing it will be selling the non SIM-smooching device.
While pricing, availability, and additional details are to be forthcoming at a future time, the fact that a major US carrier has already committed to this fascinating new product’s release can only mean good things are in store for LG. It’s highly likely that in the coming hours, days, and weeks, more carriers will jump on-board.
The LG Watch Urbane, presumably a play on the word “Urban”, is a stylish yet slightly rugged smartwatch that makes full use of metal and a plastic OLED display making it essentially a remixed G Watch R. The full list of features include:
- 1.3-inch POLED display with resolution of 320×320, 245PPI
- 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor
- 512MB of RAM
- 4GB of internal storage
- 410mAh battery
- Bluetooth 4.0
- Sensors: 9-axis, PPG, Barometer, heart rate monitor
- IP67 waterproofing
- Compatible with watch bands 22mm in size
- Android Wear OS
Please check out our coverage on the LG Watch Urbane should the new timepiece pique your interest.
BARCELONA, March 1, 2015 – AT&T1 announced today that it will offer the LG Watch Urbane in its retail stores and at www.att.com. Pricing, availability and further details will be announced at a later date.
LG Watch Urbane Features
The LG Watch Urbane features a premium metal design with a more formal, thinner profile. The full circle P-OLED display provides you with a seamless balance of classic design while optimizing the display area. Replaceable2 22mm stitched leather straps give you additional style options and choices. Key notifications,3 social media updates and daily schedules can be displayed by just saying, “Ok Google” to search for the information you need. Designed for both luxury and durability, the LG Watch Urbane has a water resistant rating that is good up to 1 meter for 30 minutes.4 Make strides and get ahead by tracking your progress with a built-in PPG Sensor.
Supporting Quote
“AT&T is excited to add the LG Watch Urbane to its industry leading selection of wearables. LG Watch Urbane combines the style of a classic timepiece with the latest technology that makes it easy to stay connected on-the-go. It’s stylish, cutting edge and convenient, so you can wear it to nearly any occasion and still receive notifications that matter most.” – Jeff Bradley, senior vice president, Device Marketing and Developer Services, AT&T Mobility.
Supporting Resources
- For more information visit: www.att.com/watchurbane.
- Follow all AT&T news at MWC at http://soc.att.com/ATTatMWC or on Twitter at @ATT.
1AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.
2 Alternate band designs sold separately.
3 Some features require a connection via Bluetooth® to a compatible device with a data network connection.
4IP67 rated (water-resistant/dustproof), submersible up to 1 meter for 30 mins w/ covers tightly closed. Rinse to remove any residue. Not shockproof.
INRIX works with Samsung with driving-based apps for Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge
INRIX will help owners of Samsung’s newest smartphones get around in their vehicle with a number of apps and services.
AIVAnet 